Transportation
Transportation and transportation management is the part of logistics that you might be most familiar with, whether road, rail, air or sea. But even though getting something from A to B may sound simple enough, doing it on the scale our industry operates takes a whole range of skill, talent and well, people!
You can explore the specific roles below. Check out the prospects, the pay and the requirements – and see if it sounds like you.
DRIVER TRAINING
Starting at £33K for fully qualified entry level drivers, but going up to £40k for fully qualified drivers (Class C+E) and £60K+ for specialised driving (like tankers for example!).
Driver trainers can expect to be paid anything from £35K+
It encompasses professional vehicle driving (all sorts of vehicles!) and becoming qualified to train others to be professional drivers.
No logistics experience necessary, or any formal qualifications (most positions will offer training on the job), but it’ll help if you are a people person and if you’re good with technology (because modern trucks are increasingly high tech!)
Those who are comfortable working both alone and with other people. If you are a driver you’ll spend stretches of time alone (plenty of time for music & podcasts!) but you’ll be a key part of a wider team, so you’ll need to be able to develop good interpersonal skills along the way. Of course, if you’re someone who loves driving, that’s also a great help!
A driver trainer needs many of the same traits, but you’ll also need to be a great communicator – able to explain things clearly and concisely in a way that makes learning really engaging.
IMPORT-EXPORT EXECUTIVE
Dependent on experience but it could be anything from £19K up to £27K for a more senior position.
This one is all about transferable skills. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have logistics experience, what matters is that you’ve proved yourself as having the right attitude and skill set to succeed.
Those who are naturally good communicators, who are able to deal with complexities and keep a cool head under pressure. As part of your job you’ll need to be able to problem solve in real time, and always keep objectives and results front of mind.
You’ll need to be someone who really cares about getting things done the right way!
COMPLIANCE MANAGERS
Between £19K and £23K for starting positions.
This is an area that benefits from experience, but that doesn’t mean you need logistics sector experience from the get go! You can learn on the job and use transferable skills for other sectors like the ones listed below.
You’ll need to be IT literate and comfortable with (or keen to learn about) an assortment of IT tools.
Those who are organised and analytical. You’ll be meticulous about detail, good with numbers and ambitious about improvement both in your day-to-day role and your career.
Between £19K and £25K starting salary.
Nothing formal at entry level. As with so many logistics opportunities, it’s much more about skills: either the willingness to learn on the job, or the ability to transfer and reapply skills from other places you may have worked.
Much like Planners and Compliance Managers, it suits those who are organised and analytical. You’ll need to be meticulous about detail and good with numbers, but also be able to troubleshoot and problem solve.
Join the movement
If you think you might be, don’t forget to sign up for our every-so-often newsletter, packed with news, tips, updates and live opportunities.
"*" indicates required fields