Transport & Logistics

Thinking about working in transport and logistics? With documentaries like White Van Man and Eddie Stobart: Truck & Trailers hitting our screens courtesy of Channel 5, it’s getting to be a pretty glamorous occupation. Ok, maybe not. It might not have much razzle dazzle, but working in transport involves more than just motoring huge trucks around Europe and sporting one (just one) sunburnt arm.

The same goes for logistics. It isn’t just zipping around enormous warehouses in a forklift truck (actually that does sound kind of fun). There are so many diverse careers in this exciting, fast-paced and ever-changing sector. You will need to have great organisational skills, be a good decision-maker and have a logical and practical approach to problem solving.

Transport and logistics are all about moving things, storing things and supplying things, and when we say ‘things’ we mean anything and everything: from people and animals to goods and services. Think less Postman Pat, more huge global undertaking; every person and every industry in the world is influenced by, and depends upon, transport and logistics.

If you want to get technical, transport refers to the movement of people and logistics refers to the movement of freight (i.e. goods, natural resources, mail etc.). Yet, it’s also all about managing the supply, demand, distribution and procurement operations too. This is where careers in supply chain management, procurement, freight forwarding and distribution management play an integral role.

People who work in warehouse, storage and inventory management form an essential part of the logistics chain. They make sure the right goods are available and organised before companies export and ship large orders. It involves a good deal of organisation; you don’t want to be mistakenly sending a huge shipment of clothing to a nudist colony.

Trade routes, railway lines, motorways and cycle paths don’t just spring up out of nowhere and their trajectories aren’t simply arranged in a haphazard, willy-nilly fashion. A good deal of meticulous planning and organisation is required before any route can be constructed and this responsibly rests on the shoulders of transport managers and transport planners. As transport management and planning initiatives are starting to focus more on public transport and cycling infrastructure, they play an important role in balancing the needs of the economy, society and environment. So, with every cycle path you plan, you can bask in the green glow of doing your bit for the environment.

Technical and engineering skills are hugely valued in this sector. Transport and logistics operations tend to require a lot of vehicles, machinery and infrastructure (i.e. railway sleepers, overhead wires etc.) and these require an army of specialist transport engineers and technicians to keep everything maintained and fully functional.

Remember though, after all the planning and management departments have done their bit, it’s down to the people like HGV drivers, cycle couriers, train drivers, passenger service teams and postmen and women to actively move people and goods around the world. These guys are the vital workforce of the industry. We salute you.