4 great jobs in transportation logistics

Driving trucks is just the beginning when it comes to jobs in logistics.

By Catherine Conlon, Monster contributor

Transportation logistics is a fast-moving, dynamic industry, and the one of the most visible jobs in it is truck driver. Companies will always need to move goods, says Scott McNiel, marketing manager at E.L. Hollingsworth & Co., and because of that, the country will always need truck drivers. “You cannot outsource trucking,” and with a national driver shortage, professional drivers have a lot of carriers to choose from.

But all of those drivers need logistical and administrative support, and the jobs can be exciting and provide a lot of variety. No two days are ever alike and there are always new challenges in transportation logistics, says John Smith, senior vice president of sales and operations at IntelliQuick Delivery.

“Every job in the transportation logistics field relies on an intricate web of trust, communication, and reliability, requiring each team member to contribute their piece of the puzzle without fail every day.”

Read on to find out about four other great jobs in transportation logistics.

Dispatcher

People who work as dispatchers coordinate drivers or vehicles to fill customer needs. They need strong communication and customer service skills, and must be able to work closely and effectively with other employees at the company.

“Dispatchers, warehouse workers, and all of the other positions work as a close-knit team with one common goal, which is to provide efficiency and on-time delivery to the customer,” Smith says.

Administrative roles

Local companies may need people in administrative positions to be comfortable with a wide variety of logistics roles. As secretary to the CEO of Lake Erie Logistics, Carrie Aulenbacher says her position offers experience as versatile as the shipments the company handle for its customers. “It takes not only organizational knowledge, but tech savvy as we are migrating to GPS systems and tablets in every truck to dispatch our loads.

Aulenbacher says she works with mechanics to keep the trucks maintained, communicates with drivers through newsletter feedback, and also handles the billing for the company’s entire leasing division. “In the ever-changing world of logistics, my position offers flexibility and growth.”

Logistics engineers

At larger companies, logistics engineers may look at a wide variety of data to make the operation more efficient. Some of the data may include revenue per stop, on-time percentages, and ways to optimize routes, delivery schedules, and fuel use, Smith says. They may also develop ways to track this data efficiently and ensure compliance with local, state, and federal rules.

Account executive

Being an account executive at a logistics firm is an opportunity for the hungry, self-motivated go-getter, says Dustin Snipes, senior sales manager at BlueGrace Logistics. “At BlueGrace, the account executive is in a position to build their own book of business by cold calling prospective businesses, leveraging those relationships once the account is sold, and then they earn residual commissions.” There, it’s a national sales position, requiring phone, email, and conference communication, but more local companies may rely on in-person meetings or territory selling.

James Santy, director of network sales at C.H. Robinson, says the salespeople at his company are responsible for working with customers across a variety of industries and geographical regions to provide supply chain solutions that bring value and improvements to their businesses. Being able to build strong relationships and work collaboratively is key to the position.