Is Transportation a Good Career Path?

The transportation industry is booming and is not set to slow down any moment from now.

If you are planning on choosing a career in the transportation industry, it can become a bit overwhelming as there are numerous career paths in this industry to choose from.

This article will talk about the transportation industry, its various mediums, and career paths.

Table of Contents

What is Transportation

Transportation is simply the movement of people, goods, and services. Since the beginning of the world, the movement has been a crucial part of commerce.

International trading would never have been possible without the aid of transportation.

In the past, merchants used donkeys and camels to canvass their goods from one city to another.

But today, there are various transportation systems available for land routes, sea routes, and air routes.

Typically, we could limit transportation jobs to people that drive trucks, pilot planes or navigate ships.

But with the rise of modern e-commerce, a new industry has evolved to create more jobs that do not require you to be on the road. This is the logistics industry.

Transportation and Logistics

To fully grasp all the various careers in the transportation industry, we have to define the relationship between transportation and logistics.

Logistics is all the processes involved in moving commercial goods from the manufacturer’s factory/warehouse to the final consumer or endpoint. The movement of these goods is what we call transportation.

Logistics deals with how goods get to final the consumer, and transportation move these goods.

What Are the Various Careers in Transportation and Logistics?

The carer path we are about to explore with transportation and logistics in mind can be grouped into two categories.

The first set will require actual travel, which would be suitable for people who love to travel.

The second group, popularly known as behind-the-scene of transportation, would be suitable for people that do not like to travel. You could even work remotely in this sector – in your house.

Transportation Jobs That Require Actual Travel

Truck Drivers

These are the drivers that operate tractors/trailers. They are responsible for transporting goods from the manufacturer to various warehouses, stores and even retailers.

Most truck drivers pick goods from containers in the seaport to their various destinations, which could be a long distance far from home, or a specific local route.

Truck drivers do not require a formal degree to operate. Only competent driving skills and a driver’s license is required.

Locomotive Driver

Also known as enginemen or train engineers, they are responsible for driving trains which move people and or goods(freights).

Trains are particularly crucial for moving perishable goods because of their speed.

As a train engineer, you make technical adjustments based on various factors and monitor different specialised instruments to ensure a safe train trip.

Ship Captain

A typical ship captain

A ship captain is a master in charge of a ship. They have the highest rank in a sea vessel.

The ship captain is not necessarily the sailor of the shop, but they are responsible for the safe transportation of a ship and everything on board.

They are like the overall manager or CEO responsible for everybody and everything on a ship, including crew members, shipmates, sailors, etc.

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Airplane Pilot

Pilots are responsible for flying passengers in commercial planes. In some cases, they fly cargo in cargo planes.

Almost all top e-commerce logistics giants, e.g. Amazon, FedEx, UPS, etc., have their cargo planes.

Piloting a plane can be incredibly complex, so experienced and talented pilots are highly demanded.

However, to become a pilot, one must attend an aviation school and obtain the Federal Aviation Administration(FFA) commercial pilot license(CPL), among other numerous requirements.

Transportation Jobs That Are Behind the Scene

Freight Forwarder

A freight forwarding company is responsible for helping merchants or individuals who have goods that need to be shipped.

They connect these merchants with the needed transportation service.

Freight forwarders deal with air, rail, ocean or even trucking service providers. They also handle issues like custom laws and navigation and goods inspection on sea/airports.

An individual or a company can serve as a freight forwarder.

Long share worker unloading a container from a ship

Also known as doc workers, the people are responsible for doing complex labor jobs like loading and unloading goods from ships and cargos.

Their work also involves using heavy equipment like cranes, forklifts, and front loader trucks.

This kind of work does not require any certificate at all. As long as you are physically fit, alert and energetic, you can be employed for this position.

Delivery Truck Dispatchers

These people are critical in the logistics chain.

They are responsible for scheduling delivery drivers to ensure timely pick-up and delivery of goods to the right customers.

Truck dispatchers also perform other administrative functions like keeping records of delivered goods, tracking locations of delivery drivers and scheduling the maintenance of company delivery trucks, vans and bikes.

They are numerous job opportunities in the transportation industry, whichever sector you choose.

How Much Do Transporters Earn?

Since transportation is a vital aid trade, those working in the sector are paid well. Pilots, for instance, can earn between $110,00 – $150,000 or more per year.

A ship captain also earns over $110,000 per year. Truck drivers usually earn between $49,000 – $65,000 per year.

Can Transportation Be a Good Career Path?

Without transportation, commerce would come to a halt. Transporters also have a wide range of careers to choose from.

If you love to travel a lot, you have a career. Also, if you don’t like travelling and love to be with your family every day, single a career path for you too!

Finally, another good thing about transport careers is that so do your earnings as your experience increases.

A bike dispatch rider

So yes, the transportation profession can be a good career path.

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Conclusion

This piece was written with the intent to give you an in-depth answer to your question of is transportation a good career path.

We believe this piece was both helpful and informative and will implore you to help share it across your social media platforms.