The transportation and logistics industry has a wide range of career opportunities.
Being a professional in this industry is always an awesome opportunity to interact with various industries including the military and maritime, not to mention the numerous government agencies that you will have to collaborate with from time to time.
If you are considering a career in a logistics company but don’t just know what profession to choose, read below for a brief look at some of the various types of professions within this field-:
Freight Agent
A freight agent is responsible for coordinating, overseeing, and tracking the shipment of goods as they transit through shipping docks, trains, and airlines.
They are normally tasked with the duty of ensuring that all the shipments are collected and delivered to their various destinations on behalf of the companies and businesses.
For you to be a successful freight agent, you require good organization skills since the bulk of your responsibility is to arrange the shipping methods and the most optimal routes for your cargo.
You will also be responsible for managing all the relevant paperwork as well as negotiating payments for the ensuing shipping costs.
Logistics Consultants
Logistics consultants work on behalf of their clients within the supply chain. They don’t necessarily have to be employed by any company.
They can be self-employed and work for their own companies. The role of a logistics consultant is to create and implement logistic solutions for their client’s supply chain needs.
For example, they can analyze a company’s distribution and production operations and then recommend the optimal ways for improvement or change to streamline everything.
They may also be tasked with measures to reduce costs, sourcing new suppliers, and crafting more efficient transportation strategies for their clients.
Warehouse Manager
The primary duty of a warehouse manager is to offer training and manage warehouse employees to facilitate the smooth processing of shipments.
They usually maintain close communication with the other logistics teams to ensure that the shipment and all the associated processes run as smoothly as possible.
Warehouse managers are also tasked with analyzing data, budgeting, and reporting on the state of the inventory periodically.
Inventory Manager
As the inventory manager, you are concerned with forecasting and managing inventory levels by conducting correct data analysis to ensure that companies don’t run out of inventory necessary to sustain their manufacturing needs as well as the needs of their suppliers.
An inventory manager is also responsible for overseeing the transportation of goods from the various warehouses to the consumers or to the stores, while at the same time tracking the inventory and shipment.
Supply Chain Manager
This is one of the top careers within the transport and logistics industry. If you believe that you have strong managerial and communication skills, and you are interested in working in the logistics industry, then this is one of the careers you should be aiming for.
Just as the name suggests, a supplier chain manager is responsible for the entire supply chain of a company.
Your roles will be to oversee the warehousing, purchasing, and inventory, including the production of certain distribution products.
Your major task is to ensure that all the processes are streamlined and to make cost-effective decisions that will help the business cut costs in the long run.
Customer Service Representative
As a customer service representative in a logistics business, you will act as a middleman between the logistics team and the suppliers or the clients.
This job may also involve sending out quotations, keeping client records, and dealing with sales invoices.
In order to thrive as a customer service representative, you should understand the supply chain processes and have a deep knowledge of the major client and supplier concerns in your relevant industry.
Transportation Analyst
The work of a transportation analyst is to improve the transportation strategies of the company’s goods. They are responsible for analyzing the planning as well as the movement of supplies.
Normally, they use sophisticated software to come up with new and more optimized processes for managing the transportation needs of the company.
To be successful in this role, computer proficiency and organizational skills are vital. You should also have good communication skills since you will be responsible for developing positive relationships between your company and suppliers as well as clients.
As a transportation analyst, you will also be responsible for developing methods that will help the company save time and money during its operations.
Logistics Engineer
If you love science and mathematics and you desire a career in the logistics industry, then you have every reason to consider being a logistics engineer.
The major role of a logistics engineer is to try to enhance and streamline the company’s distribution of goods and services with the use of science and math skills.
They are responsible for creating and reviewing the company’s supply chain processes and methodologies.
They also have a duty to optimize the company’s shipping strategies, in addition to enhancing capacity and routing for efficiency and cost-saving purposes.
Procurement Manager
The role of a procurement manager is nearly the same as that of a purchasing manager. Their primary responsibility is to purchase goods of the company and for the company.
They are usually skilled salesmen with strong communication and negotiation skills that enable them to engage suppliers and secure all the necessary goods at the most competitive rates.
With their ability to network and build relationships with the suppliers, they aim to help in the implementation of cost-saving strategies, besides improving the overall operations of the company.
Demand Planning Analyst
Demand planning analyst is another logistic job you may consider in this industry. The responsibility of a demand planning analyst is to purchase goods and manage stock levels.
They are also responsible for analyzing the billing processes. When a business has too much or too little inventory, there will always be negative consequences.
It is the work of the demand planning analyst to ensure that stock levels are always at equilibrium so that the business doesn’t have to suffer any negative consequences as a result of oversupply or undersupply of stock.
