Types of Distribution Jobs
The transportation and warehousing industries allow goods and services to be transported efficiently between manufacturers and consumers. Oftentimes when we think about the transportation industry we realize the transport involved for such goods, but we don't realize that these goods also often need storage between the time they are transported from the manufacturer and when they go to their final place of sale, such as a retail store.
Many jobs in distribution involve trucking. In fact, truck drivers hold 45% of the jobs within the industry. Both truck drivers and those who service the trucks have favorable job outlooks for the present, though one thing that is impacting trucking jobs to some extent is the high cost of gas and diesel. This has significantly impacted trucking companies' bottom lines, and therefore has made profitability much more of a concern.
What may be seen as a positive thing for truck transportation jobs is that these kinds of jobs don't often require a lot of extra education beyond high school. Some on-the-job training is required, and drivers will need to obtain a commercial driver's license. However, it's also a very secure job and one that pays quite well and provides good benefits. Pay is roughly about $17 an hour on average. In some cases, some computer training is also necessary for such things as order management. In addition, you will need to be very attentive to detail.
For most types of transportation jobs you'll need to be at least 18 years old to drive trucks within your state. For interstate jobs, you will need to be at least 21 years of age, be able to read and speak English, and have good vision and hearing. If you want to be a truck driver, you'll also need the aforementioned commercial driver's license, for which you will need to pass a skills test and a written examination. The company you work for may also have additional requirements beyond these licensing requirements.
If you wish, you can attend truck-driving school. In fact, large trucking companies often have formal programs, and those who wish to drive for them can attend. Smaller companies may simply assign drivers that are experienced to teach and be mentors to those who are less experienced. Oftentimes, you may start as someone else's assistant and then work your way into your own route.
As you become more experienced as a truck driver, you will receive better pay and acquire better routes, as long as your driving record stays clean. In addition, as an experienced driver you will have a much greater pick of assignments and a much better chance of being hired by other trucking companies, some of which may require additional experienced drivers.
If you wish, you can also freelance as a long-distance truck driver. If you wish to do this, you must have the ability to run your own business in addition to your truck driving experience. For this, it's helpful if you take courses in accounting and business management, so as to have the experience necessary to begin your own business.
Food distribution jobs may include delivering food to restaurants, grocery stores, or other retail outlets. In these cases, you may also be dealing with customers on a case-by-case basis, so you have to have some customer service skills in addition to driving skills as well. Alcohol distribution jobs require that someone be at least 21 years of age to drive that type of cargo.
Other types of transportation jobs include industrial transportation jobs, whereby you are transporting industrial products to construction sites and other industrially-related venues.
Finding the Best Transportation Jobs
Once you have gotten the training you need, go online and search for jobs in your area. For example, you can access your favorite search engine with the key words "commercial drivers license trucking jobs," or "over the road trucking jobs," etc. If you wish, make sure to include your location so that you can find local jobs. If you have attended commercial truck driving school, your school may also be able to help with job placement.
Job Outlook and Compensation
In general, those who drive trucks are either compensated by the mile, by the hour, or with a percentage of what their load provides in revenue. A percentage of truckers are under union contract, with those drivers often making more than non-union truck drivers. And those who are new hires are often given lower wages and graduated pay scales, and often must also clear a certain amount of time with the safe driving record before pay increases are given. In some cases, independent truckers handle shipments for companies that don't wish to maintain their own fleet of vehicles.
Although the need for these types of jobs in this area continues, higher gas prices have made some challenges to the industry inevitable. As gas prices fall and alternative fuel sources are developed and put into play, this will likely adjust to at least some extent.
Conclusion
Good jobs in transportation can be tough to find, but they are available. In some cases, you may only need a high school diploma, clean driving record, and commercial driver's license (along with some additional training) to be a truck driver. You must be over the age of 21 to travel interstate routes and to transport alcohol or hazardous materials. However, this can be a secure industry to get into, especially in areas where there are union regulations.
