A job in transportation may be for you if you enjoy driving. In this field, numerous career paths are available, each with a distinct set of duties.
The most frequent query from anyone interested in pursuing a career in transportation services is, “What are the best paying jobs in transportation services?”.
The answer to this question varies from person to person due to the transportation industry’s extensive variety.
You may be able to determine whether a position in this industry is a good fit for your career goals by learning more about the opportunities available to you in the transportation sector.
Given that the transportation sector has been characterized as lucrative and in-demand, Do you want to work in the transportation industry? Read on as we examine the best paying jobs in transportation services.
Why Choose Transportation Services?
Here are seven fantastic justifications for why you should also consider a job in transportation.
1. You will have a Purpose
“If you bought it, a truck brought it,” the saying goes. This is accurate, and it’s very likely that a train, airplane, or ship also contributed to getting that product onto the store shelf.
Every person involved in the supply chain significantly impacts the economy, business, and society. Transportation and logistics are essential to all three.
Work in transportation if you want to go to work each day, knowing that what you do has a meaningful influence on real life.
2. You will Grow
Opportunities for growth and learning abound in the transportation industry. Your employment will expose you to issues in economics, mathematics, technology, international law, and customer service, to mention a few, that are outside your comfort zone.
3. You will find an Opportunity
A far higher percentage of senior management and executive jobs in the transportation and logistics sector are held by baby boomers than in most other sectors. Industry associations at all levels have established steering committees to explore initiatives to draw in, hire, and nurture young workers.
4. Every day will bring Variety
You work in every industry in the transportation sector. Most people have a wide range of knowledge, but in the transportation industry, you learn a bit about a lot.
Understanding your customers’ businesses is essential for adding true value, and most transportation companies work with clients from various industries.
5. You will be Challenged
There are many hard-working and demanding CEOs and managers in the transportation sector. To do more, they will push you past your comfort zone. And once you see how far you can push yourself, you’ll start to demand more from yourself.
6. You will become part of the Community
Communities from all modalities and regions are together in the realm of logistics. People from shippers, carriers, and third-party logistics are connected via corporate cultures, professional organizations, and local groups.
7. You will be fueled by Passion
People who work in the transportation industry adore it. The most ardent, committed, and inspired people work in this field. You’ll spend every day with folks that genuinely like what they do and wouldn’t consider doing anything else.
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What are the Different Types of Transportation Services Jobs?
There are so many jobs in transportation services. Below are listed some:
1. Truck drivers
Truck drivers move cargo from one place to another. Deliveries from manufacturers to distribution centers and from distribution centers to specific locations fall under this category.
Truck drivers must be familiar with safe vehicle operation and maneuvering and feel at ease behind the wheel for extended periods while meeting deadlines.
2. Freight and material movement
Material movers deal with things like stock and freight and may assist in loading or unloading materials before transfer. They could be in charge of carrying supplies, packaging or wrapping goods and cleaning supplies.
Even though it entails training, this job may be suitable for entry-level workers because it rarely calls for a degree.
3. Distribution and warehouse operations
Distribution centers and warehouses play a crucial role in effective cargo transportation. These settings combine workers’ skills at various skill levels to guarantee that freight and items arrive where they are supposed to be on time.
4. Transportation and logistics
Coordination and planning of moving cargo from the point of departure to a destination are tasks in the transportation and logistics industry. These are intricate networks of operational positions—like truck drivers—and administrative ones—like logistics specialists. It’s a dynamic field, and technology keeps improving it.
5. Air transportation
Careers in air transportation involve moving both passengers and cargo. These professions include every facet of efficient air transport, from different kinds of pilots to mechanics to airport staff. Each role requires a different level of education, experience, and qualifications.
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The Benefits of a Career in Transportation Services
A job in transportation can be quite satisfying. Numerous modern conveniences have some connection to this sector of the economy. By reading on, you can learn more about the advantages of a job in transportation services.
1. Ease of Entry
Many occupations in the transportation sector can be less time-consuming than a conventional four-year university curriculum. For instance, in Saskatchewan or Alberta, a truck driver might anticipate their training to last four to six weeks.
This qualifying pace may appeal to newbies who want to make money quickly.
2. High Demand Career Opportunities
Jobs with high demand and security are available in the transportation sector. The transportation industry supports a large number of other businesses. As a result, the transportation industry will keep growing alongside the development of other sectors.
3. A Rewarding Career
If you decide to work in the transportation sector, you will significantly influence many people’s lives. Take a look at the variety of occupations available in the transportation industry.
For instance, people who commute to work every day rely on public transportation to get there, stores and supermarkets depend on truck drivers to distribute their goods, and people who drive their cars depend on engineering teams to plan and maintain the roads.
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How Many Jobs are Available in Transportation Services Field?
There are over 20,000 jobs available in the transportation service field. The transportation sector offers many employment opportunities for those who meet the qualifications. Truck drivers and airplane mechanics are only two examples of the diverse professions in the sector.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industry will expand by 6% between 2016 and 2026, which is substantially faster than the average for all jobs. This implies that those who desire to work in the transportation sector have numerous career options.
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20 Best Paying Jobs in Transportation Services in 2023
1. Transportation coordinator
Establishing schedule parameters entails looking into schedule requests, cargo, distances, and other crucial data when coordinating transportation. This is one of the Best Paying Jobs in Transportation Services.
Using the software, transportation coordinators can create new timetables or make changes to existing ones. $53,091 is the average yearly wage in the country.
2. Airline and Commercial Pilot
The pilot is one of the Best Paying Jobs in Transportation Services. A person who works in the aviation sector is known as a pilot. Also capable of transporting people or goods safely from one location to another, he is a licensed pilot.
As a trainer in the broad field of aviation, there are several opportunities in both the public and private sectors and educational settings. An airline pilot makes an annual median compensation of $139,000.
3. Air Traffic Controller
Air traffic controllers coordinate the movement of airplanes in airports and the skies above them. The goal is to keep safe distances between vehicles to prevent accidents and other dangers. Air traffic controllers are employed in control towers, route centers, and approach control facilities. $130,420 is the median national salary.
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4. Van driver
A van driver is among the highest paying occupations in the transportation industry. He may drive automobiles, vans, and light trucks to pick up and distribute newspapers, bakery and dairy goods, and commodities like packages and parcels. The yearly average wage in the country is $83,756.
5. Marine Engineer
One of the highest paying careers in transportation is that of a marine engineer. A marine engineer builds, tests, and maintains boats, ships, underwater vehicles, offshore platforms, and drilling equipment. The median pay for a marine engineer is more than $93,000.
6. Highway Engineers
Highway engineers oversee project planning, estimating, funding, and execution. Because of this, a career in highway engineering is both interesting and varied, involving regular responsibilities, including gathering design specifications, conducting site surveys, planning delivery packages, and much more.
This is one of the Best Paying Jobs in Transportation Services.
Highway engineers make a little bit more than $100,000 on average.
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7. Train Conductor
A person who works on trains and oversees the crew’s routine tasks is known as a conductor. Train conductors make an average annual pay of more than $64,000.
8. Crane Operator
On tower or bridge cranes, crane operators are employed. The construction industry frequently needs crane operators. Crane operators earn between $38,000 and $45,000 per year in compensation.
9. Locomotive Drivers
The primary responsibility of locomotive drivers is moving people or goods from one place to another. Additionally, locomotive drivers are taught how to correct small issues and perform routine maintenance to guarantee the locomotive operates at its best.
With an average income of $64,210, it is among the highest paying positions in Transportation And Logistics
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10. Flight Attendants
On board an aircraft, passengers get preflight briefings and safety instructions from flight attendants. They provide passengers with food, beverages, and other services. Salary on average, is $59,050.
11. Hand Laborers and Material Movers
Hand workers and material movers use tiny tractors to load things onto trucks or airplanes, pack or wrap products by hand, or both. This is one of the Best Paying Jobs in Transportation Services.
The typical wage is $30,010.
12. Water Transportation Workers
Sailors, ship operators, ship engineers, and captains are among the available positions. Sailors, often known as deckhands, are in charge of maintaining the ship and its accessories. $59,250 is the average salary.
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13. Tow truck driver
Tow truck drivers are also one of the best paying jobs in transportation, and they might have similar responsibilities to short-haul and local transport truck drivers. This is one of the Best Paying Jobs in Transportation Services.
The national average salary is $56,282 per year.
14. Warehouse Manager
One of the highest paying positions in the transportation industry is that of a tow truck driver, who may perform duties resembling those of short- and local-distance truck drivers. $56,282 is the average yearly wage in the country.
15. Railroad Engineer
A train’s crew and operation are under the control of a railroad engineer. Railroad engineers get an average compensation of $94,310 per year in the US, making them one of the highest paying jobs in the transportation industry.
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16. Dispatcher
Dispatchers are used by service industries, including emergency, courier, and taxi, to fulfill customer requirements; they first take requests, frequently over the phone, and then communicate with mobile units.
They frequently work with other dispatchers at a communications center. A dispatcher who gains knowledge and experience may advance to a senior position. This is one of the Best Paying Jobs in Transportation Services.
17. Light Truck Drivers
Large vehicles, known as tractor-trailers, are driven by light truck drivers. They move items from producers to retailers, warehouses, and other locations. A light truck driver makes roughly $42,000 annually on average.
18. Cab Drivers
Cab drivers transport customers in exchange for money in a taxi from their starting point to their ultimate destination. Separate fixed rates are utilized to calculate charges for peak and off-peak operation hours.
Also, one of the highest paying jobs in transportation, cab drivers typically make over $37,000 a year.
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19. Tractor-trailer truck driver
Long hours and intense concentration are required to drive a tractor-trailer vehicle. Truck drivers plan routes, acquire licenses and inspect their trucks to deliver goods, products, and raw materials domestically and abroad. In Canada, the yearly average pay is $73,322.
20. Dump truck driver
Drivers of dump trucks load, haul and dump waste products or materials from industrial or construction sites. The yearly average pay in the country is $57,458.
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How to Get a Job in Transportation Services
A sizable workforce is needed to transport people and goods across the United States. Many other vocations make this business a thriving one to work in. However, truck drivers and pilots are generally the two that come to people’s minds first.
The United States and thousands of private companies deliver commodities. Thousands of people are employed by the Department of Transportation. Here’s how you may land a job in this expanding sector.
1. Job Boards Have the Most Open Listings
Knowing where to look is the most difficult element of obtaining a job at a warehouse. But without question, a job board is the greatest place to begin your search.
You may find various jobs online for warehouse workers, bus drivers, and prison transporters.
2. Highlight Your Transportation Experience In Your Resume
The majority of transportation professions require skilled people. Although there are many entry-level jobs available, you must, at the very least, convince hiring managers that you have the skills required for the position
3. Research Your Target Company
Researching a little bit before applying will benefit you in two key ways:
- It will assist you in creating cover letters and resumes that are more suited to the position, which should result in more interviews.
- You’ll learn more about who employs the most transportation workers.
4. Pick Between Air or Ground
The two primary sectors of the transportation industry are trucking and air transportation. Ground occupations offer over two million jobs as a whole. 45 percent of positions in the ground industry are held by truck drivers and driver/sales employees.
Cargo and freight agents make the most money working in the truck transportation industry, with an average salary of $37,500 a year.
5. Look for Government Positions
One of the most underappreciated places to look for a job is the U.S. Department of Transportation, which offers positions at its 13 agencies.
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The Skills Required for a Career in Transportation Services
The whole spectrum of management difficulties will be presented to people working in the major logistics and transport management fields. People with the correct skill set and the desire to change the world are probably in high demand.
Here are some skills you may need:
1. Generic abilities
Regardless of background, the following skills are crucial:
- Commercial sensitivity
- Numeracy
- A capacity for problem-solving
- The capacity for fast, rational, and critical thought.
2. Technology skills
Information technology is crucial for managing the supply chain and is a valuable tool for those in charge of managing and planning transportation. Therefore, all managers must possess technology-related abilities.
3. People skills
No less crucial to an operation’s success is people management. Managers face a lot of demands due to evolving labor relations, new laws, new working habits, and the ongoing quest for increased efficiency.
Both industries place a high value on providing excellent customer service, so having the capacity to view things from both perspectives is a helpful talent.
4. General management skills
The modern workplace is a challenging atmosphere where employees must be quick on their feet to handle the problems they face regularly.
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What if You Don’t Have a Degree?
No degree, no issue, right? Wait a minute.
There are still many job options in this market for those without a college degree. Additionally, small enterprises need many workers for positions that do not require a sheepskin.
This does not imply that these positions do not call for some level of skill and, occasionally, additional certifications and licenses.
Here are some little qualifications you may want to get:
- A General Education Development (GED) certificate or a high school diploma
- A state-issued CDL to prove one’s driving prowess, along with additional requirements like a medical test or written exam
- Professional truck driving institute (PTDI) certification Participating in workshops provided by the American Trucking Associations (ATA)
- Business Administration Automotive Repair Logistics
With the following skills added:
- Service to customers
- Mechanical skill
- Responsible
- Finding solutions ability
- Stress reduction
- Working on your own
- Good driving history
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How Much Do Transportation Services Jobs Pay?
From roughly $10.95 per hour for a passenger service agent to $20.00 per hour for a marketing specialist, Best Transportation’s average hourly pay ranges in this range. Between $32,404 per year for a digital marketer and $275,000 per year for an owner-operator driver, the average salary for Best Transportation is in this range
FAQs on Best Paying Jobs in Transportation Services
What are the different areas of work in transportation services?
2. Transport management
What qualifications and skills do I need to work in logistics and transport?
What are the opportunities for professional development in transportation services?
Conclusion
Now that we have covered everything, we can confidently say there are excellent and best paying jobs in transportation services industry. This industry, which has a large workforce and many rewarding job opportunities, is a great choice for those who are enthusiastic about logistics and transportation.