Careers in Transport Management
What is transport management?
The process of ensuring that passengers and freight are provided with the services
they need and are delivered to the right place, at the right time, after the highest
possible quality journey and at the right price.
What skills and personal qualities are required?
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Ability to ‘get
on’ with people from all walks of life
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Analytical and IT skills at
various levels
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Flexibility –
it’s a 24/7 and 365 day a year industry – so shift work is likely
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Languages – especially
if you plan to specialise in the travel/tourism sector
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Teamwork skills
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Ability to perform under
pressure and develop a good blend of management skills
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Ability to take
responsibility – often at quite a young age
What types of organisations employ professional transport
managers?
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National and local
government
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Passenger transport
companies – all modes: road, rail, air and sea
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Construction companies
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Freight transport companies
– all modes: road, rail, air, sea and inland waterways
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Travel and tourist
companies
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Utilities companies
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Seaports and airports
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Public sector – armed
services, National Health Service
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Supermarkets and
retailers
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Manufacturing companies
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Specialist consultancies
What types of opportunities exist for transport managers?
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Transport planning
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Customer services
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Engineering and design
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Research and development
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IT
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Health and safety
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Environment
What’s the starting salary?
For graduate trainees the starting salary would be around £18,000 dependent on
type of organisation, location and role. There are non-graduate opportunities but
these salaries are more difficult to gauge and would vary according to type of role,
age, experience, qualifications, company size and location.
There are apprenticeship opportunities in transport-related occupations (there are
separate sites for each of the four nations):
What qualifications are required?
Good GCSEs, followed by A Levels (or Standards and Highers in Scotland) in numerical or
analytical subjects (maths, sciences, geography, history, English) and modern
languages.
There are direct entry opportunities into the sector with good GCSEs/Standards and/or A
Levels/Highers, for example, apprenticeships or other opportunities with on-the-job
training
Good quality degree – there are specialist transport-related degrees and some
roles may require an engineering degree but for general roles most degrees are
acceptable to recruiters
Many organisations encourage employees to study for professional qualifications to
support their career progression. Professional and post-graduate qualifications
are available at a number of colleges and universities and can be studied full-time,
part-time or on a distance/online learning basis. The Chartered Institute of
Logistics and Transport (www.ciltuk.org.uk)
offers a range of qualifications up to an online MSc programme in international
logistics and supply chain management.
Some Useful Websites
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For more information on working in transport management visit the following
websites:
www.ciltuk.org.uk The Chartered Institute of
Logistics and Transport is the leading professional association for those involved in
all aspects of logistics and transport.
www.careersinpassengertransport.org/
website developed by GoSkills, the Sector Skills Council for Passenger Transport,
providing a range of information about careers and development.
www.jobs-in-transport.com recruitment
site for transport professionals, includes section for graduates
www.tps.org.uk information about transport
planning careers
www.allaboutcareers.com this links to
the pages on transport careers, forming part of a more general careers website aimed at
16-24 year olds
www.icould.com this
links to videos profiling people working in transport
www.prospects.ac.uk this
links to the pages on transport careers – the site cover general careers
information for graduates