The transportation logistics industry is one of the largest employers in the world and offers a wide range of opportunities that are available to those with the right training. Get a degree in transportation and logistics to get started in the industry in a management position. Continue to round out your training by keeping up with the technology that drives the supply chain methodology, as it is changing the face of logistics dramatically.

You can continue to earn a master's degree in logistics or add professional development courses that will prepare you for global markets or specialty delivery platforms such as banking and pharmaceutical logistics. Train for certifications like the Certification in Transportation and Logistics (CTL). Watch for training for transportation and logistics in a number of places.

1. Earn an undergraduate degree to get started with transportation companies.

2. Look for advanced courses in transportation and logistics.

3. Participate in transportation industry trade groups that offer members professional development opportunities.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Start your career with a degree in transportation logistics

An undergraduate degree in logistics will prepare you for the basics covering all areas from transportation security and economics to strategic planning and foreign supply chain methods. Logistic companies are becoming so competitive that you should try to start your career with a solid degree.

I recommend: Get a B.A in transportation and logistics management from American Public University. Earn an associate of science degree or continue to get a bachelor of science with a concentration in logistics & distribution management from Sullivan University online.

Diversify your training for transportation logistics

Look for training options that will round out your resume and put you in touch with other areas where you could excel in transport companies. The logistics industry is growing rapidly and, with additional training in areas such as foreign affairs or governmental regulations and compliance, you will make yourself more marketable.

I recommend: Use the training opportunities from LMI to add to your list of skills in such arenas as government defense logistics and performance-based logistics. Get management training for logistics at JDALearn.

Join associations that provide members with training in transport and logistics management

Most trade associations offer continuing education and professional development courses for their members. Some groups can guide you to special certification courses such as the Professional Designation in Supply Chain Management (PLS) or provide training that will prepare you for executive positions in the logistic management field.

I recommend: Find professional development courses through your membership in the National Transportation & Logistics Association. The American Society of Transportation and Logistics offers members many training opportunities for members.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Add courses in emerging software for areas such as automatic identification and tracking technology as you pursue your training for logistics companies.

Logistics management is the science of getting stuff where it needs to be, when it needs to be there, as part of a larger process, like manufacturing. In business, logistics management most often refers to transportation, inventory management and storage issues related to the supply chain: where are your parts or materials coming from, where do they need to get to, when do they need to get there, do they need to be stored anywhere en route, and how are you going make all that happen in a safe, efficient, reliable way.

Transportation and logistics management also come into play at the other end of the line, helping you get your product to your customers quickly and efficiently.

In trim global markets, fine-tuned transportation and logistics practices can deliver a competitive edge. If you and your competitors make a similar product from similar parts, the winner will be the one whose product gets to market quickest for the lowest cost-per-unit -- and that's done through logistics.

Larger companies have transportation and logistics professionals among their supply chain management staff. But smaller companies can reap the benefits of lean logistics without adding any staff. At its simplest, effective logistics management is just a matter of making smart decisions about warehouse shipping and inventory management. More elaborate logistics management is called for when certain complications enter the mix. For instance: 

1. Transportation and logistics are more complex when dealing with international shipping and markets.
2. Tariffs, duties and exchange rates require more sophisticated logistics management.
3. Distributed manufacturing demands greater attention on transportation and logistics.

Here are the most effective solutions for improving your bottom line through logistics:

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Hire a transportation and logistics consultant

Transportation and logistics consultants don't move and store stuff for you -- they evaluate your operation, and then tell you how you could move and store stuff more efficiently. A consultant is a great option when you want to improve your logistics management but don't want to hand over your transportation and warehouse shipping needs to a third party.

I recommend: Accugistics are logistics management consultants in the areas of strategic planning, facility design/planning, productivity/efficiency improvement, and operational planning/improvement. Chainalytics specializes in helping companies improve their supply chain logistics, while The Progress Group deploys a unique team approach focused on a client's business goals.

Hand your transportation and storage over to a third-party logistics provider

Third-party logistics providers, also called 3pl providers, take over all or part of your transportation and warehouse shipping, using their expertise and technology to perform those jobs as efficiently as possible. Contracting with a trusted third-party logistics provider saves you from having to know much about logistics. Not surprisingly, some of the big names in shipping now market themselves as third-party logistics providers; think of them as really, really, really full-service shipping companies.

I recommend: Check out 3pl providers, such as Glen Raven Logistics (a full-service 3pl for the U.S. and Mexico) and tools such as Vendorseek.com, which can collect customized quotes from up to five 3pl providers based on your input. Other well known 3pl companies include DHL, Kuehne + Nagel and FedEx. Find more third-party logistics providers at Business.com.

Use logistics management software

The 3pl providers use logistics management software to keep track of where everything is and, more importantly, how moving and storing that stuff can be made more efficient by combining or dividing shipments, changing routes, changing carriers (from truck to rail, for example), reworking inventory management practices, and so on.

I recommend: Prophesy Logistics Software markets ShipperPlus, a transportation management system designed to help manufacturers and shippers consolidate shipments and optimize loads in real time. LeanLogistics markets On-Demand TMS, a logistics management software package that networks you with your suppliers and partners to view the entire chain and find areas to streamline. Other vendors include 3pl Central and Cadre Technologies.

Invest in logistics management training

Logistics is an area for ongoing improvement, and that's best achieved by eyes on-site. A few courses or a degree in logistics management could position you or someone else in your company to play a valuable new role -- one that will continue to deliver benefits for years to come.

I recommend: American Public University offers an online logistics management degree, while the Supply Chain Academy is a more informal logistics learning solution targeted at supply chain professionals.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  'Logistics' means different things to different companies -- it can mean anything from glorified mailing to global inventory management. Make sure you and your candidates are on the same page.
• •  Even if you will ultimately use a 3pl, you may want to hire a consultant first, who will help you understand your needs and may help select and negotiate with your 3pl.
• •  Look for a logistics management provider or consultant that specializes in your industry.

Transportation companies are affected by a number of changes that often happen quickly. The transportation industry is often impacted by homeland security measures and governmental taxation and regulation decisions. To stay competitive, you must keep up with the daily transportation and logistics industry news as well as information that points to logistics trends from outside the field.

Follow the trends involving updated GPS and communications systems that could help to streamline your operations. Read transportation industry publications that keep you updated with news and information about fuel costs and tolls. Subscribe to freight company newsletters that point to new global markets. Look for transportation and logistics news and trends in a number of places.

1. Register for news alerts about logistics company issues that make the headlines.

2. Participate in associations for logistics and transportation companies that publish news affecting members.

3. Subscribe to resources for transport companies that provide coverage of important trends.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Watch daily news reports about logistics companies

Get email alerts, RSS feeds and industry newsletters that will send you news as it happens, such as decisions made by the larger overnight delivery companies, wars and other foreign issues that affect your company and mergers that are going on industry-wide.

I recommend: Keep up with current trends and headlines of the day through SMC3, a publication of the Transportation Sales and Marketing Association. Outsourced Logistics will keep you apprised of the latest headlines affecting your business.

Join transportation industry groups for information from experts in logistics

Associating with other professionals in the same field will provide you with an inside track to news, such as what is going on at major import/export shipping lines and ports, the latest security measures being used by your peers and what kinds of changes are being implemented in freight services at other companies. Share news with the other members to keep each other in the loop.

I recommend: Join the International Warehouse Logistics Association to keep up with the latest news that is published regularly for members. Keep up with important news and information through the updates provided by the Intermodal Association of North America.

Read about the latest transportation logistics news from analysts who can offer insight into trends

Subscribe to publications that provide reports into issues such as fixed-route transit services, surveys of truckers, coming union negotiations and research into emerging logistics technology.

I recommend: Find announcements and trend reports published by the Transportation Research Board. Read Logistics Management for news that is important for your supply chain management business team.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Subscribe to at least one foreign publication for logistics and transportation companies to make sure you are getting a complete picture of the global transportation environment.

Transportation and logistics are the backbone of industries that rely on manufacturing physical goods for consumers. The transportation of the products is just one step in the whole process of logistics, but it is one of the most important aspects of delivering goods from the factory or warehouse to the vendor. There is a variety of different concepts used in logistics to streamline the process, depending on the type of products being transported.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Outsourcing

Outsourcing is the process of a business choosing to pay an outside firm to handle the transportation and logistics of its products. This is also sometimes referred to as a subcontract.

I recommend: North Carolina State University's Supply Chain Resource Cooperative offers statistics and studies on the decision for companies to outsource their transportation needs.

Backhaul

Backhaul is the movement of vehicles from the original destination back to the point of origin with a full load, as opposed to an empty truck, ship, airplane or railcar.

I recommend: Fleet Owner offers an article on how many transportation companies are using the Internet to find backhaul opportunities instead of using more traditional methods.

Efficient consumer response (ECR)

An efficient consumer response is an initiative from the grocery industry that uses actual consumer demand data rather than forecasting to determine what products to restock.

I recommend: The Food Marketing Institute offers background on ECR management and how different companies are using this initiative to reduce costs in all areas.

Flow-through distribution, cross-docking

Flow-through distribution, or cross-docking, is the process of bringing products from multiple locations into a single facility, where the products are resorted according to the delivery destination.

I recommend: CIO offers a detailed explanation of cross-docking and how the process works to save time and money for the transportation fleet in any logistics system.

Integrated logistics

Integrated logistics is a way of managing a whole supply chain system, from the purchase of raw materials to the distribution of the finished product.

I recommend: Hofstra University's Geography of Transport Systems offers a diagram and explanation of how integrated logistics benefits a company.

Intermodal transportation

Intermodal transportation is the process of transporting freight using more than one mode of transportation. All types of transportation are used in the intermodal process, including ships, trucks, trains and airplanes.

I recommend: RSI Logistics provides information on how it uses bulk intermodal shipping, how pricing is determined, and what type of equipment is used in this process.