Overview of the transport and logistics sector in the UK

Find out more about working in the transport and logistics sector, in which hundreds of thousands of vacancies are expected to be created by 2020

What areas of transport and logistics can I work in?

The transport and logistics sector comprises of freight logistics and passenger transport.

Logistics is in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week and supports all sectors across the whole economy.

Transport underpins all industries by helping employees get to work in the first place, but it also plays an invaluable part in the tourism sector.

According to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) 2012 Transport and Storage Sector Skills Assessment, the sector employs 1.45 million people, which makes up 5% of total employment in the UK.

Employment opportunities in transport and logistics are grouped into:

• air transport;
• land transport;
• postal and courier activities;
• warehousing and support activities;
• water transport.

For examples of job roles in this sector, see graduate jobs in transport and logistics.

Who are the main graduate employers?

This sector is dominated by small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Only 1% of organisations employ over 250 people, while 37% of all organisations in the sector are sole traders - where the business is owned and run by one person.

Only 16% of the workforce in the sector are educated to degree level or above, and this sector is one of the least likely to take on those looking for their first job after leaving education

That said, large firms with more than 100 employees are most likely to take on graduates straight out of university.

These include:

Land Transport

• Arriva
• Addison Lee
• Eddie Stobart
• National Express
• NYK
• Virgin Trains
• Wincanton

Water transport

• Maersk Supply Services Ltd
• P&O Ferries

Air Transport

• easyJet
• International Airlines Group (includes British Airways and Iberia)
• Ryanair
• Virgin Airlines

Warehousing and support activities

• Manchester Airport
• Premier Handling Ltd
• Port of Liverpool

Postal and courier activities

• DHL
• Fed Ex
• Parcelforce Worldwide
• Royal Mail

What's it like working in the sector?

Graduates entering the transport and logistics sector can expect:

• different working environments - if you are working in air transport as a pilot or cabin crew you will be travelling and spending time in airports. However, many managers in transport and logistics work in offices, but they may be located in sea ports, airports, distribution warehouses and/or other large buildings;
• long working hours - employees often work out of normal hours including weekends, early mornings and evenings;
• wide-ranging salaries - the range of salaries within each occupation varies quite significantly. For example, the average wage for an LGV driver is £25,000 however the range is from £16,000-£33,000 for more experienced drivers, according to  Skills for Logistics.

To find out more about typical salaries and working conditions in your chosen career, see types of jobs.

What are the key issues in the transport and logistics sector?

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) 2012 Transport and Storage Sector Skills Assessment states that, as in many other sectors, there is a big demand for younger, replacement employees due to an ageing workforce.

However, employers will need to challenge the current perception that young people aren't attracted to working in the sector.

Organisations in transport and logistics are the second-least likely, out of all the sectors in the economy, to have a formal process of identifying talented individuals. This means it may be difficult to progress your career.

However, larger organisations are more likely to have schemes which enable individuals to find opportunities to progress.

In addition, there is a continuing struggle in the transport and logistics sector to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a greener economy. This will require either new technology or changes in workforce behaviour to be more resourceful in the future.