Education

Light or Delivery Services Truck Drivers drive trucks that carry fewer than three tons. They

normally move products and materials to and from local area places such as factories,

warehouses, train stations, airports, private homes, office buildings, and stores. Drivers usually

load or unload the merchandise at the customer’s place of business.

Heavy Truck and Tractor-Trailer Drivers operate trucks or vans with a capacity of at least 26,000

pounds gross vehicle weight. Before leaving the terminal or warehouse, Drivers check the fuel

level and oil in their trucks. Drivers make sure their cargo is secure. They report equipment that is

inoperable or loaded improperly to the dispatcher.

Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers plan, direct, and coordinate the transportation,

storage, and distribution activities of large organizations. These highly-skilled workers may be firstline

managers who work directly with the employees they supervise, or may be higher up in the

firm’s management structure, working as a middle manager.

Transportation Inspectors enforce safety rules to protect people and cargo. They inspect equipment,

monitor loading procedures, and investigate accidents, complaints, and transportation delays.

Conveyor Operators and Tenders; Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators; and Tank Car, Truck, and

Ship Loaders are logistics-related occupations that are found in a wide variety of industries. These

workers move raw materials or completed products inside manufacturing plants, storage facilities,

supply yards, or loading and shipping areas.

Stock Clerks and Order Fillers are employed in a wide variety of businesses throughout the supply

chain at grocery, convenience, and discount stores, general warehousing and storage, and wholesale

suppliers.

Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic Clerks keep records of all goods shipped and received by their

businesses. Smaller firms usually hire Clerks to do both shipping and receiving, while bigger

companies often hire workers to do shipping and receiving separately.

Ship Engineers play an important role in moving passengers and cargo around the globe. They

operate, maintain, and repair propulsion engines, boilers, generators, pumps, and other

machinery.

The Sales Representative’s job is to market goods to retail stores and other sales outlets, who in

turn market these products to retail customers. They may also market their goods to wholesalers or

distributors. Sometimes they work with their customers to display merchandise in an attractive

fashion to stimulate sales.

Sailors and Marine Oilers are among the water transportation workers operating watercraft to

move large cargo shipments and passengers on both domestic waterways and on the deep sea.

They are also known as Ordinary Seamen, Able Seamen (Deckhands on inland waters), and as

Merchant Marines on commercial ships.

Confer with engineers regarding train routes, timetables, and cargoes, and to discuss

alternative routes when there are rail defects or obstructions.

Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators (also known as Train Service Personnel) perform a

wide variety of job duties such as operating track switches to route cars to different sections of the

yard.

Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators (also known as Remote Control Operators), and Hostlers

drive switching or small “dinkey” engines within railroad yards, industrial plants, mines and

quarries, or construction projects. The word Hostlers originally referred to people who took care

of horses or mules at an inn. As rail yard employees, Hostlers may provide engines with fuel, sand,

and water. They also move engines around inside repair facilities, or in and out of a roundhouse.

Some tasks simply cannot be automated, so many production lines still rely on people to

visually inspect and manually pack, package, or wrap their output. Packers manually handle stock

and other materials, clean machinery and other equipment, and feed material into or remove it

from machines during the packaging phase.

Logisticians are involved in many aspects of the supply and delivery chain and are known as

Logistics Analysts, Logistics Consultants, and Logistics Managers.

Railroads have played a vital and colorful role in the economy and westward development of our

nation. Prior to World War II, passenger travel made up a large portion of railroad business. After

World War II, passenger travel declined due to competition with air and auto transportation.

Today, railroads still play a very important role in California’s economy.

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers (Hand) manually move

everything from raw materials to manufacturers or completed merchandise to shipping docks.

Products may also be transported through rail and trucking lines to distribution warehouses, and

then to your favorite retail store.

Since First-Line Supervisors/Managers work directly with the movers and laborers, they put into

action the goals and policies of the company. To do this they act as a go-between, linking the

company’s upper management and the employee staff.

Hand-material movers, laborers, and helpers play an important role in the movement of goods

from manufacturer to customer. First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Hand Helpers, Laborers, and

Material Movers coordinate the activities of these workers.

The majority of Driver/Sales Workers are light truck drivers who sell company products to

customers on local routes. They deliver their company’s product and also represent the company.

Their duties depend on the industry in which they work. They may sell wholesale or retail. They

can deliver anything from pharmaceuticals to automobile parts.

Dispatchers, except Police, Fire, and Ambulance, can be categorized as Truck Dispatchers, Bus

Dispatchers, Train Dispatchers, Taxicab Dispatchers, Tow-truck Dispatchers, and Gas and Water

Service Dispatchers.

Customer Service Representatives are an integral part of the company’s sales team. They are a

direct link from the company to the customer. Primarily offering service via the telephone or the

Internet, they handle both new and established customers, answer questions, or provide help with

problems according to company guidelines.

Many people associate cranes with construction or utility companies. After all, tower cranes are

used to erect skyscrapers, and their impressive height makes them visible for miles. Other

commonly seen cranes are used to lift air conditioners onto rooftops, or place utility poles into the

ground.

After each pickup or delivery, Couriers and Messengers check in with their dispatcher to receive

instructions. Sometimes the dispatcher will contact them while they are on the road and add or

cancel deliveries as the need arises. Consequently, most Couriers and Messengers spend much of

their time outdoors or in their vehicles. They usually maintain records of deliveries and often

obtain signatures from the persons receiving the items.

Conveyor Operators and Tenders; Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators; and Tank Car, Truck, and

Ship Loaders are logistics-related occupations that are found in a wide variety of industries.

What company would want to be known far and wide as ‘the

company with the dirty trucks?’ Making sure this doesn’t happen to image-conscious companies is

the job of the Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment.

Cargo and Freight Agents arrange for and track incoming and outgoing cargo and freight

shipments in airline, train, or trucking terminals or on shipping docks. They expedite the

movement of shipments by determining the route that shipments are to take and by preparing all

necessary shipping documents.

There are two ways to qualify to take a license exam: applicants either must accumulate sea time

and meet regulatory requirements or must graduate from either a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

or approved maritime technical training school. The only Maritime Academy in California is

located in Vallejo and is part of the California State University system. There are five other

Maritime Academies in the United States.

Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists maintain and repair the engines of trucks,

trains, and buses, so they are a vital link in the chain that moves goods, materials, and people to

destinations where they are needed.

Employment of Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers is expected to grow faster than

average during the 2004 to 2014 projections period. As new aircraft are being built to

accommodate a two-pilot crew, employment of Flight Engineers will decline. For Commercial

Pilots, growth is expected to be slower than average.

Airfield Operations Specialists require long-term on-the-job training. Nearly half of Airfield

Operations Specialists have completed some college and over one-third have a bachelor’s degree.

Most employers require two years of work experience in airport operations. Many prefer course

work in aviation, a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management or a related field, or a combination

of education and experience.

Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians are responsible for ensuring that aircraft run safely

and efficiently. They diagnose problems and adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and

assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems. This occupation includes three specialties:

Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics, Aircraft Engine Specialists, and Aircraft Body and Bonded

Structure Repairers.

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors play an important role in the safe operation of cargo flights.

They oversee and ensure proper and safe movement of cargo on aircraft. They direct ground crew in

the loading, unloading, securing, and staging of aircraft cargo or baggage. They determine the quantity

and orientation of cargo, compute aircraft center of gravity, and sign the load plan or manifest.

High school students interested in this type of work should take coursework in English, physics,

mathematics, computer science, and electronics.

 Overview of College, Vocational Schools and Careers

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