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Transportation keeps our economy, people, and products moving. Occupations involved in transporting, distributing, and coordinating the movement of goods range from airline pilots to mechanics to logisticians. Additionally, this cluster includes occupations related to warehouse storage, including jobs like cargo and freight agents and non-emergency dispatchers.

Most of this career cluster’s activities take place on the ground via highways and railroads, but the cluster also includes workers who move people and products over the water and through the air. Work environments vary by occupation. While some truck drivers may work long hours and travel large distances, people who work in warehouses are more likely to work eight-hour shifts. Physical strength is necessary for some jobs, while word processing and spreadsheet skills are priorities in others.

For the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics career cluster, the greatest number of new jobs in North Carolina are projected to include heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers; laborers, and freight stock, and material movers; hand packers and packagers; and automotive service technicians and mechanics. Many jobs require a high school education, but postsecondary education – usually no higher than a bachelor’s degree – is needed for some occupations. Workers often find jobs in temporary service agencies, long distance freight trucking businesses, new car dealerships, warehouse and storage facilities, or express delivery companies.

Core Skills

The following Core Skills are necessary for success in these occupations.

• Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the right tools
• Equipment Maintenance - Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment
• Operation & Control - Using equipment or systems
• Installation - Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs
• Troubleshooting - Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working
• Equipment Selection - Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job
• Quality Control Analysis - Testing how well a product or service works
• Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people
• Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions

Fields of Study in Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics