- HGV driver and supply chain manager roles are most the most in-demand jobs in logistics with a respective 7,200 and 4,831 available job postings.
- You could earn up to £50,000 a year as a sourcing specialist in the logistics industry.
- RAJA UK offers exclusive quotes about the impact of the HGV driver shortage on the logistics and distribution industry.
As the year draws to a close, there’s no better time to reassess what you want for the new year. If that happens to be a new job, the logistics and distribution industry could be a good place to look. At the end of September, there were 52,000 vacancies within the industry, so there’s no better time to try your hand at a rewarding and lucrative new role in this sector. Packaging retailer RAJA UK has pulled together everything you need to know about the qualifications and skills required of you to land a role in logistics in 2022.
Seven roles within the Logistics and Distribution industry that you may want to go into:
Job title | Average Salary | Vacancies | Job requirements |
HGV driver | £32,000 | 7,200 | – A full, clean driving licence- Take one of the five vocational qualifications- Pass the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) tests |
Warehouse operative | £21,293 | 1,461 | – Ability to operate hand tools such as nail guns- Good physical strength, fitness and dexterity- Computer literacy- Ability to operate a forklift |
Supply chain manager | £42,500 | 4,831 | – A foundation degree in a relevant subject or qualifications from industry-led organisations. |
Transportation Planner | £30,178 | 143 | – A degree in a relevant subject or get a Transportation Planning Technician Apprenticeship.- To progress, you may need to get a postgraduate qualification in transport planning. |
Purchasing manager | £45,231 | 1,978 | – A degree with business influence.- Be a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) or be working towards becoming one. |
Distribution manager | £44,305 | 3,400 | – A degree with a logistics or business influence.- Professional certification from CIPS, Institute of Operation Management (IOMS) or the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). |
Sourcing specialist | £48,9717 | 1,308 | – Bachelor’s degree.- CIPS qualified.- Experience in procurement and supply chain services or domestic/international transportation.- A full driving licence.- Ability to travel both in the UK and abroad. |
HGV drivers:
- Daily tasks may include planning schedules and routes, vehicle checks, ensuring items are safely loaded and paperwork.
- Requirements include having a full car licence, being over 18 and passing all parts of a CPC test.
- Starting pay is usually £19,000 and can go up to £36,000 for more experienced drivers.
- Manchester is currently looking to hire the most HGV drivers, followed by Warrington in Cheshire.
Warehouse operative:
- Job role includes packaging items, loading and unloading stock and other general warehouse duties.
- Head to Leicester if you’re looking for a warehouse operative role as this city has the most vacancies.
- Requirements include having good physical strength, computer literacy for software systems and competence with hand tools.
Supply chain manager:
- This role includes overseeing and managing every stage of the production flow.
- Entry-level salary starts at £24,337 and goes up to £46,998.
- Requirements include a degree in a relevant subject or you can work your way up with qualifications from the CIPS or the Chartered Institute of Logistics (CIL).
- Behind HGV drivers, this role has the most vacancies in the sector.
Transportation planner:
- Transportation planners develop transportation strategies that meet the needs of all transport users.
- Bristol currently has the most vacancies, with an average pay of £42,500.
- To qualify for this role, you’ll need a degree in a relevant subject such as civil engineering, economics or mathematics.
Purchasing manager:
- This role oversees the purchase of products, equipment and services for their employer. They develop and implement purchasing strategies to get the best deals.
- Daily tasks include looking at levels of demand for services and products, negotiating contracts and building relationships with suppliers.
- Of the jobs listed, this one is the third most in-demand with 3,400 job listings available.
Sourcing specialist:
- Sourcing Specialists streamline the sourcing process to be more efficient. They use sourcing strategies to negotiate with suppliers to get the best price on goods, services and materials.
- London has the most sourcing specialist job postings, with salaries starting at £37,500 and venturing up to £62,500 per year.
- Depending on the role, travel both in the UK and abroad and a full driving licence is required.
RAJA’s take on the importance of the logistics and distribution industry:
Packaging experts RAJA UK know the importance that every role plays in getting much-needed products from A to B. RAJA’s transport manager Nigel Smyth, talks about their newly acquired fleet and the role it plays in the business:
‘When hiring for the RAJA fleet, we wanted more than someone with excellent driving skills. We wanted passionate people who could provide both road safety and a superb customer delivery experience to fit in with the RAJA ethos of “do the right thing”. Our drivers are inclusive members of the wider team and need to be able to work as a group to ensure our high customer service levels are always met.’
‘The recruitment success of our current fleet was mainly down to word of mouth. Once we had onboarded a few drivers, the rest quickly followed. Our current drivers work exceptionally well as a team and have input in developing our fleet project to expand further in 2022.’
Methodology:
All Average Salary figures were collected from Glassdoor.
Vacancy figures were collected from Reed. The HGV vacancy figure was collected from Road Haulage Association.
Cities that have the most vacancies were taken from TotalJobs from the month of November if provided.