Does anyone here work in Logistics?

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I'm thinking of doing a certificate in logistics management.

What does this entail? Never heard of it, am curious.

I'm a truck dispatcher in the logistics profession. It is challenging work, and if you like a challenge this might be for you. Here is a partial list of the major positions available within logistics companies, these include:

Dispatcher: Managing the day to day issues of the truck fleet on the road, assisting the drivers with whatever problems they may encounter. (My job)

Load planner: Mostly sitting and doing math all day long, caculating weights and load dimentions to ensure damages do not occur on the truck while trying to maximize the cube space inside the trailers.

Load scheduler: Planning truck routes to ensure deliveries come off in a 'logical oder'. This is a hard job, because many different customers have conflicting needs and many want to be scheduled at exactly the same time. It is also critical to minimize the distance travelled to save on fuel, and minimize delivery driver hours to save on labour costs.

Driver supervisor: Training and enforcing company proceedures and policies with all the truck drivers. Every person has a different personalitiy; some are easier to train and motivate than others. A perfect delivery driver might have a chip on his shoulder and will be inflexable to changes in proceedures. (This would most certainly be a 'people' orientated position- likely not a good choice for aspies)

Safety and compliance manager: Ensure the company is complying with all legal and ethical requirements. Being able to read and interpret policy, initiate and enforce policy decisions. Mechanical skills are often required as well as you will be responcible to maintain the truck fleet in working order. (again a challenging task for aspie's; major leadership abilities are required).

Claims clerk: There are always shortages, lost freight and damages. This position is essentially a loss recovery position. Investigating who said what, what went where and then placing blame and assigning liability. (Not a good choice for people who don't like conflict, and who can't be cold, impartial and collected on the job)

Truck driver: Often an ideal Aspie job. You work alone, you do your job with minimal supervison or interpersonal interaction, and the you go home. Expect to work long shifts however, days, nights, weekends, rotating shifts are expected. Its the roughly the equivalent of having two full time jobs and travel is mandatory. (Not a good job for anyone raising or planning to have a family)

Lots of positions are available in all of these types of jobs; and because of the hard living work conditions for truck drivers, driver turnover is massive; they are always hiring drivers.

Good luck!

@ Esther, Logistics is the management of the flow of resources.

@ Repent, thank you for replying to me. I looked at the list and I like the descriptions of load scheduler and truck driver. I am also interested in being a shipper receiver.

Ideally, I would like a job that combines physical activity, some travel, and working with computers.

I don't know about being a 'shipper / reciever' I work with people who do them and they are grueling jobs. He're some youtube videos about these positions:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3OzXBhQcyQ[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTnGZ37sZqM[/youtube]

good luck!

I actually did truck driving for a few years. It is interesting if your driving skill is up for it. I quit though to try college. I got aggravated by the regulations, weigh stations, log book, and lack of parking. I also got annoyed by having to drive the truck into absurdly small town road or docks.


I'm curious though, might a truck driver experience apply to logistics planning jobs? It seems like that experience in the field could be helpful at really understand loads going on the trailers. I'm not sure I would ever want to dispatch but maybe load plan.

For now I'm going for computer security but I consider transportation as a fall back career if I ever need it.

Dispatchers, myself included have previously worked as truck drivers. All of our driver supervisors are truck drivers as well.

Currently I work in an logistics/retail distribution centre for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO). I have a diploma in Customs and Border Services from college (learned the law enforcement aspects as well as the business side.) We did in fact have to learn about the Logistics and the supply chain demand in classes as well. The LCBO recently had a job posting for an operations clerk in which the person getting the job would be ordering trailers based on operational needs and tracking shipments to the LCBO stores. This is the closest I can get to my college experience at work in terms of a job. In a way though, I kind of hope I don't get the job because I will be on midnight shift permanently (I applied for the job). What I currently do is assemble pallet orders for the stores we supply to.

I work in logistics (inventory control) and its the perfect Aspie job! While I have a manager to report to I'm pretty much left to my own devices. I work with almost everyone in my building but also have my own private office for being alone. Not many jobs have such a combination of physical work, mental work and paperwork. What's better is that few people want these jobs since they are so far removed from close contact with others. That's just the way I like it!

My quirks are a benefit to my role and everyone at work knows how reliable and conscientious I am as well as obsessive about details. There are plenty of introverts in this field and we get along well with each other.