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Transport and Distribution

Transport and Distribution Image

This industry is known as the ‘logistics’ industry – it manages the flow of goods and other resources, including mail and people, from one place to another. One of many careers in this area could be for you if you have good communication, organisation and problem solving skills.

The transport and storage industry is vital to the UK economy, running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days in the year.

What areas can I work in?

You can work in one of five areas.

To see the routes to getting into each of these sectors, take a look at our Career Pathway.

What kind of companies can I work for?

There are a wide variety of companies to choose from including:

What’s the job market like?

The transportation and storage industry employs around 124,727 people in Scotland and 1.9 million in the UK. 

Transport in Scotland was badly affected by the the Covid-19 pandemic, however things have been improving slowly from 2021. Statistics, from 2021, reported that 7.0 million air passengers travelled from Scottish airports and 55,000 tonnes of freight. 234 million journeys were made by bus in 2021-22, an increase of 87% from previous year. There were 47 million passenger journeys on Scotrail services in 2021-22. During 2021 6.3 million passengers and 2.6 million vehicles were carried on ferry routes in Scotland, an increase of over 50% on previous year. 

In 2022, there were an estimated 22,510 UK seafarers, compared to 21,970 the previous year. UK nationals accounted for 36% of certificates issued by the MCA. Figures for 2022 show there was an estimated 9,790 certificated Officers, 1,460 uncertificated Officers and 9,700 Ratings active at sea, with a further 1,570 Officer Cadets in training at sea.

Facts and figures

  • 95% of deck officers and 98% of engineering officers were male in 2022. 
  • The aviation sector directly employs around 230,000 workers.
  • Scotrail has 5,000 employees based across Scotland. 
  • As of end of 2020/21, Scotland had 2,744kms of rail network and 360 stations. 
  • Around 95% of British imports and exports in goods are moved by sea. In 2021 over 36 thousand tonnes of freight were carried by air and 58 million tonnes were handled by Scottish ports. 

Want to find out more?

If you are interested in careers with the Merchant Navy, have a look at the website careersatsea.org for lots of useful information.

Sources

Video

Talent in Logistics

Career Pathway

Transport and Distribution Career Pathway
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