Why do people ‘end up’ in logistics?

Logistics and supply chain is one of the world’s largest industries, both by economic value and by employment (directly and indirectly). The global logistics industry currently employs over 120 million people worldwide, and, in 2029, is projected to surpass USD 14 trillion. It is a foundational sector on which almost every other major industry depends.

So why is it that when I tell people I work in cargo, I’m told it’s “niche”?

That reaction always comes as a surprise, and begs the question, why and how do people join this industry in the first place?

The most common answer I have heard is that they “ended up” here by some random circumstance, and then never left. Take Tristan Koch, CCO at Awery Aviation Software, as an example: 25 years ago, he thought he was joining British Airways in passenger sales, and was taken to the cargo department instead.

Another common entry into cargo is through family. I’m not referring to family businesses; every industry has these, and it’s hardly surprising that logistics has its own hugely successful examples (in UK-based hauliers alone, we find several; Maritime, Malcolm, and Stobart to name a few).

Rather, I’m talking about people who had a family member in the industry and later joined it themselves, operating in a different area of the supply chain. Throughout my two years at Meantime, I have met plenty people for which this is the case, although perhaps I attract them as one myself.

I’m grateful to have been surrounded by, and aware of, cargo my whole life. My dad would return from conferences with container-shaped merchandise galore, every biro in our house is an airline’s or shipping line’s, and I’m still proud to technically be mentioned in the final chapter of Gavin van Marle’s 2014 book, Around the World in Freighty Ways.

Without that early exposure, it’s entirely possible that the idea of working in supply chain wouldn’t have interested me, or, more likely, it simply wouldn’t have reached me.

No matter how one joins this industry, however, it’s clear that logistics’ retention rate is exceptional. Once people are in, they tend to stay. Now perhaps we can chalk this up to the following:

• You work in an industry that is unbelievably important, both to other industries and individuals
• You speak to people from all over the world on a daily basis
• You have opportunities to travel (this is a particular pull)
• You get to see your industry everywhere – truck-spotting on the drive up the M1, signing for an EVRI parcel, sitting at the Stoop watching Heathrow flight paths instead of watching Quins lose… the list goes on.

So perhaps the issue isn’t that logistics is “niche” at all, but that, as an industry, we don’t talk often enough about how brilliant what we do really is.

Why should it take an accidental circumstance, a family member, or simply growing up next to an airport for people to become interested in a career in logistics, and what can we do to change this starting at company level?

When we put together PR strategies for our customers, we ask them to outline the audiences they’re trying to reach. This is often split by geos, customer types, and industry media. But one audience that is non-negotiable from our end is potential future employees.

Every company should be looking for the best people to sustain and accelerate growth. When you start to increase a company’s visibility, this audience cannot be ignored.

To tell you exactly how would be a giveaway (so make sure to head to meantime.global for more information), but it’s worth considering just how effectively you’re communicating the following to potential employees:

• A genuinely strong company culture that celebrates and invests in its employees
• Rapid growth with opportunity for career progression
• A consistent flow of exciting updates and milestones
• Your company’s tangible impact on the industry at large

If we start talking clearly and confidently about what a career in logistics really offers, fewer people will “end up” here, and more will arrive on purpose.

Interested in a career at Meantime? Head to our Careers page: https://meantime.global/careers/