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.
At the end of September, there were 52,000 vacancies within the industry as a whole, analysis of Reed & Total Jobs vacancy postings and Road Haulage Association data carried out by packaging retailer RAJA UK, with the top roles identified as:-
| 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. |
RAJA’s transport manager Nigel Smyth said: “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.”
