Transport, logistics and supply chain management

This is a wide-ranging sector, covering the transportation of goods, public travel, transport planning and related infrastructure.

Transport (in this context) is the movement of people and goods through a variety of transport modes (eg road, rail, air, etc).
Logistics is the storage and movement of goods.
Supply chain management is the whole cycle of getting products to market.

This sector is open to any graduates, however, specific professional qualifications are required by employers in some areas.

Find out about transport, logistics and supply chain management

Key resources

Use of AI in the logistics and transport sector

AI is having a major impact on the whole logistics chain, as it’s used in data analysis, monitoring market trends, tracking goods, inventory management, and demand forecasting.

For more information, see articles such as:

The role of AI in transforming the UK logistics industry (Walker Logistics)
Top 15 logistics AU use cases and examples in 2025 (AI Multiple Research)
Robotics and AI poised to transform UK transport operations and infrastructure (Robotics Automation)
Transport artificial intelligence action plan: transforming ambitions (HM Government, Department of Transport)

What skills do I need?

Jobs in this sector can often be high-pressured with tight deadlines and involve working long hours and (in some roles) shift working. Being well-organised and adaptable are valuable qualities in this sector.

Useful skills include:

Problem solving
IT
Collaboration and relationship management
Negotiation
Systematic approach
Planning
Commercial awareness
Project management
Resilience and stamina

For more information about professional skills and how to develop them, see the York Strengths Professional Skills page.

Work experience

Summer internships and placement years may be available, typically with larger companies. More ‘casual’ work, such as working in a warehouse or storage facility, can be useful experience, as can work related to public transport. Similarly, working in retail, customer service or administration can provide useful skills and some insight into the supply chain management cycle.

Check general job sites, as noted on the work experience page. Specific job sites (like those listed in the finding jobs section) may advertise suitable internships and placement years. These job sites are also a useful starting point when researching companies and making speculative approaches to them.

Find jobs

There are potentially graduate schemes with a variety of employers (eg retail, rail providers, local government and logistics), which are likely to be advertised through general graduate job sites. See the graduate jobs page for suggested sites.

It’s also worth exploring recruitment agencies, both specialist ones like Robert Walters and Cast UK and more general ones such as Hays, and Reed as these may also advertise vacancies. The recruitment agencies web page gives more details of different agencies.

LinkedIn is also a potential source of opportunities, as well as useful contacts.

What can I do at York?

There are lots of things you can do right now at university to help you get the skills and experience for a career in this sector.

Brush up on your numerical skills with the Maths Skills Centre
Develop your business awareness by taking part in enterprise activities
Connect with people working in the sector through LinkedIn
If you have a part-time job in retail or hospitality, find out about the ordering and delivery processes to add to your background knowledge
Explore the University's short IT courses - computer literacy is a key skill in the sector

More resources: people to follow, podcasts, blogs

Connect with York graduates

Join York for Life to connect with our global network of alumni. Start building your own network - find people from your course, look at different careers, ask questions and request a mentor.

Use LinkedIn to make connections, follow organisations of interest, and find out what York graduates are doing. Find out more about using LinkedIn and networking (how to build your network).

Follow professionals and professional associations through LinkedIn and social media. Most major employers in all areas of the sector (eg Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Transport for London, Gist, British Airways, DHL) will also have a presence on these platforms.