Overview of the UK's transport industry

The transport industry is a vital pillar of the economy, enabling the movement of people and goods across the UK and beyond. Learn more about employers and industry trends

What is the transport sector?

It's basically the movement of people and goods by air, road, rail or water. It also incorporates:

infrastructure maintenance
transport planning
traffic management
vehicle manufacturing.

People and businesses rely heavily on these networks and services.

What areas of transport and logistics can I work in?

Passenger transport incorporates operations (driver, pilot and air crew), route planning, customer service and safety. This is then split into:

aviation
bus and coach
light rail, tram and metro services
rail
taxi and private hire
water transport.

Logistics/supply chain can be broken down into:

freight transportation
haulage
maritime and port operations
postal and courier activities
warehousing, storage and handling.

Large transport companies also recruit graduates to HR, finance, IT, sales, marketing, communications and procurement roles.

For examples of careers in the industry, see聽graduate jobs in transport and logistics.

Who are the main graduate employers?

In rail, coach, bus and private hire, you may find work with:

Addison Lee
Arriva
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
FirstGroup
National Express
Network Rail
Stagecoach Group
Transport for London (TfL).

Leading logistics and transportation companies include:

Gist
HOYER
P&O Ferrymasters
Stobart Group
Wincanton.

Air transport employers include:

Airbus
British Airways
easyJet
Heathrow Airport
International Airlines Group (which includes Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia)
Manchester Airports Group (MAG)
Ryanair
Virgin Atlantic.

For water transport, consider:

Cunard
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines
P&O Ferries
Peel Ports Group (six UK and Ireland ports including Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool and the Manchester Ship Canal)
Saga Cruises
Stena Line.

Postal and courier companies that take on graduates include:

DHL
DPD
Evri
FedEx (also owns TNT)
Royal Mail Group
UK Mail
UPS
Yodel.

Government departments and agencies include:

Department for Transport (DfT)
National Highways.

What's it like working in the transport sector?

Graduates entering the sector can expect:

the work to be highly pressurised and demanding聽- you'll often have to work within tight timeframes to fix problems and if you work within public transport, you'll come into contact with members of the public on a regular basis. Certain roles also come with a high level of responsibility. For example, as an air traffic controller, airline pilot or passenger transport manager you're responsible for passenger safety.
long working hours聽- employees often work outside normal hours, including early mornings, evenings and weekends. Time spent away from home is also a feature of some roles - for example, airline pilots, air cabin crew and merchant navy officers.
a range of salaries聽- in management roles starting salaries can be relatively low, but typically rise considerably at senior levels. On average, air cabin crew earn starting salaries between 拢12,000 and 拢14,000, transport planners between 拢20,000 and 拢25,000, while airline pilots working for large companies typically earn 拢28,000.
a lot of roles to be male dominated聽- however, the imbalance is slowly improving.

To find out more about typical salaries and working conditions in your chosen career, see聽job profiles.

What qualifications do I need?

These vary depending on the role. For graduate roles in passenger transport management, any degree subject is accepted, although some employers prefer it to be business or economics related. To work for a logistics company, you'll need to hold a logistics degree, while an accredited engineering degree is typically required for electrical or maintenance engineering jobs.

Some positions expect professional qualifications. For example, to聽become a pilot聽you'll need an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL). To drive a lorry, bus or coach, you'll need a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) - or to apply for a聽National Vocational Training (NVT)聽concession聽while you're driving.

For most transport careers a postgraduate qualification isn't required, although having one may give you an advantage in growth areas such as logistics and transport planning, if you don't already have a related degree.

Further training through professional bodies may be an advantage for developing networks,聽continuing professional development (CPD)聽and keeping up to date with advances in the industry.

Whatever level you're at,聽The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT)聽in the UK provides details of relevant transport and logistics courses to progress your career.

For information on entry requirements for different roles, see聽transport and logistics job profiles.

What skills do I need to work in the transport sector?

Graduate recruiters look for candidates with:

excellent communication and customer service skills
IT literacy
numeracy skills
spatial awareness
flexibility, adaptability and the ability to be mobile
geographical knowledge
the ability to concentrate for long periods
decision making and planning skills
project management
commercial awareness
the ability to negotiate
practical problem-solving ability.

For some roles, such as bus, taxi or lorry driver you will need a clean driving licence. A second language or the ability to learn one may also be useful in customer-facing roles or logistics jobs.

How do I get a job in transport and logistics?

Larger organisations offer transport graduate schemes in disciplines such as:

engineering
finance
general management
HR
IT
operations
transport planning and logistics.

Find out more about聽road and railway careers聽and visit the websites of leading employers, including Network Rail, TfL and engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald.

Large postal and courier delivery companies such as DHL, DPD and Royal Mail Group run formal graduate programmes.

There are also schemes for graduates with an understanding of聽logistics and supply chain management. Gist, Lidl and EDF Energy are among the employers offering graduate opportunities.

For those seeking careers in air travel, many leading private employers run聽airline graduate schemes聽- for example, Ryanair run schemes in head office, operations and IT.

To explore the graduate roles currently available,聽search transport industry jobs.

There are also a number of聽transport apprenticeships聽to consider if you're looking at alternatives to university.

As the majority of organisations are SMEs, many don't advertise formal transport internships or work placements - but approach them speculatively to enquire whether they have any opportunities.

Another way to get your foot in the door is to聽search work experience opportunities in the transport industry.

What are the key challenges in the transport industry?

The transport industry faces several key challenges across logistics, sustainability, technology, and policy. Here are the major ones:

Environmental impact - high emissions from vehicles contribute to air pollution and climate change. This puts pressure on the sector to shift to greener fuels and sustainable transport options, which leads to increased costs.
Rising costs - fuel prices, labour shortages, and maintenance costs are increasing. While fluctuations in global supply chains drive unpredictability in pricing.
Technology integration - adoption of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles requires investment and training. Cybersecurity risks are also rising with digital systems and connected vehicles.
Labour shortages - there's a growing shortage of qualified drivers, pilots, and logistics personnel. Retention and recruitment are major concerns, especially in trucking and aviation.
Regulatory compliance - navigating international, national, and local regulations can be complex and costly. Add to this the new emissions and safety regulations and those working in the sector need to be constantly up to date and adaptable.