Do You Have What It Takes To Become A Logistics Manager?

Thinking about taking your career in the delivery industry onwards and upwards? If you’ve ever considered whether you might be suited to a management role within a courier network, there are numerous qualities an effective logistics manager would be expected to have. Here’s your chance to test the water and see how many of these attributes you think you could bring to this exciting and challenging role.

Regardless of whether you’re managing a fleet of five or fifty drivers, there are certain universal qualities that a manager (no matter what the industry) needs to have in order to be successful. Leadership roles come with enormous responsibility, so it’s a big decision to take one on. Knowing whether you’re potentially suitable is your first step.

Communication

Keeping all the employees within a courier network in the loop and fully up to date on what’s happening out on the roads and within the organisation is absolutely essential to running an effective fleet. You’ll need to communicate your expectations of drivers, both in terms of their workload and professionalism, whilst also listening to their concerns and feedback on the way the business is operating.

Experience

You will, of course, need to know the industry inside and out and have a great deal of experience working within a similar professional organisation. Previous leadership experience is desirable, so if you haven’t already had a job that entails a leadership role, why not volunteer at a local organisation as a way of demonstrating your ability to head up a team and take personal responsibility?

Organization

Every good courier network relies to an enormous extent on good organisation. You will need to lead by example with this leadership characteristic, as the more organised you are the more your drivers will be. If this is something you need to work on, help is on hand: consider buying a personal planner or download one of the many organisational apps that are now available.

Confidence

It may feel like a big step up to go from a driver to a logistics manager, and this is a transition you will need to approach with the utmost confidence. Taking charge means you will need to make big, and often difficult, decisions on a daily basis. Having confidence in your convictions will go a long way to helping you with this.

Reliability

A trait that you will most likely already have had to develop in your role as a courier driver, reliability is absolutely essential to bring to the role of a logistics manager. Your drivers will be looking to you for guidance and will need to know that they can count on you, 24/7.

Managing a courier network is a very rewarding experience and one that many drivers aspire to as their careers develop. From self-confidence to organisation, there are multiple qualities that define a good leader in this challenging industry. You may have some already and there may be some that you would like to develop before applying for such a role. Do you think you’re ready to go for it? Good luck!

Author Plate

Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their online courier network. Numerous transport exchange businesses are networked together on their website, trading jobs and capacity through what is now the fastest growing Freight Exchange in the UK.