Distribution jobs involve transporting goods from their place of creation to the places that they're going to be sold. Distribution jobs can be found in manufacturing, most large business organizations, retail chains, and wholesale distributors. These types of jobs involve making it possible for goods to be moved from those who produce them to those who buy them. In some cases, raw materials are distributed as well, not just finished products.

Distribution Manager Jobs

Among the better paying jobs in distribution are those performed by distribution managers. Distribution managers oversee the process by which goods are moved from where they are produced to where they are bought. This is called "logistics," and it generally involves several process points.

For example, if the distribution is wholesale, the goods arrive from a manufacturer and are inventoried. They are then shipped to where they're going to be sold. If the distribution takes place in manufacturing, those who manage the distribution are responsible for taking care of whatever raw material comes in, controlling inventory, and shipping finished products out.

Managing the Shipping Process

Distribution managers are responsible for more than the simple transportation of shipments. They must also figure out how much freight should be placed on each shipment and the routes to be traveled. They must also make sure that there is enough available transportation to ship the goods. If goods are going to be shipped on trucks, for example, enough trucks and drivers must be available to do this.

Besides making sure that the products ship out okay, they must keep track of the shipment while it's in progress to make sure that the products reach where they're going on time and without mishap. If a company is particularly small, the distribution manager and an assistant or two manage this task. If the company is particularly large, the distribution manager doesn't have direct contact with these tasks; instead, he or she directs a division of logistics and coordinates several departments for warehousing, receiving, and shipping products or raw materials. It's especially important to make sure a product gets to where it's going on time and at the lowest cost possible, especially if it's something that can spoil, such as fresh produce, or during the holiday season, when timelines are especially tight.

Training and Education

Those who undertake a distribution career, especially in management, must have excellent skills when it comes to managing the logistics of this particular field. Distribution managers must have college degrees in economics, business, or accounting to qualify. In addition, computer skills are a must, and a background in computer science is also desired.

If companies' logistics are especially complicated, as sometimes happens with very large corporations or multinational operations, distribution managers may need to have a master's degree in distribution management or business administration to qualify for jobs of this caliber.

Other Jobs in Distribution

There are also other jobs to be had within distribution. For example, one can be a warehouse supervisor, traffic manager, or inventory control analyst. With the proper background in education, you can work your way up from these positions into a position as a distribution manager, and may even go higher within the company. You may work your way up within a single company to become registration manager, or you may be recruited from another company.

Looking for Distribution Jobs

It's quite easy to find job listings online for experienced distribution managers, as they are usually in high demand; oftentimes, newspapers also list these types of openings.

Career Path and Outlook

Those who are successful as distribution managers can often work their way up to the top of a particular corporation. They can even move into vice presidential positions within corporations, or decide to work for themselves within logistics or transportation consulting once they have gained enough experience.

Because the economy at present is somewhat slow, distribution jobs, too, have taken a hit and are less available than usual. However, logistical efficiency within the transportation sector is going to become increasingly important to drive costs down; therefore, distribution managers will continue to be in demand and will be in even greater demand once the economy recovers.

Working Conditions and Salary

The conditions distribution managers work under depend on how big a company and its logistics operations are. With small companies, distribution managers do quite a bit of hands-on managing by working in both the warehouse and in the office. Hours also may fluctuate depending on what the particular volume is of incoming and outgoing goods. In general, managers work about 40 to 45 hours per week, on average.

Most distribution managers average roughly $70,000 a year in salary. They also usually get benefits such as medical insurance, vacations, and paid holidays. Retirement, too, is usually provided for.

Conclusion

Jobs in distribution can fluctuate depending on the economy, so that at present, they're less in demand than usual. However, the economy will improve and efficiency will continue to be the focus in the transportation and logistics of shipping, storing, and handling of raw materials, commercial goods, and finished products. This means that those who can fill distribution jobs will continue to be in great demand.

Do Not Commit Yourself to One Job Site: Investigate Jobs on 50,000+ Websites Instantly

Assert your independence in a logical way: Discover transportation jobs from over 50,000 websites on TransportationCrossing. It is not rational for you to be confined to transportation jobs on one website. As an independent individual who is always able to find solutions to a wide variety of problems, you know that job openings are scattered on the websites of tens of thousands of companies, organizations and other job sites. By putting this tremendous variety of jobs in one place, our site empowers you to rapidly take action on your terms and find the transportation job of your choice. We do not accept any money from advertisers for job postings so that we can provide you with unbiased research about every transportation job opening. You are going to love the variety on our "transportation jobs only" site and the new experiences you will have using it.

Tell us where to send your access instructions: Your Email: