The transportation industry provides jobs for thousands of people across the United States, including truck drivers, air traffic controllers, and shipping clerks. These occupations are a critical part of the country's economy and offer a range of career opportunities for people of different interests, skillsets, and education levels.
The largest category of jobs available in transportation is the trucking sector, which employs millions of people. This includes not only professional drivers, but also mechanics, dispatchers, and other workers who support the trucking industry. The aviation industry is another large employer in the transportation field, with millions of employees who work as airline pilots and air traffic controllers.
Other categories of jobs in the transportation industry include those that focus on building the infrastructure that accommodates all this movement. Construction laborers, for example, build tunnels, subways, and bus lanes. Transportation planners and engineers help design these systems, making use of data to optimize roadways and other transportation infrastructure for efficiency.
Marine transportation is another major part of the transportation industry. With ports needing to process large volumes of cargo, this is a vital part of the economy. Port operations workers, such as cargo inspectors and longshoremen, are important to ensuring that ports operate smoothly and efficiently.
In addition to commercial companies like logistics and shipping firms, there are many government agencies that hire for transportation roles. This includes the Oregon Department of Transportation, which hires for roles like transportation planners and engineering positions.