Job Opportunities in the Auto Shipping Industry


by Tom Kearns


The modern auto shipping industry is a massive force in the modern job market. It provides a wide variety of positions with excellent career opportunities. Full time and part time jobs are available. Leading companies are looking for devoted, loyal, motivated, hard-working qualified professionals to occupy challenging, innovative niches. As a relatively new yet very advanced, still developing yet state-of-the-art innovative industry, auto shipping companies provide promising opportunities for advanced qualification and general advancement even to the newcomer truck driver or mechanic.

Auto shipping jobs are advertised in the same manner as many others, through classified ads, car dealers and online recruiting sites. The industry has many positions to fill whether of a general or specific nature in shipping of multiple or single vehicles, customized shipping or standard, vintage, collectible, customized or sports cars or any other vehicle that requires shipping. In modern times, people are ever on the move. Available jobs in the industry include auto mover truck drivers, shipping dispatchers, the ubiquitous customer service representatives, car haulers, commercial drivers, military vehicle shipping positions, truck fleet mangers and mechanic positions too numerous to mention, ranging from absolute beginner through to the most experienced and expert, and there is still more.

Obviously, the industry hires truck drivers. In the auto shipping industry, however, this job is much more complicated and demanding of responsibility as the driver loads and unloads the vehicles, makes an inspection of all vehicles prior to delivery, communicates with the customers at pick up and drop off on top of the many miles of long distance driving over roads in all sorts of disrepair and possible inclement weather. All the time hauling valuable cargo which must be delivered punctually to many different destinations. The vehicles must be picked up and unloaded in varying states and across borders making each trip very lengthy, possibly many weeks to conclude. This is hard work. Not nearly the same as driving the local ice cream truck, but far more interesting and certainly far more remunerative.

The dispatcher in the auto shipping industry is actually a travel agent who takes orders and then lets the customer's specifications be known to the trucking company. The dispatcher must establish communication between the customer and driver as to pick up, delivery and transportation times and certainly the cost of the entire process. The dispatcher/travel agent is very much involved in the planning of a customer vehicle's trip, meaning that person must be highly organized and articulate. A carrier with many vehicles will have orders to deliver them to many differing destinations and the cost analysis in this type of project while still allowing for maximum customer service and profit for the shipping company is not a task for the faint-hearted or easily fatigued.

The client service representative does not have to get into the vehicle trip planning business, but this person must courteously deal with exacting customers and provide them with all the pertinent, detailed information required, to include quotes by phone or email. Then his duty is to place orders with the dispatcher, who then liaisons with the company.

It is quite possibly the diesel mechanic that is the most critical piece of the whole picture in the auto shipping industry. There can be no auto transport company without the services of such an employee. One of the mechanic's most crucial responsibilities is to thoroughly inspect and ensure the safety of all the trucks traveling under his jurisdiction. The job has high demands and requirements and is regarded with much respect and paid accordingly.

And last but certainly not least, the auto processor is the one who performs the duty of processing the customer's vehicles between the various terminals the company routes them through.

Companies often offer certified courses in some or all of the basic positions. Training for other positions can be done at community colleges, vocational schools, or even on the job.




About the Author: