High School

Many jobs are available to high school graduates, especially with smaller companies, and part-time and summer employment is often available to high school students. You can prepare for a career as an industrial traffic manager by taking courses in economics, mathematics, science, and business administration. 

Postsecondary Training

To advance to positions of greater responsibility, you are strongly advised to have at least some postsecondary education. More and more companies have begun to require one to two years of college education or a bachelor's degree for entry into this field, especially when seeking employees interested in making a career with their company. Many colleges offer traffic and transportation curricula to prepare workers for employment as traffic agents and clerks. Some institutions combine course work with on-the-job experience in programs that lead to an associate's degree or a certificate of completion.

Other Education or Training

Continuing education (CE) classes, webinars, and workshops are provided by professional associations. For example, APICS offers Principles of Operations Management, an education-based program that consists of five classroom-based, instructor-led courses: The Principles of Inventory Management, The Principles of Operations Planning, The Principles of Manufacturing Management, The Principles of Distribution and Logistics, and The Principles of Managing Operations. The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals also offers CE classes. 

Certification or Licensing

APICS offers the following certification credentials to applicants who pass an examination and meet other requirements: certified in production and inventory management; certified in logistics, transportation and distribution; and certified supply chain professional. The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals also offers certification. Contact these organizations for more information. 

Experience requirements vary by position. Managers need experience in lower-level logistics jobs, while aspiring clerks need customer service and clerical experience.   

Traffic managers should have experience analyzing the most cost-effective and efficient methods to transport products. They should have an extensive knowledge of packaging, modes of transportation, safety factors and time schedules. Traffic managers must be detail oriented, know how to deal with vendors, and handle claims if goods are damaged during transit. They must be skilled in both verbal and written communication and capable of managing subordinates. They also must be responsible, dependable, and exacting with details, comfortable with numerical data, and skilled with computer programs required for tracking the flow of goods.