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Role overview

Military transportation specialists move the force. They plan, schedule, and execute the movement of people, equipment, and supplies by road, rail, air, and sea; operate and recover vehicles; arrange commercial carriers; and run the shipping and travel offices that keep units and families moving.

Across the services you’ll see several closely related jobs:

• Army 88M Motor Transport Operator (truck and convoy operations) and Army 88N Transportation Management Coordinator (planning and movement control).
• Air Force 2T1X1 Ground Transportation (bus, tractor-trailer, wrecker, VIP movements) and 2T0X1 Traffic Management (freight and passenger travel office).
• Navy Logistics Specialist billets that handle shipping, receiving, inventory, mail, and logistics administration afloat and ashore.

If you like maps, wheels, schedules, and the satisfaction of seeing cargo and people arrive on time, this is a mission-critical logistics career with strong civilian crossover.

What transportation specialists actually do

The work spans hands-on driving through enterprise-level movement control.

1) Ground movement and convoy ops

• Drive buses, tractor-trailers, and special-purpose vehicles; load and secure cargo; conduct route reconnaissance; operate in all weather and terrain.
• Lead and dispatch convoys; perform self-recovery and wrecker operations; document mileage, load data, and inspections.

2) Traffic management and freight

• Prepare bills of lading and shipment documentation; schedule carrier equipment; arrange commercial lift; apply hazardous materials rules; oversee quality control during pickup and delivery.
• Coordinate rail, highway, air, and water movements; verify movement control documents; operate logistics information systems.

3) Passenger travel and personal property

• Book official travel; manage group movements; counsel members and families on household goods shipments; arrange carriers and inspections.

4) Logistics administration

• Maintain databases, inventories, and financial logs; run mail rooms and cargo terminals in some sea service billets.

From a single base move to a theater-wide deployment, you are the connective tissue between operations and sustainment.

Work environment

You can expect a mix of:

• Motor pools and yards (dispatch, PMCS, loading, refueling); flight lines and terminals (passenger processing, cargo build-up); traffic management offices (computer-heavy paperwork and carrier coordination).
• Field and deployed settings, where you’ll drive line-haul missions, establish movement control teams, run convoy staging areas, or operate small ports/airheads under time pressure. Historical sustainment guidance shows logistics units often provide their own security and operate in contested environments.

Shifts can be early, late, or overnight; weather and road conditions are realities; safety standards are strict.

Entry requirements and training path

Eligibility

• Meet standard enlistment standards; hold a valid driver’s license; qualify for appropriate security clearance depending on billet.

Aptitude

• ASVAB line scores emphasize mechanical, administrative, and general technical strengths. (Your recruiter will confirm current cutoffs.)

Training

• Basic training, then your technical school:
  • Army 88M: Basic Combat Training plus approximately 6–7 weeks of AIT covering convoy ops, load securement, night driving, and recovery fundamentals.
  • Army 88N: AIT focused on movement control systems, documentation, and multimodal planning.
  • Air Force 2T1X1: Ground Transportation technical training followed by upgrade training defined in the CFETP (apprentice through craftsman).
  • Air Force 2T0X1: Traffic Management technical training in freight, passenger, and personal property.
  • Navy LS: “A” School teaches shipping/receiving, inventory systems, mail handling, and logistics IT.

You’ll complete licenses for specific vehicles and, over time, get certificates like forklift, HAZMAT familiarization, and international air cargo requirements.

Core skills and personal traits

• Safety-first driving discipline and understanding of vehicle dynamics.
• Detail orientation for documentation, routing, and cargo restraint.
• Customer service mindset when counseling travelers and families.
• Systems literacy in logistics IT and movement control platforms.
• Calm under time pressure when weather, routes, or priorities change mid-mission.
• Teamwork with maintenance, supply, operations, and security elements.

Education and lifelong learning

Minimum entry is a high school diploma or GED. While serving, you can stack:

• College credit in transportation, supply chain, or business via tuition assistance.
• Industry certifications aligned to your billet (forklift, CDL, HAZMAT; freight forwarding; IATA/ICAO dangerous goods awareness). DoD credentials and COOL pages frequently list mapped civilian certs for transportation MOS/AFSC/ratings.
• Officer path: logistics officers (e.g., Army 90A with functional transportation billets) manage deployment and distribution at scale; degrees in supply chain, transportation, or business help.

Earnings potential

In uniform
Pay follows rank and years of service. Many transportation specialists reach E4–E5 within a few years, with base pay supplemented by housing and subsistence allowances. Incentives may include bonuses for hard-to-fill locations or skills.

Civilian equivalents and salaries

• Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers: median $57,440 (May 2024). Range generally from about $38,640 to $78,800, depending on industry and region.
• Transportation, storage, and distribution managers (think dispatch supervisor, terminal manager, distribution center manager): median $102,010 (May 2024).

With experience, a CDL, and leadership time, it’s realistic to progress from driver or coordinator to dispatcher, load planner, assistant terminal manager, and eventually transportation manager. Industry-wide management medians mirror broader management wages.

Day in the life

Your day differs by billet. Here are two realistic snapshots.

1. A) 88M / 2T1 Ground mover

• 0600 Guardmount or roll-call; receive route, cargo list, vehicles, and radios.
• 0700 Pre-trip inspections; check tie-downs, chains, placards, and convoy brief.
• 0900–1400 Line-haul mission; update dispatch on progress; integrate rest/fuel stops; adjust for weather or closures; maintain spacing and comms.
• 1500 Offload at receiving unit; reconcile manifests; complete post-trip inspection.
• 1600 Turn in paperwork and equipment; coordinate next day’s dispatch.
  Expect additional tasks like wrecker recovery, VIP movements, airfield shuttles, or base taxi operations.

1. B) 88N / 2T0 Traffic management

• 0730 Check carrier schedules; review requests for deployment cargo and household goods pickups.
• 0900 Build shipments in the system; prepare bills of lading; book carriers; arrange on-site QC at pickup.
• 1200 Coordinate with air terminal or port; verify hazardous declarations; update stakeholders.
• 1500 Counsel a family on their PCS move; arrange storage and delivery dates; document entitlements.
• 1630 End-of-day backlog review; flag at-risk shipments and re-route as needed.

Growth stages and promotion path

Enlisted path

• Apprentice: complete schoolhouse training; earn local licenses; run simpler missions or shipments under supervision.
• Journeyman: lead small convoys, plan routes, or own travel office functions; train new arrivals; qualify on more vehicles/systems.
• Senior operator/dispatcher or movement control NCO: manage shifts, dispatch boards, and convoy packages; liaise with ops and maintenance; oversee safety and documentation.
• Platoon/section sergeant and beyond: run a motor pool, traffic management office, or movement control team; shape SOPs; coordinate large-scale movements for exercises or deployments.

Officer path

• Company/platoon leadership in transportation or distribution units;
• Brigade/Division staff distribution management;
• Theater sustainment planning and strategic mobility billets. Logistics officers in transportation roles are trained to manage deployment and distribution across modes.

Civilian pathway

• Driver → dispatcher → load planner → assistant terminal manager → terminal or distribution center manager → regional transportation leader. BLS data shows strong median wages once you move into management.

Employment outlook

• Civilian truck drivers remain in steady demand due to freight growth and retirements; the OOH notes solid replacement needs and competitive pay for long-haul and specialized freight.
• Transportation, storage, and distribution managers benefit from e-commerce growth and supply-chain modernization; OOH shows six-figure medians and continued openings.
• Inside the military, global deployments and surge exercises keep transportation billets essential across all components; the Army Transportation Corps and USAF logistics career fields continue to emphasize movement control expertise.

Bottom line: combine military experience with a CDL, safety record, and logistics coursework and you’ll be competitive in a wide set of transportation and distribution roles.

Advantages

• Immediate mission impact: nothing moves without you.
• Clear ladder from driver/coordinator to dispatcher and manager.
• Marketable credentials: CDL, HAZMAT, forklift, and movement control translate well.
• Variety: office scheduling one tour, convoy lead the next; stateside terminals or overseas ports.

Challenges

• Irregular hours and weather for drivers and terminal crews.
• Documentation pressure; mistakes delay missions.
• Stressful timelines during deployments and PCS surges.
• Safety risk on public roads and in busy yards; strict adherence to procedures is non-negotiable.

Is this career a good fit for you?

You’ll likely thrive as a transportation specialist if you:

• Enjoy driving or orchestrating complex movements
• Stay calm under time pressure and adapt fast when plans change
• Are meticulous about checklists and paperwork
• Value teamwork with mechanics, supply, and operations
• Like seeing tangible results: wheels rolling and planes loading

Not sure? Get an objective read on your motivations.

Is this career a good fit for you?
Take the MAPP assessment at assessment.com to see how your motivational profile aligns with transportation, movement control, and other logistics careers.

How to get started

1. Take MAPP to confirm you’re energized by planning, movement, and customer service.
2. Talk to a recruiter about 88M/88N, 2T1/2T0, or Navy LS options; ask about licenses, HAZMAT, and deployment tempo.
3. Build your stack: clean driving record, practice with manual transmissions, basic spreadsheet skills, and intro supply-chain coursework.
4. Plan for credentials: CDL, forklift, HAZMAT, IATA/ICAO awareness; track how your training maps to civilian certs through COOL.
5. Think long-term: target dispatcher or terminal leadership; complete an associate or bachelor’s in supply chain or transportation management on TA/GI Bill.

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