Part Two Exploring Career Options
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Transportation involves moving pas-
sengers, cargo, and mail on land, at sea, and
in the air. Workers are needed to design,
operate, and maintain the vehicles used
and the systems that track them. Planning,
management, customer service, and regu-
lation of transportation systems and their
effects on safety and the environment are
also a part of this cluster. Distribution and
logistics are behind-the-scenes activities
that make the transportation system run
well. Workers in this career area make sure
shipments arrive in good condition at the
correct destinations on time in the most
economical manner. They also arrange for
adjustments for lost or damaged goods.
Transportation workers on land include
school bus drivers, railroad workers, repair
technicians, and shipping and receiving
clerks. Workers at sea include ship captains
and deckhands. Airline and helicopter
flight engineers and air traffic controllers
are needed for air transportation.
Jobs in the transportation industry
rely on computers. Even repair technicians
and shipping clerks now use computerized
tools to do their jobs. One such important
tool is the GPS system. A global position-
ing system (GPS) is a highly accurate satel-
lite-based tracking system. It signals
where specific cargo is in the world at any
given time.
Most jobs in this career cluster
require technical training. Drivers need a
commercial driving permit called a chauf-
feur’s driver’s license or commercial driv-
er’s license (CDL). Airline pilots and ship
captains must have on-the-job experience
and a federal license. Many career/techni-
cal schools and community colleges offer
training programs in equipment mainte-
nance and repair.
The growth in the nation’s economy
is expected to require significant increases
in the use of air, rail, and ship transporta-
tion operations. Companies increasingly
depend on technicians and engineers to
guard against equipment malfunction.
As tourism and business travel expands,
growth is expected in this career cluster.