Transport skills for jobs in South Africa – No 1 approved

Transport skills for jobs in South Africa guide

Read the job ad carefully and get an overview of what your prospective employer wants to see in the ideal candidate. Make a list of all the transport skills you can find. Much of the transport skills in South Africa look similar and if this is the job field you’re searching in, you should have, or gain, those transport skills.

Consider picking up a few extra transport skills with a free online course .

It is important to mention extra details in your resume or interview if they are relevant. If the advertised position is for the transporting of milk, for example, you want to mention that you have experience in transporting dairy (only if you do have such experience).

The following positions needing transport skills are discussed further down:

Truck Driver
Bus Driver
Delivery Driver
Uber Driver
Dispatcher
Logistics
Logistics Coordinator
Logistics Manager
Inventory Manager
Hard skills explained
Soft skills explained

Transport job skills

Truck Driver

Truck drivers transport almost everything you can buy to your area’s shops. The entry-level pay is reasonably good, and the education requirements include the driving license, a high school diploma or equivalent. The job offers plenty of flexibility, given the load pick up and drop off is on time and within legal traffic framework.

Truck driver hard and technical transport skills:

Safe driving
Maintaining clear logs
Vehicle maintenance and on-the-spot repairs
Dry van trailers
Refrigerated trailers
Flatbed trailers
Liquids or gas tankers
Hopper and end dump trailers
Operation of equipment to lift heavy cargo
Navigation using maps and GPS
Knowledgeable of traffic laws
First aid and CPR
Basic emergency services; Transporting hazardous goods
Securing cargo for safe transportation
Grasping metric and imperial systems

Soft transport skills of truck drivers:

Self-managing
Managing time well
Physically fit
Interpersonal skills
Communication, written and speech
Patient
Responsible
Sense of direction
Problem solver
Capable of following orders
Attention to detail

Bus Driver

Driving busses for a living requires a highly responsible individual with fantastic driving skills. Working hours, distances and routes depend on the bus, route and job. A bus driver can transport tourists, company staff or school children.

Hard transport skills for bus drivers:

Driving skills
Defensive driving
Child safety
First aid and CPR
Customer service
Navigating maps and GPS
Basic emergency services
Knowledgeable of traffic laws
School staff assistance

Soft skills for bus drivers:

Patience
Friendly
Interpersonal
Communication, speech
Active listener
Managing time
Team player
Fit with stamina
Efficient
Sense of direction
Independent self motivator

Delivery Driver

Working as a delivery driver may require collecting payments, dropping off invoices, or maintaining a delivery log. Delivery, or courier driving, is an entry-level job that requires a driver’license and possibly a high school diploma. In this position, you will deliver items to addresses as assigned.

Delivery driver hard skills:

Route planning
Commercial truck operation
Navigation of maps and GPS
Operating handheld device
Traffic laws knowledge
Truck maintenance
Customer service

Delivery driver soft skills:

Responsible
Friendly and patient
Sense of direction
Attention to detail
Managing time well
Coping well under pressure
Problem solver
Good hand-eye coordination

Uber Driver

Becoming an Uber driver is a great solution for the individual owning a vehicle and wanting to supplement their income. Uber requires certain criteria from its drivers and their vehicles, to ensure a safe user experience.

Uber driver hard skills:

Traffic laws knowledge
Driving brilliance
Road safety
First aid and CPR
Planning best routes
Customer service skills
Basic emergency services
Maintaining vehicle condition
Sense of direction and knowledge of local roads and areas

Soft skills for Uber drivers:

Communication, speech
Active listener
Decisiveness
Friendly
Managing time well
Multitasking
Detail minded
Cleanliness
Neatness
Problem solver
Hand-eye coordination

Dispatcher

A dispatcher is responsible for processing a product, service or vehicle need via message or phone call and then organizing the appropriate action to fulfill the need.

Example: a hospital dispatcher will send emergency health services and an ambulance to the sight of emergency.

Hard skills needed in dispatching:

Microsoft Office
Google Docs
Management
Project management
Department of Transportation Regulations (DOT regs)
Radio and telephone console
Dispatching console & switchboard
Computer aided dispatch system
Shipping and dispatching of documents
Freight billing and invoicing
Organizing of deliveries and pickups
Logistics and supply chain

Dispatcher soft skills:

Calm under pressure
Responsible
Empathy
Friendly
Multitasking
Leadership
Team player
Decisiveness
Problem solver
Communication, written and speech
Both critical and creative thinking
Managing time well
Detail minded
Active listener
Interpersonal
Differentiate and prioritize the urgency and importance of calls

Logistics

Transport logistics deal with the commercial activity of transporting goods to customers, equipment and services where they are needed or documents as and where they are required.

Hard skills in logistics:

Inventory management software
Documentation at Customs
Maintaining forklifts
Loading and unloading of trucks
Traffic coordination for tractor-trailers

Soft skills in logistics:

Team player
Problem solver
Managing time well
Detail minded
Analytical
Multitask
Decisiveness

Logistics coordinator

The logistics coordinator takes care of a company’s supply chain needs. Logistics coordinators are entirely to thank for the shifting of raw materials to manufacturers, food or final products to retailers, and customers.

Hard skills for logistics coordinators:

SAP
MS Office
AutoCAD
LMS & WMS
Visual Basic
Kanban
Data analysis
Data visualization
Customer service
Management

Soft skills for logistics coordinators:

Friendly
Team player
Leadership
Active listener
Problem solver
Interpersonal skills
Communication, written and speech
Managing time well
Analytical

Logistics Manager

A logistics manager is responsible for his or her logistics team. The logistics department must ensure efficiency in the operations of supply chain. Getting materials to manufacturers on time, and products from factory to retailers, for example, needs excellent preparation, time management, and leadership.

Logistics manager hard skills:

SAP
Oracle
Microsoft Vision
Computer-aided design software
Enterprise resource planning software
Supply chain
Purchasing
Procurement
Compliance
Management
Health and safety
Security protocols
Customer service
Documentation at customs
Management of contracts
Management of vendors
Loads of a full truck and less than a truckload
Quality assurance

Logistics management soft skills:

Communication, written and speech
Interpersonal
Negotiation skills
Multitasking
Conflict resolution
Problem-solving
Leadership
Friendly
Organized
Decisiveness
Detail minded
Strategic planning
Calm under pressure
Stress management
Managing time well
Critical and analytical thinking skills

Inventory manager

Inventory managers are responsible for the efficiency of the inventory team as they record deliveries and shipments, new stock received or needed, and considering different suppliers, or new shipments.

Inventory manager hard skills:

Oodo
SAP ERP
MS Office
Zoho Inventory
Microsoft Dynamics
Lean supply chain management
Management

Inventory manager soft skills:

Communication, written and speech
Analytical skills
Leadership
Team player
Problem-solver
Multitasking
Decisiveness

Hard and soft skills are vital on your CV as it improves your resume’s success dramatically and therefore also your chances to get hired fast.

Hard skills: Hard skills explain what you can do, are taught and can be measured (e.g., code 10 driving license).

Soft skills: Soft skills are speaking of the characteristics and abilities that will show the reader how you will get the job done (e.g., problem-solving).