The traditional image of logistics? Warehouses with heavy physical work, polluting trucks, and rigid schedules. But that’s changing. Today, the sector is more digital, more sustainable, and offers increasingly attractive working conditions for young talent. That’s the only way the logistics industry will be able to attract the best professionals.
According to Randstad, 67% of professionals in the sector earned more in 2023 than the previous year. However, many companies still lose valuable talent by failing to offer competitive salaries, real flexibility, and opportunities for growth. The new generations don’t just want stability — they want to learn, grow professionally, and work on projects with tangible impact.
The good news is that more and more companies now understand that, in addition to investing in sustainability and digital transformation — out of conviction, competitiveness, and also for brand image — they must offer something more to young professionals: career projection, learning, and an environment where they can reach their full potential.
DHL, one of the world’s largest logistics operators, is a great example of how to attract young talent through professional development programs. Its graduate program, GROW, offers training, mentoring, and international experience. For those who want to lead from the start, there’s LEAD, focused on developing future logistics operations managers.
Maersk, a Danish multinational and leader in maritime transport and integrated logistics services, also has dedicated programs to bring in and train young professionals. These initiatives include internships with rotations across different areas of the business, along with individual mentoring from senior professionals.
EssilorLuxottica, a global industrial group specializing in the design, manufacture, and distribution of optical products, runs the Operations Talent Program (OTP) — a two-year journey for young talent in areas such as supply chain, production, quality, and R&D. The program combines technical training, international rotations, and a real project in one of the company’s offices in Europe, the Americas, or Asia. Participants also join an international community of young professionals and gain additional training in management and innovation, with content designed to address the challenges of today’s industrial environment.
Logistics competes for the same talent that is often drawn to traditionally more glamorous industries like tech or finance. But it still faces a disadvantage: it carries a reputation of being tough, unattractive, and inflexible. That’s why it’s crucial to keep moving toward a more modern, sustainable sector with working conditions that appeal to the new generations. That’s the challenge: to get more young people to see logistics as a field where they can grow professionally.
