🚛 Industry Update: Inside One of the Most Underrated Industries in America

By Evan Shuck, FitzMark | ITC Board Member

In this article, I’ll cover three things:

• Why the U.S. supply chain is so important and often overlooked

• What a day in the life of a freight broker actually looks like

• How the Indianapolis Transportation Club (ITC) supports the growth of this industry

When most people think about career paths, transportation and logistics rarely come to mind.

Even with top programs at schools like Michigan State University and Penn State University producing strong talent each year, the total number of supply chain majors across the U.S. is still only around 10,000 to 11,000 annually.

At the same time, the broader supply chain industry supports roughly 44 million jobs, or nearly one third of the U.S. workforce.

This is one of the most critical industries in the country, yet it operates largely behind the scenes. When everything is running smoothly, no one notices. When it is not, shelves go empty, production slows, costs rise, and it becomes visible quickly.

Why This Industry Is So Important

Transportation is the connective tissue of the economy.

Everything from food and beverages to raw materials and consumer goods depends on reliable, consistent movement. It is not just trucks on the road. It is timing, coordination, and execution across a network of suppliers, warehouses, and retailers.

What makes this industry different is the level of real-time decision making required. Weather, capacity, fuel, labor, and demand can all shift quickly. There is no autopilot.

It is a performance-driven environment. People who communicate well, adapt quickly, and solve problems tend to separate themselves.

A Day in the Life: Freight Brokerage

I have spent the last eight years in transportation, specifically in freight brokerage.

At a high level, freight brokers connect companies that need to move product with carriers that have the capacity to move it. A lot of the time, that means working with smaller, independent carriers and connecting them with large customers.

In practice, it is much more hands-on.

A typical day involves managing shipments in real time, solving issues before they escalate, and coordinating between customers, drivers, warehouses, and receivers. One delay can create a ripple effect across multiple facilities.

At FitzMark, we focus heavily on food and beverage shipping, both dry van and refrigerated freight.

Food shipments are time sensitive and tied directly to production schedules or retail demand. Refrigerated freight requires strict temperature control. Miss a delivery window or mishandle a load, and the product is gone, not just late.

Experience and relationships matter.

The difference between a good day and a bad day often comes down to how quickly you respond, how clearly you communicate, and who you can call to solve a problem.

It is not a passive role. It requires constant attention, communication, and a high level of customer service.

Where ITC Fits In

In an industry that moves this fast, staying connected matters.

That is where the Indianapolis Transportation Club plays a role.

ITC brings together professionals across transportation and logistics to build relationships, share insight, and stay engaged with what is happening across the market.

It also supports the next generation through scholarships and outreach, helping introduce more people to a career path that many would not otherwise consider.

For those already in the industry, it is a way to stay connected and continue developing. For those newer to the space, it is an entry point into a strong network.

ITC will be hosting its Scholarship Scramble Golf Outing on June 19. It is a good opportunity to meet others in the industry while supporting the development of future supply chain leaders.

Transportation is not always the most visible career path, but it is one of the most essential parts of the economy. It continues to offer long term opportunity and a level of problem solving that is difficult to replace, even with AI.