88H Career Guide
88H: Cargo Specialist
Career transition guide for Army Cargo Specialist (88H)
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Top civilian roles for 88H veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Logistics Manager
Skills to develop:
Warehouse Supervisor
Skills to develop:
Transportation Planner
Skills to develop:
Crane Operator
Skills to develop:
Ship or Boat Captain
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your 88H training built — and where they transfer.
Resource Optimization
As an 88H, you're constantly optimizing the use of cargo handling equipment, personnel, and space to efficiently move supplies. This involves making decisions about the best way to load a truck, which equipment to use for a particular task, and how to prioritize resources during high-demand periods.
This translates directly to optimizing resources in any industry, ensuring efficiency and minimizing waste. Your experience in managing resources under pressure makes you valuable in roles where efficiency is key.
Procedural Compliance
You're trained to follow strict safety protocols and documentation procedures when handling cargo. This includes adhering to regulations for hazardous materials, ensuring proper weight distribution, and accurately recording cargo movements.
Your commitment to following procedures and regulations makes you an ideal candidate for roles that require precision and attention to detail. You understand the importance of compliance in maintaining safety and avoiding costly errors.
Team Synchronization
You coordinate the efforts of cargo handlers, signal operators, and winch operators to ensure smooth and efficient operations. This requires clear communication, delegation, and the ability to anticipate potential problems.
Your ability to synchronize team efforts translates directly to civilian roles where collaboration and coordination are essential. You are adept at leading teams to achieve common goals efficiently.
Situational Awareness
You maintain awareness of the overall cargo handling operation, including the location of equipment, the status of cargo, and potential hazards. This allows you to anticipate problems and make adjustments to ensure smooth and safe operations.
Your heightened situational awareness makes you valuable in dynamic environments where quick thinking and adaptability are essential. You are able to assess situations rapidly and make informed decisions under pressure.
Non-Obvious Career Matches
Logistics Analyst
SOC 13-2081.00You've been managing the flow of cargo, equipment, and personnel, making you well-prepared to analyze and optimize logistical operations for civilian companies. Your experience in tracking resources, identifying bottlenecks, and implementing solutions will make you a valuable asset.
Construction Site Supervisor
SOC 47-1011.00You've been in charge of teams of people operating heavy equipment to move material. You're equipped to schedule workers, coordinate material deliveries, and maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
Supply Chain Manager
SOC 11-3071.00You've been coordinating the movement of goods from one point to another. Your experience with transportation, storage, and distribution makes you a strong candidate for overseeing the entire supply chain for a company, ensuring products are delivered on time and within budget.
Training & Education Equivalencies
Advanced Individual Training (AIT), Fort Lee, VA
Topics Covered
- •Cargo documentation and tracking procedures
- •Operation of forklifts and other material handling equipment
- •Safe rigging and sling load operations
- •Loading and unloading cargo from various modes of transportation (ships, railcars, trucks, aircraft)
- •Hazardous materials handling and storage
- •Inventory management and control
- •Supervisory skills for cargo handling teams
- •Operation of cranes and winches
Certification Pathways
Partial Coverage
Requires study of specific logistics terminology and principles, plus demonstration of basic logistics knowledge through an exam.
Certification often requires practical operation test on specific forklift models. Study specific safety regulations for the equipment you will be tested on.
Requires additional study of OSHA regulations, record keeping, and specific hazard recognition and control methods.
Recommended Next Certifications
Technical Systems Translation
Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Rough Terrain Container Handler (RTCH) | Heavy-duty container handling equipment (e.g., Kalmar, Hyster) |
| Military Forklift (various models) | Industrial Forklifts (e.g., Caterpillar, Toyota, Hyster) |
| Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelter (DRASH) | Mobile and rapidly deployable warehousing solutions (e.g., Sprung Structures, temporary event tents) |
| Transportation Coordinators' Automated Information for Movement System II (TC-AIMS II) | Transportation Management Systems (TMS) (e.g., Blue Yonder, Oracle OTM) |
| Joint Automated Manifest and Billing System (JAMBS) | Freight billing and management software (e.g., Cass Information Systems, Trax Technologies) |
| Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tracking systems | Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) with RFID capabilities (e.g., Manhattan Associates, Blue Yonder) |
| All Army Data Systems (AADS) | Database management software and reporting suites for logistics (e.g., Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle Database) |
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