The pandemic laid bare just how dependent our lives are on logistics. Whether it's the movement of goods across the country or the last-mile delivery to your doorstep, the Transportation & Warehousing sector, long operating behind the scenes, has become one of the most visible and critical components of the modern economy.

In Central Minnesota, this sector plays an indispensable role in supporting supply chains across every other industry sector. Yet, despite skyrocketing demand for goods movement, the region's logistics backbone became strained in 2020 after shedding more than 350 jobs. However, the drop was quick to reverse and by the end of last year the Transportation & Warehousing sector hit a new all-time employment high in the region, with just under 10,250 jobs.

Companies are ready to ship their goods, but the industry is struggling to find the people to do the shipping. A pre-existing shortage of qualified transportation workers – especially CDL drivers – was exacerbated by the pandemic, with about 12,000 workers exiting the Central Minnesota labor force between December 2019 and December 2021.

But the logistics picture is more nuanced than a simple decline. Different segments of the supply chain saw different trajectories (see Figure 2). For example:

• Courier & Messenger services, which handle last-mile delivery for e-commerce, added 351 jobs – a 36% gain – as demand for home delivery surged.
• In contrast the largest subsector, Truck Transportation, still has 315 fewer jobs at the beginning of 2025 compared to the beginning of 2019, a decline of 7.5%.
• Warehousing is down 17% due to 90 fewer jobs in the subsector.
• In contrast, Support Activities for Transportation grew a staggering 59%, signaling a shift in the logistics of goods across the region.

In 2024 and 2025, some of the logistical challenges of transporting goods have eased up, with record high numbers of job openings in 2021 and 2022 returning to the levels of 2018 and 2019. While still elevated, they appear manageable compared to 2021 when job openings for Transportation & Material Moving occupations more than doubled.

A decline in employment doesn't always mean there is low demand by employers, rather it could be a symptom of hiring challenges. Figure 3 illustrates the highest demand occupations in the Transportation cluster in Central Minnesota. Note how the 6th most demanded occupation overall is Heavy & Tractor Trailer Truck Drivers, yet the ground transportation industry is off by more than 300 jobs. This mismatch could be the result of openings going unfilled as drivers exit the labor force or the occupation for something else.

Among those roles, CDL Truck Drivers are especially critical. With nearly 5,400 jobs in the region and a median wage just under $61,000, truck driving offers a stable, well-paying career path – often requiring less than a year of training. Importantly, these wage figures don't reflect income for self-employed drivers, who often command higher rates.

Other high-demand logistics roles include Stockers & Order Fillers, Material Moving Laborers and Light Truck Drivers – all essential to warehousing and distribution operations.

Logistics has never been more central to how our economy works, or how it recovers. To meet rising consumer and business demand, Central Minnesota's supply chain needs more than trucks and warehouses. It needs people. And getting them into the pipeline – whether through training, upskilling or better pay – is the next essential move in transporting the recovery forward.

For more information about the Transportation & Warehousing industry in Central Minnesota, contact Luke Greiner at Luke.Greiner@state.mn.us.