Logistics interview preparation: what you'll be asked and how to answer

Prepare four stories before you go in

Almost every behavioural question is a variation on the same four themes. Have one solid example ready for each and you can answer most of what comes at you.

• ▸A time something went badly wrong and what you did about it
• ▸A time you had to deliver bad news to a customer or a manager
• ▸A time you were under real time pressure with competing priorities
• ▸A time you improved a process, however small

Structure answers so they land

Situation, what you did, what happened. Thirty seconds of context, a minute on your actions, a line on the outcome. If you don't know the outcome, say what you'd check now — that reads as honest rather than vague.

Questions that come up again and again

• ▸Walk me through a normal day in your current role
• ▸How do you prioritise when everything's urgent?
• ▸Tell me about a shipment or load that went wrong
• ▸How do you handle a driver, customer or colleague who won't cooperate?
• ▸What systems have you used, and how quickly do you pick up new ones?
• ▸Why are you looking to leave?
• ▸Where do you want to be in two or three years?

Know the employer's operation, not just their website

Look at what they move, where they move it and who for. Check whether they're a forwarder, a haulier, a 3PL or a shipping line — people mix these up in interviews and it shows. If you're working with us, ask; we'll tell you the shift pattern, the culture and who you'd report to before you go.

Answer the money question straight

Give a range and the reasoning behind it rather than a flat refusal to say. If you're not sure what your role pays locally, check the salary guide first so the number you give is defensible.

Have three questions ready for them

• ▸What does a good first six months look like in this role?
• ▸What's the shift pattern really like at peak?
• ▸How does the team handle it when things go wrong?

The practical stuff people still get wrong

• ▸Check where you're parking — port and industrial estate access takes longer than you think
• ▸Bring photo ID; most sites need it at the gate
• ▸Bring your licence, CPC card and tickets to any driving or plant interview
• ▸Aim to arrive ten minutes early, not thirty