Intern - Logistics Analyst

PODS; Clearwater (FL); On-site; USD 34,000 - 41,000; Part time

Job summary

PODS in Clearwater, FL is seeking a Summer 2027 Operations Planning intern to help optimize our nationwide freight network. You'll work on live logistic problems in the middle mile and the first/last mile, delivering real results within the team.

You'll own one or two focus projects, learn to use SQL, Python, and AI-assisted analysis, and present outcomes to Operations leadership. The role blends hands-on data work with field exposure across Storage Centers and regional teams.

Qualifications

• Currently in the final years of a bachelor’s degree, or enrolled in a master’s or MBA program.
• Majoring in Supply Chain Management, Business, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Analytics, or a related field, ideally with a data science, analytics, or AI focus.
• Coursework or hands-on experience with SQL and Python or R.
• No full-time experience required.
• Bonus points for: a prior internship, co-op, or substantial project in logistics, transportation, planning, or analytics; coursework or experience in logistics, transportation, routing, or another capacity-constrained operation.

Responsibilities

• Own a focus project. Build or improve a route optimization that cuts cost or miles while holding service; find consolidation and fill-rate opportunities in load planning and trailer or container utilization; run root-cause analysis on a recurring exception like missed pickups or late deliveries and recommend the fix; or automate a manual workflow such as carrier assignment, exception triage or an SLA report.

Skills

Optimization

Logistics

SQL

Python

Excel

AI tools

Education

Bachelor's or higher in related field

Tools

OR-Tools

PuLP

Pyomo

Gurobi

Snowflake

Tableau/Power BI

Job description

$25.00-$30.00/hour

Help move freight across a nationwide network, with optimizers and automation instead of spreadsheets, and leave behind tools the team keeps running.

PODS moves and stores for customers across the country. Getting a container from an order to a customer’s door means planning loads, routing the long-haul middle mile between Storage Centers, scheduling first and last mile deliveries, and holding carriers to service commitments while controlling cost. The Operations Planning team plans and optimizes that network, increasingly through automated systems, optimizers and solvers rather than by hand.

You'll report to a senior Operations Planning leader and work on live logistics problems from your first week, in the middle mile, the first and last mile, or both. You'll own one or two focus projects with real deliverables, spend the rest of your time in the network alongside Data Science, Finance and regional Operations, and present your results to Operations leadership at the end of the summer.

What you'll do

• Own a focus project. Build or improve a route optimization that cuts cost or miles while holding service; find consolidation and fill-rate opportunities in load planning and trailer or container utilization; run root-cause analysis on a recurring exception like missed pickups or late deliveries and recommend the fix; or automate a manual workflow such as carrier assignment, exception triage or an SLA report.
• Plan and optimize loads and routes. Support middle mile and first/last mile planning, and use optimizers, solvers and scenario tools to test routing and consolidation options against the current plan on cost, service and feasibility.
• Handle exceptions. Work disruptions as they surface (capacity, weather, carrier, equipment), trace recurring failures to their cause, quantify the cost at stake, and track whether fixes bring the defect rate down.
• Manage carrier and SLA performance. Build and refresh the dashboards used to manage carrier cost, on-time performance and SLA adherence, and surface the lanes and carriers that are off target.
• Code and automate. Write SQL and Python (or R), replace manual reports and hand-offs with automated workflows, and use AI tools like Claude or Copilot to move faster.
• Get into the field. Shadow Storage Center, transportation and regional teams to see how a load is planned, dispatched and delivered, so your analysis reflects how the work really happens.

What you'll walk away with

• A completed project with real deliverables, presented to Operations leadership.
• A working understanding of how freight moves across a nationwide network, from order to door.
• Hands-on experience with SQL, Python, optimization solvers and AI-assisted analysis on live logistics data.
• Mentorship from a senior Operations Planning leader and working sessions with Data Science, Finance and regional Operations.
• Automation, analysis and tools the team keeps using after you leave.

Who we're looking for

• Coursework or project experience in optimization, logistics, statistics or operations research, and strong Excel skills for modeling and analysis.
• Exposure to optimization or routing methods, and a preference for solving them with solvers and optimizers rather than by hand.
• Working knowledge of SQL and Python (or R) from coursework, projects or a prior internship.
• A bias toward automating repeatable work and building workflows that keep running after you leave.
• Hands-on use of AI tools (Claude, Copilot or similar) for analysis or coding, with the judgment to check the output.
• Genuine curiosity about how freight actually moves across a physical network.
• Comfortable turning a loosely defined question into a clear analysis, and explaining your results in plain language to analysts and operational leaders alike.
• Takes ownership of a deliverable from first draft to finished product and asks for help early.

Nice to have:

a solver or optimization library (OR-Tools, PuLP, Pyomo, Gurobi); Snowflake, Tableau or Power BI; coursework in supply chain, logistics, transportation or operations management.

Job Qualifications

• Currently in the final years of a bachelor’s degree, or enrolled in a master’s or MBA program.
• Majoring in Supply Chain Management, Business, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Analytics, or a related field, ideally with a data science, analytics, or AI focus.
• Coursework or hands-on experience with SQL and Python or R.
• No full-time experience required.
• Bonus points for: a prior internship, co-op, or substantial project in logistics, transportation, planning, or analytics; coursework or experience in logistics, transportation, routing, or another capacity-constrained operation.

The details

• Temporary internship for Summer 2027; term dates to be confirmed.
• Regular business hours, Monday-Friday.
• Climate-controlled office, with occasional travel to Storage Centers or headquarters.
• Must be able to use a computer for up to 8 hours a day, stand and walk up to 8 hours a day, and lift up to 50 lbs.
• May be subject to a pre-employment background check and drug screening in accordance with company policy.

PODS Enterprises, LLC is an Equal Opportunity, Aff​irmative Action Employer. We will not discriminate unlawfully against qualified applicants or employees based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, place of birth, military service status, or any other basis protected by law.

This description indicates the general nature of the work, the knowledge and skills typically required, and usual working conditions. It is not a comprehensive list of all responsibilities or requirements.