A logistics transportation manager is responsible for running the transportation department. Logistics transportation manager job responsibilities range from managing the budgets to planning routes for truck drivers. Not to mention, transportation managers must be sure to stay on top of all trucking laws and regulations. Apart from the technicalities specific to the operation, the logistics transportation manager also tries to ensure safety in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.
What Does a Logistics Transportation Manager Do?
Budgeting
The logistics transportation manager is responsible for setting the budget for the department’s expenses and costs. For example, the organization needs to know the exact expenses to be incurred in different scenarios (different routes, different vehicles, and so on). Having budget information handy helps any organization plan its larger financial policy. A budget also controls the flow of cash within a department and allows you to measure return on profit (ROI) and profits.
Schedules
Organizing transportation schedules is key to ensure the seamless operation of an organization’s transportation arm. Therefore, timeframes are very important in the transportation and logistics industry. Delayed deliveries or consignments can hamper business growth. Consequently, delays might make the materials being transported useless. That’s why setting up schedules for deliveries is one of the most important job roles of a logistics transportation manager.
Routes
If an organization has been using routes that have been time-tested for efficiency then there’s little reason to reinvent the wheel and chart new routes. However, that’s not always the case. New routes and opportunities can pop up at any time. Therefore, capitalizing on new route opportunities to either save costs or speed up the transportation process is extremely valuable for any transportation department or company.
Vehicle management
A transportation department has many vehicles. Therefore, managing these vehicles is important to maintain a top-notch fleet. A logistics transportation managers vehicle management responsibilities include:
- Ensuring the optimum performance of the vehicles.
- Scheduling checks for various problems.
- Tracking licenses and law obedience.
- Incorporating any new policies or technologies.
Safety and legality
Even with a smooth operation and great vehicle management, the transportation manager’s job isn’t close to being finished. The safety and compliance of the vehicles, drivers, routes, and contents are important. Therefore, logistics managers need to make sure they are performing regular safety and legality checks to avoid any penalties or accidents.
Communication
Communicating with truck drivers is important. However, without cooperation, you can only go so far. Sometimes drivers face certain challenges and obstacles that are hard to bring up with higher-ups. Because the logistics transportation manager is the point of contact for truck drivers, it’s their job to do due diligence and find out what’s wrong before it becomes an organizational issue.
Gauging the morale of the fleet drivers is also critical to ensure the proper functioning of the transportation department. If the transportation manager is always behind closed doors then they lose touch with the larger picture. In fact, the ground reality can quickly diverge from what’s being reflected on the papers. As a result, it is best for transportation managers to conduct regular meetings with drivers to let them know that you’re there for them.
Additional Reading: Communicate Better With Employees, Regardless of Where They Work
The Junction LLC | Truckload Shipping
As a leader in the transportation industry, we demand excellence from our entire team. Our team at The Junction LLC strives to deliver the best possible customer service and by a desire to solve our customer’s toughest transportation and supply chain needs.
Our team is dedicated to serving our customers and will take the necessary action to deliver our customers’ products safely, efficiently, and on time. In fact, this is our promise to you!
Nationwide Services include:
- FTL (Full Truck Load) Shipping
- LTL (Less Than Truck Load) Shipping
- Transportation of refrigerated, dry, and bulk shipments
- 3PL Warehousing and Logistics
- Contract Warehousing
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Trucking & Freight Shipping Services:
- Overweight,
- Over-dimension
- Time-sensitive shipments
- LTL (Less-Than-Truckload)
- FTL (Full Truckload)
- Flatbed
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Additional Services:
- Our sister companies can also provide warehousing in our food-grade facilities, cross-docking, and contract warehousing.