Transport Manager

at  ForFarmers

Job Title: Transport Manager
Location: Bury St Edmunds
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week
Salary: Competitive
Reporting to: Operations Manager
Job Req: R7895
The Transport Manager reports directly to the Operations Manager with a dotted line into the central fleet function with a clear escalation route to the Statutory Director. Responsible for the daily operation and as a nominated transport manager on the O licence holder and is ultimately responsible and accountable for legal compliance, discharging his or her duties, within their declared hours. Demonstrating continuous effective management and a commitment to professional development, working cross functionally to drive continuous improvement ensuring standards of service, quality and environmental systems are maintained in line with company, industry and legal guidelines, managing a positive people agenda whilst focusing on achieving financial targets.
Encouraging consistent Health & Safety practices are maintained driving a safety first culture ensuring legal undertakings and company rules are adhered to in line with Traffic Commissioners Statutory Guidance (Documents 3), DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness and the ForFarmers Road Transport Operations Procedure Manual.

Purpose of the Job

• Responsible for the daily transport operation, ensuring scheduled deliveries are made on time and in full in line with customer SLAs.
• Managing a team of people to oversee the ‘in flight’ operation to ensure OTIF performance is achieved in line with company targets and post journey analysis through live debriefing of drivers – capturing relevant data and ensuring communication to the respective stake holders.
• Ensuring resource levels are set in line with requirements taking into consideration contractual hours, local arrangements, WTD and EU driver’s hours legislation.
• Working cross functionally with key stakeholders to meet company objectives and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensuring the daily plan is within the agreed parameters, being achievable, cost effective and in line with industry protocol.
• Proactively managing VOR and downtime through solid working relationships with local service agents/national dealerships and effective management of service schedule and closed loop defecting.
• Working in conjunction with the Driver Trainer to actively facilitate driver improvements, identifying training needs, infringement/DCRS and DCPC management.
• Actively promoting the safety culture through appropriate behaviours - hazard evaluations, behavioural observations & near miss reporting.
• Working closely with approved third party hauliers ensuring consistent service standards are maintained and cost control managed.
• Escalating non-conformance reporting and investigating & managing complaints within an agreed timeline
• Managing the data input and maintenance of appropriate systems – Tachomaster, Paragon, Fleetboard, Integrum, SAP, TUs & Work Day,
• Ensuring O Licence administration via the central fleet team & VOL and management of OCRS.
• Effectively managing the training requirements and personal development of the team.
• Other projects as required.

Key Accountabilities
Operators Licence Agreement (OLA) Management

Transport Manager has overall responsibility for:

• Drivers administration - including the checking of drivers’ licences and driver CPC qualifications, ensuring that the retention of drivers hours records (no less than 12 months) and working time records (no less than 24 months) and both are made available upon request;
• Drivers management - ensuring compliance with the driving hours rules (EU or Domestic Hours rules); that drivers record their duty, driving time and rest breaks; to download and store digital tachograph unit data and from the drivers’ smart cards; ensuring that the following records are retained - drivers’ hours, Working Time Directive (WTD), and that they are available to be produced during the relevant period;
• Drivers operations - ensure drivers are completing and returning their driver defect reporting sheets and that defects are recorded correctly and cross checked, and that drivers and mobile workers take adequate breaks and appropriate periods of daily and weekly rest;
• Vehicle administration - include ensuring that vehicle maintenance records are retained for a period of no less than 15 months,
• Vehicle management - ensure that vehicles and trailers are kept in a fit and roadworthy condition, that defects are either recorded and repaired promptly and where not roadworthy are taken out of service; to make vehicles and towed equipment available for safety inspections, service, repair and statutory testing at the appropriate times and within the notified O-licence maintenance intervals; to liaise with maintenance contractors, manufacturers, hire companies as might be appropriate.
• O Licence administration – ensure that the traffic commissioner is made aware of any relevant matters within 28 days including convictions and prosecutions of the transport manager(s)
• Legal compliance must never be compromised in favour of commercial gain.

Health and Safety, Environment and Quality Systems

• Ensuring a safety first culture providing a safe working environment for all employees, protecting all visitors to the premises and meet all legal requirements and that all company rules are adhered to.
• Ensuring all employees are trained accordingly.
• Ensuring all drivers comply with Health and Safety regulations while on other premises.
• Encourage consistent Health & Safety practices on site and customer premises, as well as the public highway.
• Ensure Drivers complete on-farm delivery DRA and point hazard evaluations.
• Brief all drivers on the Workplace Transport Plans on site.
• Working in-conjunction with the Driver Trainer to facilitate driver improvements, identifying training needs, infringement/DCRS and CPC management.
• All drivers should be briefed on the Environmental Management Systems, UFAS and Company procedures.
• Ensure all requirements / protocols and procedures are adhered to e.g.The Safe Transport of Feeds Protocol etc

Transport Operations

• Working cross functionally, adopt a flexible approach to actively strive to meet the company objectives.
• Effectively manage capacity on a 7 day rolling basis and by exception.
• Oversee an effective rota management - manage resource in line with demand taking into consideration contractual hours and local arrangements,
• Ensure drivers comply with the legal obligation of the EC drivers’ hours’ rules governed by EC regulations.
• Review and validate the daily plan within agreed parameters are met ensuring the schedule complies with legislative requirements of the O licence/ drivers Working Time Directive / Road Transport Directive and Company protocols and procedures.
• Ensure the management of the ‘in flight’ operation delivers an OTIF performance in line with the target and customer SLAs.
• Proactively managing VOR and downtime through solid working relationships with local service agents/national dealerships.
• Effectively manage service schedule, closed loop defecting and associated administration of vehicle files.
• Ensure post journey analyses are completed through live debriefing of drivers – analysing relevant data and communicating to the respective stake holders.
• Ensure master data is maintained on respective systems - Tachomaster, Paragon, Fleetboard, Integrum, SAP, TUS & Work Day.
• Maximise operationally efficiency through every opportunity –raw material loading, inter mill movements
• Develop & maintain cross functional relationships through effective communication..
• Manage complaints in line with agreed standard.
• Cascade communications to relevant stakeholders
• Escalate non conformances and business critical information accordingly.

Operations

• Maintain effective communication between the transport department and operations to ensure maximum efficiencies for both teams..
• Improve the fleet utilisation by increasing our own fleet raw material haulage.
• Support site across the UK as required.

Finance

• Achieve Cost per tonne in line with target
• Actively participate in the formulation of budgets and management thereafter demonstrating proactive cost control.
• Understand how to use the company systems such as SAP, TUS, and Fleetboard to manage KPIs
• Present monthly position on finance call & site review.

Qualifications

Professional

• CPC National
• CPC refresher if required
• Good Repute
• Driving Licence
• A good standard of secondary school education

Experience

• Paragon Scheduling Knowledge
• IT awareness/Skills
• Microsoft Office
• Vehicle telemetry
• Understanding of drivers hours
• Good Geographical Knowledge
• Good People & Communication skills

Personal Characteristics

• Positive and engaging personality
• Organised and methodical
• Analytical mind-set
• Confident in engaging with drivers.
• Can do attitude.
• Relishes a challenge

Special Aptitudes

• Good communication skills
• Able to stay calm under pressure
• Team Player
• KPI Focused & driven
• Flexibility in hours will be required as circumstances dictate, including some weekend working.

• Responsible for the daily transport operation, ensuring scheduled deliveries are made on time and in full in line with customer SLAs.
• Managing a team of people to oversee the ‘in flight’ operation to ensure OTIF performance is achieved in line with company targets and post journey analysis through live debriefing of drivers – capturing relevant data and ensuring communication to the respective stake holders.
• Ensuring resource levels are set in line with requirements taking into consideration contractual hours, local arrangements, WTD and EU driver’s hours legislation.
• Working cross functionally with key stakeholders to meet company objectives and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensuring the daily plan is within the agreed parameters, being achievable, cost effective and in line with industry protocol.
• Proactively managing VOR and downtime through solid working relationships with local service agents/national dealerships and effective management of service schedule and closed loop defecting.
• Working in conjunction with the Driver Trainer to actively facilitate driver improvements, identifying training needs, infringement/DCRS and DCPC management.
• Actively promoting the safety culture through appropriate behaviours - hazard evaluations, behavioural observations & near miss reporting.
• Working closely with approved third party hauliers ensuring consistent service standards are maintained and cost control managed.
• Escalating non-conformance reporting and investigating & managing complaints within an agreed timeline
• Managing the data input and maintenance of appropriate systems – Tachomaster, Paragon, Fleetboard, Integrum, SAP, TUs & Work Day,
• Ensuring O Licence administration via the central fleet team & VOL and management of OCRS.
• Effectively managing the training requirements and personal development of the team.
• Other projects as required