Role Title: Senior Transport Planner – Haulage & Freight Operations
Sector/Environment: Road haulage and logistics company specialising in containerised freight, port operations, and general transport services
Location: Felixstowe (Suffolk) – office-based with occasional site/port visits
Contract Type: Permanent (via AVTAV placement)
Salary: £42,000 per annum basic + benefits package (including performance bonus, pension, and holiday entitlement)
Hours: Full-time, Monday to Friday (standard office hours with flexibility for occasional early/late cover to meet port schedules)
Purpose of Role: To lead transport planning and optimisation for a busy haulage operation, ensuring efficient, cost-effective, and compliant movement of goods, particularly containers to/from Felixstowe Port. The Senior Transport Planner will manage daily planning, driver scheduling, route optimisation, and stakeholder coordination in a high-volume, time-sensitive freight environment.
Key Responsibilities and Qualifications
- Develop and manage daily/weekly transport plans for container collections, deliveries, and trunking operations, optimising routes, loads, and vehicle utilisation to minimise costs and maximise efficiency.
- Coordinate with port terminals, customers, drivers, and subcontractors to ensure on-time performance and compliance with booking windows, cut-offs, and port regulations.
- Monitor real-time operations using TMS (Transport Management System) software, adjusting plans for delays, traffic, weather, or customer changes.
- Allocate drivers and vehicles, manage shift rosters, and ensure full compliance with Working Time Directive, tachograph rules, and drivers’ hours regulations.
- Liaise with port authorities, shipping lines, and haulage partners to resolve issues, book slots, and maintain strong relationships.
- Analyse performance data (e.g., utilisation, fuel efficiency, on-time delivery rates) and produce regular reports with recommendations for continuous improvement.
- Oversee cost control, including fuel, tolls, driver overtime, and subcontractor invoices.
- Support the Transport Manager with strategic planning, fleet requirements, and implementation of new processes or technology.
- Handle escalations, customer queries, and incident reporting (e.g., accidents, breakdowns, customs delays).
- Mentor junior planners and contribute to team development.
- Minimum 3+ years’ experience in transport planning or operations management within road haulage, container logistics, port freight, or similar high-volume transport environments.
- Proven track record of planning multi-drop/container movements, ideally with Felixstowe Port or major UK container ports.
- Strong knowledge of UK/EU drivers’ hours rules, Working Time Directive, tachograph compliance, and road freight regulations.
- Experience using TMS/ERP systems (e.g., Key Software, HaulTech, Paragon, or similar) for route optimisation and planning.
- Full UK driving licence (clean and valid) – essential for occasional site visits or operational checks.
- Excellent organisational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage pressure and prioritise in a dynamic environment.
- Strong communication and negotiation skills for dealing with drivers, customers, ports, and subcontractors.
- IT proficient (Excel advanced, MS Office suite) for data analysis and reporting.
- Right to Work in the UK (valid documentation required).
- Experience with containerised freight, intermodal transport, or Felixstowe-specific port operations.
- Knowledge of customs procedures, CPC qualification, or transport management certification.
- Previous supervisory or senior planning experience leading small teams.
Benefits Package
- Basic salary: £42,000 per annum
- Performance-related bonus (paid annually or quarterly – details to be confirmed)
- Standard holiday entitlement + bank holidays
- Company benefits (e.g., life assurance, employee assistance programme – to be confirmed)
- Ongoing professional development and support
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