Director of Transportation

Our client is the largest privately owned fruit processor in Michigan. They are a family-owned and operated group of companies dedicated to providing the highest quality products to ensure 100% customer satisfaction. Our client hasa state of the art fresh-cut facility and focuses on the production of apples. They are a marketing leader of frozen fruits in the United States.

Director of Transportation
The Director of Transportation will lead a team of logistics professionals with the intention of servicing an existing distribution network and providing continuous improvement at every opportunity. Safety, cost, opportunity, efficiency, and change will be the main areas of expertise for the Director of Transportation.

Responsibilities:

• Provide coaching to all reports when needed to align individual performance with organizational values/goals.
• Continuously improve operations in the areas of cost, utilization, efficiency, safety, and operational revenue.
• Implement, maintain, or modify new or existing processes within the department to allow and assist reports and drivers with completing daily tasks or improving capabilities.
• Improve the current safety program and provide continuous driver training.
• Write and implement policies with the intention of controlling and influencing driver behavior in order to reduce organizational risk.
• Administer ELOG program to provide reasonable assurance that all drivers are operating in accordance to HOS compliance and provide coaching to under performing drivers.
• Manage relations and expectations with 3PL providers, carriers, and freight brokers with the intention of maintaining and improving service levels and costs associated with third-party freight.
• Work closely with insurance and law enforcement (when needed) regarding accidents and other possible safety incidents.
• Provide technical support to electronic logging and tracking systems utilized by OTR fleet.
• Investigate transportation-related customer complaints and issues that affect finished product delivery.
• Ability to manage third-party carriers and provide director and instruction for handling shipments properly.
• Ability to hold third parties accountable for service failures.
• Reduce risk through compliance, safety, and efficiency.
• Construct and manage a practical budget for reporting purposes and provide insight for financial improvement.
• Other duties as assigned.

Experience:

• Bachelors degree in logistics or business, or closely related field.
• MBA or masters degree in related field preferred.
• Two years of logistical and/or operational experience with OTR fleet or production facility (shipper).
• Effective leadership abilities.
• Must have financial acumen and ability to gauge financial performance of the department.
• Must have the ability to financially analyze proposed projects or changes.
• Ability to write, implement, and communicate company policies to staff and drivers.
• Ability to fully understand and comply with DOT FMCSA regulations.
• Ability to understand cost and related fleet optimization metrics.
• Must be familiar with CDL requirements and operational responsibilities of CDL drivers.
• Ability to handle conflicts that arise with drivers over-the-road and provide instruction to drivers in many different parts of the country.
• Must understand routing and transportation management system.
• Communicate directly to senior leadership team and provide current operational status.
• Must be able to spend considerable time sitting and reviewing and analyzing trip data- fuel receipts, HOS logs, load information, GPS data, load temperature data.

This position offers a competitive base salary.