Transport Planner - Ashford

Transport Planner jobs

Logistics and transport are important aspects of any business. After all, ensuring goods are shipped out on time, accurately, within budget and to the quality standards that customers expect is essential for the company’s success, whether you’re carrying out a single home delivery or despatching large amounts of stock to suppliers and retail outlets.

With so much at stake, it’s no wonder Transport Planners play such a vital role in the logistics and supply chain of an organisation.

The person in this role is responsible for planning vehicle schedules and deliveries. You generally work within a team and occasionally on a shift rota basis.

Depending on the employer and nature of the business, transport planners will be tasked with organising the fleet - from ensuring vehicles are running, through to maintaining good fuel supplies - as well as scheduling drivers and communicating with delivery teams to ensure they stay on schedule.

You may also be responsible for dealing with returns and discrepancies in a timely manner in order to keep customer satisfaction to a high level.

The skills required

As a Transport Planner, you should possess excellent communication skills. You will be in nearly constant communication with drivers, the traffic office and possibly customers and you should be able to explain your expectations and requirements clearly in order to prevent misunderstandings or delays in service.

Organisation skills and an ability to keep meticulous records is a must. You should also be familiar with the relevant laws and legislation and a good working knowledge of the various technologies used within the industry can be beneficial.

The Transport Planner will need to be confident in communicating to a team of drivers, taking care of staffing and training issues, wherever necessary, and providing motivation and leadership.

Transport Planner Jobs in Ashford

The Kent town of Ashford was traditionally a market town and stop-off point for London to Folkestone or Dover travellers. Although it has a moderately large population of around 65,000, it is by far the largest settlement for 20 miles in any direction, and remains an important shopping town in the region, especially now that it has a designer outlet to accompany its several shopping districts.

It is the railways that have played the largest part in Ashford’s history since the nineteenth century, however. The town served as an important hub for trains to London (50 miles, or 80 km, to the north west), Tonbridge, Hastings, Folkestone and Canterbury and this brought trade and population to the town. But Ashford’s link with the railways became international when it was made a stop on the Eurostar line to France in 1996. The town now has at least five distinct trading and industrial estates, some of which are located there mainly thanks to its excellent links with London and the Continent.

Ashford has always been a busy town but the Eurostar line coming to town has made it a key element in Britain’s transport infrastructure. Ashford is also well connected by road, with the M20/A20 that links Folkestone/Dover and London passing by Ashford’s eastern borders. This all adds up to a positive picture for anyone seeking Transport Planner jobs in Ashford or the surrounding area.

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Discover Transport Planner positions with Cast UK

If you’re looking for a Transport Planner job, Cast UK can provide the advice and assistance you need.

We work with clients and candidates in locations across the country to match the best talent to every role. To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Transport Planner for your business or find you a job as a Transport Planner then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.

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