Transport Planning Manager - Portsmouth

Transport Planning Manager jobs

Looking after a fleet of vehicles has never been a simple task, and it could be said that with the advent of technologies to simplify logistics and keep a second by second track of the vehicles, all that has happened is that new complexity has been loaded into the system. In other words, the transport planning manager is still an essential role, which is highly valued in logistics.

There are two main strands to the transport planning manager’s job: ensuring consignments are delivered on time and making the whole process as efficient as possible. Nowadays, sophisticated transport offices are kept informed of the complete status of every vehicle, and planning can take place while they are on the road, with drivers being informed of new destinations and alerted to traffic problems as they go. They will also need to make sure spaces on ferries are booked; it is keeping on top of details like this that make a successful transport planning manager.

The planning manager will also have close contact with the customers, both to inform them of the status of their deliveries and to arrange backhaul availability, for example. He or she will also need to make sure drivers are available and organise backup if drivers become unavailable through illness; likewise, should a breakdown occur, the planning manager will have to be quick thinking enough to arrange the best way to get the load delivered.

The skills required

The transport planning manager is first a planner and second a communicator, and the two roles need to work in harmony with each other. A calm person who thinks in four dimensions will be suited to the job; a day might start out looking perfectly planned out but look like a disaster movie by lunchtime due to events out of his or her control. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated an ability to cope with the stresses of such a chain of events.

The job will be extremely reliant on the company’s IT infrastructure, so computer literacy will be an absolute must for this role too.

Transport Planning Manager Jobs in Portsmouth

Although it doesn’t really feel like it when you are there, Portsmouth is technically an island city, indeed the UK’s only one, located as it is on Portsea Island and separated from the Hampshire coast by a 30-metre-wide creek. Geographically, it is about as close as possible to being the perfect natural harbour, with its small inlet hiding the large, navigable Fareham Lake. And needless to say, it is one of Britain’s most influential ports, with a wealth of military and civilian history behind it. The city was heavily bombed during World War II, but was also a key staging post for the D-Day landings in 1944.

Today, Portsmouth is an international port, with ferries and freight leaving its docks for Cherbourg, Le Havre, St Helier and Santander, among others. As with any port, Transport Planning Manager jobs are abundant thanks to its pivotal role in the international logistics network.

The city is currently booming and undergoing a major redevelopment of its central area, with new housing and shopping centres being built. The military still plays a massive role in the city, with one in ten of its employees linked to the Navy, and the UK’s two aircraft carriers being built there. The European headquarters of IBM is based in the city, as well as he UK HQs of Zurich Financial Services and defence company Northrop Grumman.

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Cast UK’s logistics opportunities

Cast UK’s recruitment consultants work with a host of employers around the UK to ensure positions are filled by the best people, and many of them approach us to create a shortlist rather than advertising jobs nationally or locally. We have specialists for every UK region and all the major cities, so wherever you are, we could have a position for you.

Whether you're moving house, looking to change employer or are simply seeking a change in career, get in touch with Cast UK. Our own staff are all source from within procurement, logistics and supply chain, and these are the backgrounds of our founder members, so we fully understand the needs of the industry.

To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Transport Planning Manager for your business or find you a job as a Transport Planning Manager then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.

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