Freight Manager
When you’re the freight manager at a large supply chain operation, it can almost be like running your own logistics business. As well as overseeing teams that ensure fleets are staffed, well maintained and legally compliant, you might also be negotiating deals with third party carriers and logistics hubs, and you will be keeping a close eye on the department’s incoming revenues and outgoing costs, to better balance the books and keep the business profitable.
Freight manager jobs can also be quite specific when it comes to regions and modes of transportation. The typical rail freight manager and road freight manager will have distinct skill sets, responsibilities and abilities, but both will be very different to someone who deals port to port with shipping companies. What they all have in common is a deep understanding of how time pressure and transport capacities go to make freight management an exact science, with as little room for manoeuvre as a supertanker in the Suez Canal.
The skills required
The budgetary oversight of the department or company you are managing will be in your hands. Therefore, you’ll need to be a person who not only understands how finances work in the freight industry, but also how to do it efficiently and to root out areas that are underperforming and replace them with more cost effective solutions.
As freight manager, you’ll also be overseeing a potentially complex team of drivers, warehouse staff, brokers, legal experts and contract specialists who will need to work like clockwork to keep your freight moving to where it’s meant to be. You’ll need to be confident in your decisions and able to communicate them to the whole team to see your strategic vision to completion.
Freight Manager Jobs in Cleveland
Situated in the north-east of England, Cleveland is a region that has been long known for its industrial and manufacturing capabilities, and it offers a range of opportunities for those seeking Freight Manager positions.
During the 18th century, ironwork was a major part of the local economy and the ironstone used for blast furnaces on the River Tees was procured from the Cleveland Hills.
These days, Cleveland is not an officially recognised region. In the mid-1990s, the county was broken up into four unitary authorities: Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland.
However, many people from the region still identify themselves as being from Cleveland and bodies like the Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire Brigade carry the name today.
Much of the area is undergoing significant regeneration, and these days, the economy is mainly based in retail, technology and the service sector.
However, a few big-names in heavy industry still call the region home. For example, there's the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company, Teeside Steelworks and Dorman Long, which provided the steel for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Tyne Bridge and the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
What's more, Teesport is the country's third largest port and handles around 56 million tonnes of cargo every year, with facilities including container quays and RORO ramps.
Popular locations
Freight managers needed nationwide
Every supply chain operation needs efficiency, so a good manager is like gold dust to any logistics operation. There’s a thriving market for anyone with the talent, and businesses offer attractive packages to the right candidates.
If you’re a freight manager with good experience, you are in demand right now, so please register your details via the link below. We can then match you up with some of the biggest and best supply chain companies in the world.
Companies that are looking for freight managers need to know they’re getting the cream of the crop when it comes to candidates. At Cast UK we only deal with managerial and executive-level freight managers, so we can whittle down an experienced shortlist for you to choose from. Call us on 0333 121 3345 to talk about specialist recruitment or get in touch here.
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