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 the North East
Covering Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Teeside and County Durham, the North East includes the cities of Durham, Sunderland and Newcastle upon Tyne, as well as other communities like Gateshead, Middlesbrough and Darlington.
In the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, the area's economy mainly relied on shipbuilding, heavy industry, coal mining and manufacturing. However, most of these faced significant decline after the second world war.
The region's economy is now mainly based in the service sector, and it is also known for its retail, art and culture. A number of tech companies are located in the North East, as well as businesses based in the petrochemical and steel industries.
What's more, the region is home to a significant amount of scientific research, particularly at the Centre for Life. This facility in Newcastle includes exhibition space for tourists, as well as a number of working laboratories that are used by biotechnology companies and medical clinics.
For those seeking Freight Manager roles, just some of the companies that have headquarters or manufacturing facilities in the North East include Santander, Sage Group, Virgin Money, Tetley Tea, McCoy's Crisps, Greggs the Bakers, Nestle and Coca Cola.
In addition, there's BAE Systems, which manufactures military tanks, while Siemens produces steam turbines and Nissan operates the largest car factory in the UK.
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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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