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 Sunderland
A local district in the county of Tyne and Wear, Sunderland is situated at the mouth of the River Wear and for hundreds of years, the region served as a port, mainly trading products like coal and salt.
Throughout the Industrial Revolution, Sunderland's economy was based on industries like brewing, glassmaking, pottery and rope making.
From the 14th century onwards, Sunderland was also an important place for shipbuilding. In 1814, there were 24 shipyards in the region and by 1840 this number had risen to 65. By the middle of the 20th century, a significant portion of the country's merchant and naval ships were produced here.
The last of the shipyards, however, closed in 1988 and much of the other heavy industry has also disappeared from the region. Today, the economy of Sunderland is now mainly based in the service sector, although a number of factories and production facilities still exist.
Those seeking Freight Manager roles in Sunderland will have a range of options to consider and a number of companies operate regional offices, warehouses and other facilities in the region - including Littlewoods and LG Electronics.
Berghaus, an outdoor clothing manufacturer has its head office in Sunderland and so does Arriva, the public transport company. The 2 Sisters Food Group, which supplies poultry, fish, chilled and frozen items and bakery goods to supermarkets, also has a site here.
Meanwhile the Nissan car plant in Sunderland is the largest factory of its kind in the UK and produces vehicles like the Micra, Note and Qashqai.
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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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