Head of Transport jobs
Logistics is all about moving things from A to B, so having people in constant touch with the transport that does the moving is essential. Enter the head of transport, the logistics company’s hand on the tiller of the whole fleet.
The head of transport’s job is many-pronged: keeping the transport arm running in keeping with the company’s aims and policies; managing the personnel who drive, maintain and administrate the vehicles; keeping on the right side of the law in this heavily legislated sector; achieving or and maintaining customer satisfaction; and maintaining and seeking out efficiencies wherever possible whilst sticking to the aforementioned requirements.
In summary, if the fleet is running safely and profitably and customer complaints are minimised or eliminated, the head of transport is doing a good job. The degree of scope that there is for using the budget in the way that she or sees deems best will depend on the employer, but as with any management job there will usually be some freedom to control the budget from the best possible viewpoint.
The skills required
A strong eye for maintaining cost efficiencies will be a key skill, so someone with experience of running a busy department or section will be at an advantage for this role. Experience of dealing with the legal side of transportation, from road safety law to import and export law will be important.
An ability to think on one’s feet will be required, as such a 24/7 job as managing a transport fleet can throw up problems at any time of day, and not always through the fault of the transport head. If the head of transport can show that they are able to remedy problems to the satisfaction of clients, they will quickly become a valued member of the management team.
Heads of transport must be team players who can work well under pressure and who know when to delegate work to trusted individuals.
Head of Transport Jobs in Woking
Woking is a town in London’s commuter belt, about 21 miles (34 km) from the centre of the capital. It is a prosperous town with a population of about 60,000 in the town itself, but its borough as a whole is home to around 100,000. The Kenwood electronics company was founded in the town by, you guessed it, Ken Wood.
The town has international fame thanks to motor sport. It has been home to McLaren racing since the 1980s after moving from Colnbrook near Heathrow Airport. The racing division of McLaren has a fantastic facility for building its Formula One racing cars in the town, and they have recently opened a state-of-the-art factory for building their road cars, one of which wouldn’t leave you much change out of £200,000. Both factories are notable by their cleanliness, which makes the average operating theatre or satellite laboratory look a little grubby.
Woking is well served by road, rail and air, and its hi-tech industries mean that expertise in many fields is often sought. For our part, Head of Transport vacancies have been filled of late, and development seems to be continuing apace.
There are a couple of notable references to Woking in popular culture. In HG Wells’s The War of the Worlds, it is Horsell Common, just north of the town, where the aliens first land, and the town has a 7m high tripod statue in honour of this distinction. Wells wrote the story whilst staying in Woking. It was also the birthplace of The Jam’s Paul Weller, and was the inspiration for their hit single A Town Called Malice. Comedians Sean Lock and Harry Hill and TV cook Delia Smith were also born here.
Popular locations
Cast UK’s logistics opportunities
Cast UK have jobs in every county and every city of the UK, so we are well placed to find you work in logistics, procurement or supply chain wherever you are located or wherever you plan to locate. If you’re moving house, please see if there are any positions available in the area you’re moving to; and if you’re simply looking for more fulfilment in your working life, there’s more than likely an employer who’s looking for the skills you have.
We were founded by logistics, supply chain and procurement specialists, and our consultants are all from these backgrounds too, so we have in-depth knowledge of what employers and candidates are looking for. Employers come to us to find candidates because they’re confident that we’ll help them find the most appropriate managers and executives.
Once we have your details, we’ll be able to start matching you with positions as soon as they arise, so do get in touch if you’re looking for a job in logistics.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Head of Transport for your business or find you a job as a Head of Transport then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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