Transport Planner jobs
Logistics and transport are important aspects of any business. After all, ensuring goods are shipped out on time, accurately, within budget and to the quality standards that customers expect is essential for the company’s success, whether you’re carrying out a single home delivery or despatching large amounts of stock to suppliers and retail outlets.
With so much at stake, it’s no wonder Transport Planners play such a vital role in the logistics and supply chain of an organisation.
The person in this role is responsible for planning vehicle schedules and deliveries. You generally work within a team and occasionally on a shift rota basis.
Depending on the employer and nature of the business, transport planners will be tasked with organising the fleet - from ensuring vehicles are running, through to maintaining good fuel supplies - as well as scheduling drivers and communicating with delivery teams to ensure they stay on schedule.
You may also be responsible for dealing with returns and discrepancies in a timely manner in order to keep customer satisfaction to a high level.
The skills required
As a Transport Planner, you should possess excellent communication skills. You will be in nearly constant communication with drivers, the traffic office and possibly customers and you should be able to explain your expectations and requirements clearly in order to prevent misunderstandings or delays in service.
Organisation skills and an ability to keep meticulous records is a must. You should also be familiar with the relevant laws and legislation and a good working knowledge of the various technologies used within the industry can be beneficial.
The Transport Planner will need to be confident in communicating to a team of drivers, taking care of staffing and training issues, wherever necessary, and providing motivation and leadership.
Transport Planner Jobs in Widnes
At the north-eastern edge of Cheshire lies Widnes, a town of around 60,000 population built on heavy industry, particularly chemicals, where ICI had a huge presence for decades before fragmenting in the 1990s. The chemical industry chose Widnes partly for the plentiful supply of water, just like Runcorn, to which it is joined by a railway and road bridge over the Mersey.
The centre of Liverpool is 11 miles (17 km) to the west, with Liverpool John Lennon Airport just 4 miles (7km) form the centre of Widnes. Although not actually in Widnes, the Jaguar Land rover car production plant is just outside the town in Halewood, and it has been a large employer of people from Widnes. For decades the plant was owned by Ford, and the locals still cal the main boulevard that passes it “The Ford Road”. Under the new management, the factory is doing extremely well, helped by a local enthusiastic workforce.
Widnes has two musical claims to fame, one certain, one apocryphal. First was the Stone Roses’ Spike Island gig, the pinnacle of the Madchester scene in 1990. The second claim is that Paul Simon wrote “Homeward Bound” at Widnes Station, although Simon isn’t 100% sure himself!
Widnes has retained many of its industrial plants, although they are no longer owned by the giant ICI, and have been taken over by a multitude of companies. The well-connected town is handy for Liverpool, Warrington, St Helens and Runcorn, and has the M62 at its northern point. All this makes it a good place to locate any logistics operations, and indeed, Transport Planner jobs or similar positions have been through our system in Widnes.
Popular locations
Discover Transport Planner positions with Cast UK
If you’re looking for a Transport Planner job, Cast UK can provide the advice and assistance you need.
We work with clients and candidates in locations across the country to match the best talent to every role. To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Transport Planner for your business or find you a job as a Transport Planner then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
Contact us