Senior Transport Planner – Freight Forwarding

About the role

The Senior Transport Planner will join a freight forwarding operation in Stanford‑le‑Hope, coordinating daily vehicle movements, driver assignments and delivery schedules. The role aims to maximise fleet utilisation, meet customer service commitments and ensure compliance with transport legislation while driving continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities

• Plan and optimise daily transport routes to achieve efficiency and meet delivery requirements.
• Allocate vehicles, drivers and resources according to operational demand.
• Monitor transport operations in real time, responding to delays, breakdowns or disruptions.
• Communicate schedule changes to drivers and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with drivers’ hours, Working Time Regulations and vehicle standards.
• Liaise with warehouse, customer service and operations teams to coordinate deliveries and collections.
• Track vehicle utilisation, identify productivity gains and cost‑saving opportunities.
• Maintain accurate transport records, delivery schedules and planning documentation.
• Support investigation of delivery issues, customer complaints and transport incidents.
• Produce reports and KPIs on fleet performance, service levels and operational efficiency.
• Work with external carriers and subcontractors as required.

Required profile

• Proven experience in transport or logistics planning within a freight forwarding environment.
• Strong knowledge of transport legislation, drivers’ hours regulations and vehicle compliance.
• Ability to monitor operations, react quickly to disruptions and communicate effectively with drivers and internal teams.
• Analytical mindset for reviewing utilisation data and identifying improvement opportunities.

Required skills