Assistant Transport Manager

Culina; Appleton Thorn; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Pension scheme

Life Assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Eye Care Vouchers

Employee recognition

Retail discounts

Job summary

Culina is seeking a proactive Assistant Transport Manager to support day-to-day operations of our General Haulage and Formula 1 Transport division across the UK and Europe. You will assist the Transport Manager, coordinate drivers, manage agency resources, and ensure compliance with WTD, tachographs and GDPR.

Travel to events may be required. The role involves onboarding new starters, managing holidays and workforce availability, and driving continuous improvement in transport operations.

Qualifications

• Experience coordinating resources within a transport, logistics or events environment.
• Strong IT skills, including MS Excel, Word and Outlook.
• Knowledge of transport legislation, WTD and tachograph compliance.
• Experience with driver recruitment, onboarding and inductions.
• Ability to manage holidays, absences and workforce availability.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Support the Transport Manager with the daily operation of the transport function.
• Coordinate the deployment of drivers and resources to meet customer requirements.
• Work closely with planning teams and external suppliers to manage changing operational demands.
• Manage agency suppliers and driver resource requirements.
• Monitor fleet servicing schedules and MOT compliance.
• Track Formula 1 and specialist transport movements, ensuring customers receive timely updates.
• Support recruitment activities, including interviewing, onboarding and induction of new starters.
• Manage holidays, absences and workforce availability.
• Build strong relationships with customers, planning teams, event managers and drivers.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Transport planning

Stakeholder management

People management

Compliance awareness

Driver coordination

Problem solving

Education

CPC National Qualification

Tools

GTS

Microlise

MyFleet

MyWorkforce

MS Excel

Outlook

Job description

We are looking for a proactive and highly organised Assistant Transport Manager to support the day-to-day operation of our General Haulage and Formula 1 Transport division. This is an exciting opportunity to join a fast-paced, dynamic transport environment where no two days are the same. Reporting directly to the Transport Manager, you'll play a key role in ensuring operational excellence, maintaining compliance standards, supporting our driving workforce, and helping deliver exceptional service to customers across the UK and Europe. This position would suit someone who enjoys working at pace, has strong transport knowledge, excels at stakeholder management, and is passionate about continuous improvement. Operational Management & Resource Planning

• Support the Transport Manager with the daily operation of the transport function.
• Coordinate the deployment of drivers and resources to meet customer requirements.
• Work closely with planning teams and external suppliers to manage changing operational demands.
• Manage agency suppliers and driver resource requirements.
• Monitor fleet servicing schedules and MOT compliance.
• Track Formula 1 and specialist transport movements, ensuring customers receive timely updates.
• Support recruitment activities, including interviewing, onboarding and induction of new starters.
• Manage holidays, absences and workforce availability.
• Build strong relationships with customers, planning teams, event managers, team leaders and drivers.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Compliance & Transport Governance

• Ensure compliance with company policies, transport legislation and GDPR requirements.
• Monitor and audit Working Time Directive (WTD), EU Drivers' Hours and Tachograph compliance.
• Maintain accurate operational and compliance records.
• Support audits and prepare compliance documentation when required.
• Assist with operational planning for back-to-back events and customer requirements.
• Travel with the team when required, including occasional European travel.
• Act as deputy for the Transport Manager when needed.
• Support sustainability initiatives and help reduce operational road miles where possible.

People Management & Employee Relations

• Support employee relations matters, including investigations, disciplinary, grievance and appeal meetings.
• Conduct probation review meetings and support performance management activities.
• Ensure all drivers and operational staff are appropriately trained and equipped.
• Promote a positive, professional and engaged working environment.

Administration & Financial Support

• Process weekly payroll and employee expenses.
• Raise purchase orders and support supplier payment processes.
• Maintain operational trackers, workforce records and planning systems.
• Manage uniform ordering and stock control.
• Ensure all documentation is accurately maintained and stored electronically.
• Support general transport administration and reporting activities.
• Operate with a cost-conscious mindset and identify efficiencies where possible.
• Working knowledge of Working Time Directive (WTD) and EU Drivers' Hours regulations.
• Strong administrative and organisational skills.
• Experience coordinating resources within a transport, logistics or operational environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook.
• Ability to prioritise workloads and work effectively under pressure.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.

Desirable

• CPC National Qualification.
• Experience using systems such as GTS, Microlise, MyFleet and MyWorkforce.
• Previous experience within transport operations, general haulage or event logistics.
• Experience supporting employee relations processes. Culina Group is a leading UK 3rd party food & drinks logistics provider offering dedicated and shared user warehousing and distribution solutions.

At Culina we have a winning culture, we believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive… A place where you're valued, challenged, and inspired!

As part of our drive to make Culina Group a great place to work. We are proud to be an inclusive and diverse organisation where we are committed to employee development and recognising success for hard working performers. Our dedicated learning and development programmes are open to every employee to give you the opportunity to shape your own future within logistics and continue to work in an environment where team culture thrives. Our People are the driving force behind our success, which is why we offer a wide range of benefits which include:

• Annual Leave - Competitive holiday entitlement of 25 days + 8 Bank Holidays
• Pension scheme - we want colleagues to enjoy a comfortable retirements so we offer a great contribution of 4% employee and 4% employer
• Life Assurance - x2 your annual salary
• Wellness - Via our Employee Assistance Programme we offer immediate access to a confidential telephone counselling and legal information service that operates 24 hours a days, 365 days a year
• Eye Care Vouchers - We can provide you with substantial savings with free eye tests and discounts on prescription glasses
• Reward & Recognition - We recognise that employees have gone the extra mile via Employee of the month and year, special recognition and long service awards.
• Everyday discounts - via our benefit platform you will have access to over 50 retailer discounts for everyday savings!