Assistant Transport Manager

Henderson Brown Recruitment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Henderson Brown Recruitment's client in West London is seeking an experienced Assistant Transport Manager to support day-to-day operations of a busy transport function. You will supervise drivers and transport staff to ensure on-time deliveries, safety and compliance.

You will manage driver deployment, route planning and fleet utilisation, handle operational challenges, monitor KPI performance and drive improvements across cost, efficiency and customer service. CPC desirable.

Qualifications

• Experience supervising van and HGV drivers in a fast-paced multi-drop operation.
• Strong knowledge of UK transport compliance and drivers' hours.
• Proven people-management and coaching skills.
• Ability to plan routes, deploy fleet and control transport costs.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day transport operations on the assigned shift.
• Supervise drivers and transport support staff to ensure on-time deliveries and safety.
• Monitor driver performance, vehicle checks and health & safety compliance.
• Coordinate with Warehouse, Customer Service, Sales and HR to drive improvements.
• Support continuous improvement across route efficiency, fleet utilisation and costs.

Skills

Transport supervision

People management

Route planning

UK transport compliance

Health & Safety

Driver supervision

Fleet management

Tools

Transport management systems

Job description

An established and highly successful Foodservice business is seeking an experienced Assistant Transport Manager to support the day-to-day operation of its busy transport function from its West London site.

Working closely with the Transport Manager, you will provide hands-on operational leadership across the assigned shift, supervising drivers and transport support staff to ensure customer deliveries are completed safely, efficiently and within agreed SLAs.

You will play a key role in managing driver and vehicle deployment, route allocation, departures, deliveries and returns, while responding quickly to operational challenges including delays, failed deliveries, breakdowns and changes in workload. You will also monitor driver performance, vehicle compliance, attendance and service levels, ensuring high standards of Health & Safety, Food Safety and customer service are maintained.

Working closely with Warehouse, Customer Service, Sales, HR and Transport Management, you will support continuous improvement across route efficiency, vehicle utilisation, productivity and transport costs. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Transport Supervisor or Team Leader looking to take the next step in their career within a successful Foodservice/FMCG business.

Ideal Candidate

• Proven experience in a Transport, Logistics or Distribution supervisory role, ideally within Foodservice or FMCG.
• Experience supervising Van and HGV drivers within a fast-paced, multi-drop operation.
• Strong understanding of UK transport compliance, drivers' hours, vehicle checks and Health & Safety requirements.
• Experience with route planning, delivery windows, vehicle deployment and fleet compliance.
• Proof of people management skills, with the ability to coach, support and performance manage drivers.
• Strong operational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to remain calm and make effective decisions under pressure.
• Commercially aware, with a strong focus on customer service, productivity and transport cost control.
• Good IT and operational systems skills, with experience maintaining accurate transport records and shift handovers.
• CPC / Transport Manager CPC desirable.
• A hands-on, proactive and organised approach, with excellent communication skills and a strong focus on achieving shift KPIs.