Head of Haulage/Senior Transport Manager

Interaction Recruitment

Kettering

On-site

GBP 45,000 - 60,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Training and development opportunities

Annual awards

Wellbeing sessions

Company socials

Job summary

Interaction Recruitment are supporting a well-established, fourth-generation family-owned Group in appointing a Head of Haulage / Transport Manager in Kettering. This hands-on senior role oversees day-to-day transport operations, drivers, planning, and compliance to drive growth and efficiency.

The ideal candidate will hold a CPC Transport Manager qualification, possess strong HGV haulage experience, and have a proven track record in managing operator licences, driver hours, and fleet

Qualifications

CPC Transport Manager qualification is essential.
Experience in HGV haulage/transport operations.
Experience with Operator Licence management and UK transport law.
Strong knowledge of Drivers' Hours and tachograph rules.
Experience managing HGV drivers and transport operations.

Responsibilities

Take overall responsibility for day-to-day haulage operation.
Lead and manage HGV drivers and transport office staff.
Ensure compliance with Operator Licence and UK transport legislation.
Manage driver compliance, tachographs and Drivers' Hours.
Monitor performance, provide training and support.
Oversee transport planning, scheduling and fleet utilisation.
Identify backloads and improve fleet efficiency.
Monitor KPIs, costs and overall performance.
Oversee vehicle maintenance, inspections and fleet availability.
Maintain records on vehicles, drivers and activity.
Support FORS compliance and health & safety culture.
Investigate incidents and implement corrective actions.
Build relationships with customers and identify new opportunities.

Skills

CPC Transport Manager qualification

HGV haulage experience

Operator Licence experience

UK transport legislation

Drivers' Hours and tachograph

Managing HGV drivers

Fleet maintenance & compliance

Organizational skills

KPIs & costs management

Communication & customer relations

Excel & Outlook

Education

CPC Transport Manager qualification

Tools

Sage 200

Qargo

Samsara

Job description

Head of Haulage / Transport Manager

Location: Kettering
Salary: £45,000-£60,000 per annum, depending on experience
Hours: Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week - flexible between 7:00am and 6:00pm
Type: Permanent

The Opportunity

Interaction Recruitment are working with a well-established, fourth-generation family-owned Group with over 90 years of history and approximately 200 employees across a number of successful businesses.

As part of the continued growth of their specialist HGV transport division, they are looking to appoint an experienced Head of Haulage / Transport Manager to take responsibility for the day-to-day operation and help drive the continued development of the business.

This is a hands-on senior transport management role, ideally suited to someone with strong HGV haulage experience who understands the practical realities of managing drivers, vehicles, customers and transport compliance.

Reporting directly to the Group Managing Director, the successful candidate will play a key role in developing the haulage operation and supporting its future growth.

The Role

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

Taking overall responsibility for the day-to-day haulage operation.
Leading and managing HGV drivers and transport office staff.
Ensuring full compliance with the Operator Licence and all relevant UK transport legislation.
Managing driver compliance, including tachographs and Drivers' Hours.
Monitoring driver performance and providing appropriate support and training.
Overseeing transport planning, scheduling, routing and vehicle utilisation.
Identifying opportunities for backloads and improving fleet utilisation.
Monitoring KPIs, SLAs, costs and overall operational performance.
Overseeing vehicle maintenance, inspections, MOTs and fleet availability.
Maintaining accurate records relating to vehicles, drivers and transport activity.
Managing and supporting FORS compliance.
Promoting a strong health and safety culture across the transport operation.
Investigating accidents and incidents and ensuring appropriate corrective action is taken.
Building and maintaining strong relationships with existing customers.
Identifying opportunities to develop new customers and grow the external haulage operation.
Working closely with other Group businesses to support their transport requirements.
Managing budgets and contributing to fleet investment and strategic planning.
Continually reviewing processes and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and profitability.
Reporting regularly to the Group Managing Director on operational performance and development.

About You

The ideal candidate will be an experienced HGV Transport Manager / Haulage Manager with a strong understanding of both the operational and compliance requirements of running a transport business.

Essential:

CPC Transport Manager qualification.
Strong practical experience within HGV haulage/transport operations.
Previous responsibility for, or significant experience working with, an Operator Licence.
Good knowledge of UK transport legislation and regulatory requirements.
Strong understanding of Drivers' Hours and tachograph regulations.
Experience managing HGV drivers and transport operations.
Good knowledge of HGV fleet maintenance, inspections and compliance.
Strong organisational and problem-solving skills.
Experience managing operational performance, costs and KPIs.
Excellent communication and customer relationship skills.
Good IT skills, including Microsoft Excel and Outlook.

Highly desirable: