Transport Assistant

DS Smith; West of England; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

DS Smith in the United Kingdom is seeking a Transport Assistant to provide day-to-day administrative and operational support within our transport function. This onsite role supports depot fleet, drivers, customers and stakeholders, ensuring records are accurate and deliveries meet standards.

You’ll help monitor performance, maintain compliance with WTD and health and safety, and look for ways to improve processes and reduce costs.

Qualifications

• Experience in an administrative, transport, logistics or operational environment.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Attention to detail with compliance and records.
• Good communication with drivers and stakeholders.
• Ability to work with data and use systems to produce information.
• Solid IT skills, including MS Office and business systems.
• Knowledge of health and safety and legal compliance.
• Proactive approach to identifying process improvements.

Responsibilities

• Maintain fleet and transport records to ensure compliance.
• Support day-to-day administration of transport operations.
• Debrief drivers and share relevant updates.
• Monitor transport performance and KPIs including health and safety.
• Ensure compliance with drivers’ hours and Working Time Directive.
• Liaise with drivers, customers and stakeholders to support service.
• Maintain electronic and paper-based records and filing.
• Use ICT systems to analyse data and identify trends for cost savings.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes and save time.
• Support wider transport team with reports and admin.

Skills

Administrative experience

Transport operations

Organisational skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Data analysis

IT proficiency

Health and safety awareness

Proactive problem solving

Tools

Microsoft Office

Transport software

Job description

Transport Assistant Full Time / Onsite £29,682.42

About the role

We’re looking for a Transport Assistant to join our team and provide day-to-day administrative and operational support within our transport function. This is a varied role where you’ll help ensure our depot fleet and transport activities are well organised, compliant and operating efficiently. You’ll work closely with drivers, transport colleagues, customers and other stakeholders, helping to maintain accurate records, monitor performance and ensure our transport operation continues to meet the required standards. You’ll play an important role in supporting health and safety, legal compliance and on-time delivery performance, while also identifying opportunities to improve processes, reduce costs and make the way we work more efficient.

What you’ll be doing

• Maintaining accurate fleet and transport records to ensure compliance with company and legal requirements.
• Supporting the day-to-day administration of the transport operation.
• Debriefing drivers and communicating relevant information, updates and briefs when required.
• Monitoring transport performance and supporting the achievement of KPIs, particularly around health and safety and on-time deliveries.
• Ensuring compliance with legislation relating to drivers’ hours and Working Time Directive (WTD) requirements.
• Liaising with drivers, customers and internal stakeholders to support an effective transport service.
• Maintaining accurate electronic and paper-based records and filing systems.
• Using relevant ICT systems to analyse transport data, identify trends and support management with cost‑saving and efficiency opportunities.
• Identifying opportunities to improve processes, reduce costs and save time.
• Supporting the wider transport team with reports, administration and other activities as required.
• Ensuring all work is carried out in line with DS Smith policies, procedures, standards and relevant legislation.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone who is organised, proactive and comfortable working in a busy operational environment. You’ll need to be confident communicating with a range of people and have good attention to detail, particularly when dealing with compliance and transport records.

You’ll ideally have:

• Experience in an administrative, transport, logistics or operational environment.
• Good organisational and time-management skills.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to maintain accurate records.
• Good communication skills, with the confidence to communicate with drivers and other stakeholders.
• The ability to work with data and use systems to produce information and identify trends.
• Good IT skills, including confidence using Microsoft Office and other business systems.
• An understanding of the importance of health and safety and legal compliance.
• A proactive approach, with the ability to identify issues and look for ways to improve processes.

Transport or fleet experience would be advantageous, but we’re also open to candidates with strong administrative and organisational skills who are looking to develop their career within transport and logistics.