Transport Planner

Ambitions Personnel; Newark on Trent; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Ambitions Personnel in the United Kingdom is seeking an experienced Transport Planner to support a busy, daily transport network across the UK and Ireland. You will join a 24/7 planning team responsible for over 100 loads daily and a fleet of more than 80 vehicles, building accurate daily plans that balance customer needs, priorities, and cost.

The role requires hands-on planning experience, knowledge of fleet allocation, and familiarity with transport management systems.

Qualifications

• GCSEs or equivalent, English and Maths required.
• Experience in transport or logistics planning is essential.
• Knowledge of transport legislation and driver hours is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Plan and schedule daily transport operations across multiple customers and routes.
• Optimise loads, routes and vehicle utilisation to reduce empty mileage.
• Allocate work across internal fleet and subcontractors balancing service and cost.
• Coordinate with warehouses to confirm loading times and resources.
• Communicate daily plans clearly to drivers and teams.
• Monitor activity and review plans to identify issues and improvements.
• Maintain data in transport management systems (Microlise, Paragon or similar).
• Ensure plans comply with driver hours, vehicle checks and Operator Licence requirements.
• Analyze performance to drive cost savings and service improvements.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across the operation.

Skills

Transport planning

Route optimisation

Communication

Organisation

Problem-solving

Education

GCSEs including English and Maths

Tools

Microlise

Paragon

Mandata

Job description

Join a busy, fast-paced transport operation where your planning makes a real difference.

We're recruiting for an experienced Transport Planner to join an established logistics operation, supporting the delivery of a high-volume, multi-customer transport network across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys the challenge of planning, problem-solving and keeping things moving. You'll play a key role in creating efficient, achievable daily transport plans, making sure vehicles and resources are used effectively while maintaining excellent service levels.

The opportunity

You'll be joining a busy planning team at the heart of a 24/7 operation, coordinating more than 100 loads a day across a fleet of over 80 vehicles.

Working closely with colleagues across transport operations, warehouses, drivers and external partners, you'll take ownership of building accurate daily plans that balance customer requirements, operational priorities and cost efficiency.

What you'll be doing

• Planning and scheduling daily transport operations across multiple customers, routes and vehicle types.

• Optimising loads, routes and vehicle utilisation to reduce empty mileage and improve efficiency.

• Allocating work across the internal fleet and subcontractors, balancing service requirements and costs.

• Coordinating with warehouse teams to agree loading times, priorities and resource availability.

• Communicating daily plans clearly to operational teams, ensuring they are realistic and achievable.

• Monitoring transport activity and reviewing completed plans to identify issues, service risks and opportunities for improvement.

• Maintaining accurate information across transport management systems such as Microlise, Paragon or similar.

• Ensuring plans take account of relevant transport legislation and compliance requirements, including driver hours, vehicle checks and Operator Licence obligations.

• Analysing performance information to identify opportunities to reduce costs, improve service and maximise fleet efficiency.

• Supporting wider continuous improvement initiatives across the operation.

What we're looking for

We're keen to speak to people with previous experience in transport planning, logistics planning or a similar scheduling role.

You'll ideally bring:

• Hands-on experience of planning, scheduling or coordinating daily transport activity.

• An understanding of route optimisation, vehicle utilisation and fleet allocation.

• Experience working in a busy transport or logistics environment, ideally supporting multiple customers.

• Familiarity with transport management systems such as Microlise, Paragon, Mandata or similar.

• An understanding of driver hours, Working Time Directive, vehicle checks and Operator Licence requirements.

• Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail.

• Confident communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with drivers, warehouse teams, operational colleagues and external partners.

• A proactive approach to problem-solving and the ability to adapt when plans change.

GCSEs or equivalent, including English and Maths, are required. Further education or relevant transport and logistics qualifications would be advantageous.

Why consider this opportunity?

• A key role within a large-scale, established transport operation.

• Exposure to a varied, multi-customer UK and Ireland network.

• The opportunity to influence operational efficiency and service performance.

• A collaborative planning team where your knowledge and contribution matter.

• A fast-moving environment offering plenty of variety and problem-solving.

If you're an experienced Transport Planner who enjoys taking ownership, making a difference to operational performance and keeping a busy transport network running smoothly, we'd love to hear from you.

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