Manager Trainee, May 2027

jbhunt; Joliet (IL); On-site; USD 51,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefit

Dental benefit

Vision benefit

401(k) retirement plan

Disability coverage

Paid time off

Maternity leave

Parental leave

Paid holidays

Job summary

J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. in Joliet, IL is seeking a Manager Trainee (May 2027) to learn driver management, scheduling, and compliant freight operations.

You will develop skills in load planning, routing, carrier relationships, and customer service while supporting DOT compliance and variance resolution. The program involves hands-on training across shifts, including nights and weekends, with emphasis on driving performance, payroll, and performance reporting.

Qualifications

• Minimum qualification: High School Diploma/GED with up to 4 years of education/experience and/or pursuing a degree with up to 2 years, or a Bachelor’s degree with multi-shift capability.
• Preferred qualification: Bachelor’s plus 1 year of internship or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Learn to build positive relationships with drivers and carriers for smooth new carrier setup and productivity.
• Fill in for absences and support projects to optimize fleet operations and profitability.
• Learn to use personnel management including training drivers and systems orientation.
• Analyze and report on fleet efficiency, KPIs, and customer-specific reporting and financials.
• Gain knowledge of inventory, assets, and driver assignment to balance equipment.
• Perform payroll, Net-Revenue budgeting, driver counseling, and pay issue resolution.
• Manage yard operations, scheduling maintenance, and ensuring safety-related repairs.
• Coordinate with drivers, customers, and staff to resolve service, routing, and pay-related issues.
• Promote safety culture with daily messages, safety briefings, training, and DOT compliance.
• Assign loads, plan routes, monitor freight movement to meet on-time delivery.

Skills

Conflict management

Situational analysis

Adaptability

Relationship building

Customer service

Communication

Problem resolution

Education

Bachelor’s degree

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Job Title:

Manager Trainee, May 2027

Department:

Supply Chain

Country:

United States of America

State/Province:

Illinois

City:

Joliet

Full/Part Time:

Full time

Job Summary:

Under general supervision, this position is responsible for learning the management of small driver count and/or non-traditional shifts (including nights and weekends), ensuring safe and timely service movement of freight, load assignment, and providing best-in-class customer service. This position will be trained to ensure compliance with DOT regulations. They are responsible for all drivers' compliance and company regulations while working with internal and external contacts to ensure the accurate planning, routing, monitoring, and delivery of freight and loads

Job Description:

Key Responsibilities:

• Learn to build and maintain positive professional relationships with drivers and safe, reliable outside carriers to ensure seamless new carrier set-up, minimize turnover and maximize ongoing productivity
• Fill in for absent or unavailable personnel and on special projects related to optimizing fleet operations and achieving profitability
• Learn to utilize personnel management including training and orientation of drivers and/or employees including the training and assistance with internal and third party (customer) systems
• Become proficient in maximizing efficiency of fleet operations and profitability and making recommendations for continuous improvement, measuring key performance indicators, and creating, maintaining and presenting customer specific reporting and financial analysis through face-to-face interactions at customer location
• Gain knowledge on how to manage inventory, assets, customer pools and/or assignment of drivers to balance equipment in market
• Learn to perform administrative duties such as payroll, management of the Net-Revenue budget, driver counseling, accident reviews, filing and documenting, resolving pay issues, analyzing P&L statements, invoicing and/or creating operational or financial reports
• Learn to manage yard including checking/inspecting equipment, replacing parts (like mud flaps), completing repairs, etc., and coordinating with maintenance to ensure all regular preventative maintenance services are scheduled on time and all safety related mechanical issues are fixed for account equipment (as required)
• Learn to work with drivers, customers, and company personnel to resolve service issues, routing and/or planning, mechanical problems, accessorial pay related issues, etc., as they occur throughout the day and, where necessary, when on call
• Learn to maintain the Company's safety culture to include daily driver safety messages, monthly driver safety briefings, quarterly driver training, annual reviews, and enforce company policies to ensure DOT compliance and company safety requirements are being met
• Learn to assign loads and plan, route, and monitor freight movement to provide safe, on-time service and meet customer requirements, including managing freight exceptions and driver ETA adjustments based on pick-up and delivery schedules, and other environmental factors on the road

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualification: High School Diploma/GED with up to 4 years of equivalent education, experience, and training AND/currently enrolled and working towards degree program(s) with up to 2 years or equivalent education, experience, and training AND/OR Bachelor’s degree with ability to work across multiple shifts including nights and/or weekends if needed. Must be willing to travel to account, customer, & company event locations when applicable.

Preferred Qualification: Bachelor’s plus 1 year of or equivalent education, experience and training, prior internship training.

Skills & Abilities

• Anticipate, recognize, and deal effectively with existing or potential conflicts at the individual, group, or situation level
• Ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment
• Ability to adapt to changing environments
• Establish and maintain healthy working relationships with clients, vendors, and peers
• Ability to meet or exceed team/driver needs and expectations and provide excellent service in a direct or indirect manner
• Effective communication skills
• Ability to recognize, anticipate, and resolve organizational, operational, or process problems.

The expected starting pay range for this position is between $50,700 to $63,400.

This position is not eligible for employment-based sponsorship.

Compensation:

Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include skills, education, experience, geography, and other qualifications of the successful candidate. This position may be eligible for annual bonus and incentives based on profitability or volumes in accordance with the terms of the Company’s bonus and incentive plans, as applicable and in effect from time to time.

Benefits:

The Company offers the following benefits for full-time positions, subject to applicable eligibility requirements, as may be in effect from time to time: medical benefit, dental benefit, vision benefit, 401(k) retirement plan, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, paid time off commensurate with tenure (includes vacation and sick time), six weeks of paid maternity leave along with two weeks of paid parental leave, and six paid holidays annually.

Education:

Bachelors: Business Administration/Management, Bachelors: Supply Chain Management, Bachelors: Transportation Logistics, GED (Required), High School (Required)

Work Experience:

Management-Entry Level, Transportation/Logistics

“This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.”

J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. is committed to basing employment decisions on the principles of equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, persons with disabilities, protected veterans or other bases by applicable law.