Operations Manager - Heavy Haul

Buchanan Logistics, Inc.; Fort Wayne (IN); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k)

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Job summary

Buchanan Hauling & Rigging in Fort Wayne, IN seeks an Operations Manager for the Heavy Haul team. You will lead daily operations, oversee a small operations staff, coordinate oversized and overweight freight, and ensure safe, compliant load movements.

You will manage permitting, route planning, and pricing, while maintaining robust reporting and KPI tracking to drive performance. This role is on-site in Fort Wayne and requires strong leadership in a heavy-haul environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
• 3+ years in transportation operations, dispatch, driver planning, or fleet management.
• Experience in heavy haul, oversized/overweight transportation, or specialized freight operations preferred.
• Supervisory or management experience preferred.
• Experience with heavy haul permitting, engineering coordination, route planning, and specialized freight pricing preferred.
• Experience with McLeod TMS or a comparable transportation management system preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage the daily operations of the Heavy Haul Department to meet goals, safety requirements, and performance standards.
• Lead and develop a team of three operations personnel.
• Oversee planning, scheduling, coordination, and execution of oversized, overweight, and specialized freight movements.
• Maintain operational control of heavy haul shipments in the TMS with accurate data updates.
• Oversee driver assignments and daily operations to maximize equipment utilization and revenue.
• Coordinate with drivers and internal departments for equipment, routing, and scheduling.
• Manage the permitting process for heavy haul shipments and required state/federal permits.
• Coordinate engineering requirements for heavy haul permitting, including route evaluations and bridge studies.
• Work with permitting agencies and route survey personnel to identify restrictions and ensure safe load movements.
• Develop and review pricing for heavy haul shipments, including costs and routing.

Skills

Team leadership

Operations management

Transportation operations

Pricing & budgeting

TMS experience

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

McLeod TMS

Job description

Operations Manager - Heavy Haul - Fort Wayne, IN

At Buchanan Hauling & Rigging, we’re constantly looking for talented individuals at all levels who can deliver the caliber of service our company requires. You know that a positive work environment creates happy employees, which boosts productivity and dedication. On our team, you’ll have the support to excel at work and the resources to build a career you can be proud of.

Pay, Benefits, And More

We are eager to attract the best, so we offer competitive compensation and a generous benefits package, including full health insurance (medical, dental and vision), 401(k), life insurance, disability and more.

What You’ll Do On a Typical Day

• Manage the daily operations of the Heavy Haul Department to ensure operational goals, service expectations, safety requirements, and performance standards are consistently met or exceeded.
• Lead, develop, and support a team of three operations personnel by reinforcing customer service expectations, operational standards, accountability, and company best practices.
• Oversee the planning, scheduling, coordination, and execution of oversized, overweight, and specialized freight movements.
• Maintain operational control of heavy haul shipments within McLeod Transportation Management System (TMS), ensuring accurate load information, tracking, documentation, and system updates.
• Oversee driver assignments, communication, and daily operations to promote strong driver relationships, maximum equipment utilization, revenue production, and service execution.
• Coordinate with drivers and internal departments to ensure appropriate equipment, routing, scheduling, and resources are available for each shipment.
• Manage the permitting process for heavy haul shipments, ensuring all required state and federal permits are obtained and transportation requirements are met.
• Coordinate engineering requirements associated with heavy haul permitting, including route evaluations, bridge studies, weight restrictions, and other necessary approvals.
• Work with permitting agencies, engineering resources, and route survey personnel to identify transportation restrictions and ensure safe, compliant load movements.
• Develop and review pricing for heavy haul shipments, considering equipment requirements, permitting, engineering, escorts, routing, and other associated transportation costs.
• Generate, maintain, and distribute operational reports for leadership and various internal departments to support business decisions and performance tracking.
• Monitor departmental KPIs, including revenue, profitability, equipment utilization, on-time delivery, and operational efficiency, and drive improvements to ensure quarterly performance aligns with annual division goals.
• Maintain a proactive, day-to-day approach to identifying new freight opportunities and supporting business growth within the Heavy Haul Division.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience required.
• 3+ years of experience in transportation operations, dispatch, driver planning, or fleet management required.
• Experience in heavy haul, oversized/overweight transportation, or specialized freight operations strongly preferred.
• Previous supervisory or management experience preferred.
• Experience with heavy haul permitting, engineering coordination, route planning, and specialized freight pricing preferred.
• Experience with McLeod TMS or a comparable transportation management system preferred.

Be part of something big.