Senior Transportation & Fleet Optimization Manager

National Trench Safety; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

National Trench Safety in Houston, TX seeks a Transportation Manager to lead and optimize transportation operations across the branch network, overseeing a mixed fleet of company-owned trucks and third-party providers to move rental assets between branches and customer sites.

The role focuses on reducing total freight spend, implementing load consolidation, and deploying a Transportation Management System and ERP solutions to improve asset utilization, on-time delivery, and overall cost

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of transportation operations, fleet management, logistics networks, freight optimization, and distribution strategies.
• Knowledge of DOT regulations, FMCSA requirements, hours-of-service regulations, fleet safety programs, and transportation compliance requirements.
• Experience managing company-owned truck and trailer fleets, including utilization planning, preventive maintenance programs, asset lifecycle management, and fleet replacement strategies.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a companywide transportation strategy focused on reducing total freight spending, targeting both owned fleet and third-party logistics costs
• Establish and track KPIs including cost-per-mile, cost-per-load, on-time delivery rate, asset utilization, and third-party logistics spend variance
• Identify and implement load consolidation, backhaul, and zone-skipping opportunities across the branch network
• Lead regular freight spend reviews with operations and finance leadership, providing variance analysis and corrective action plans
• Benchmark carrier rates and service levels against market standards; renegotiate contracts as needed
• Own the operational deployment, user adoption, and performance optimization of the enterprise TMS platform. Define standard operating procedures for TMS usage across dispatch, carrier management, load tendering, and freight audit functions
• Lead the integration and optimization of the ERP-based dispatch solution to maximize utilization of internal fleet capacity before routing loads to third-party logistics carriers
• Work with IT to configure system functionality, synchronize data across platforms, and automate reporting and freight audit workflows
• Drive continuous improvement of TMS and ERP capabilities to support advanced load planning, carrier scorecarding, and predictive analytics
• Maintain oversight for all company owned rolling stock assets (trucks and trailers), ensuring condition standards, availability, and asset lifecycle management.
• Oversee management of company-owned truck and trailer fleet, including utilization, capacity, preventive maintenance programs, regulatory compliance, and utilization tracking
• Partner with fleet management, sourcing and 3 rd party management companies to manage lifecycle replacement planning, asset uptime, and fleet right-sizing across the branch network
• Analyze driver workforce planning to align staffing with market demand in partnership with HR and field operations
• Source, evaluate, and manage a portfolio of third-party logistics carriers, freight brokers, and specialized transport providers aligned with equipment rental requirements
• Establish carrier qualification and performance standards process and programs, including score carding, capacity planning and cost mitigation.
• Negotiate master transportation agreements, accessorial schedules, and spot market protocols to ensure competitive and consistent pricing
• Develop and maintain a negotiated long-haul carrier program with committed lane pricing and capacity guarantees, leveraging high volume throughways to optimize total capacity (internal and external).
• Use branch network and historical transportation trends to enable volume commitments that support more favorable third-party logistics contract terms
• Serve as the SME for transportation across all domestic branches, providing guidance on freight decisions, carrier selection, and load planning
• Collaborate with branch managers and fleet directors to understand equipment movement demand, seasonal patterns, and help minimize inter-branch transfer needs
• Support new branch openings, relocations, and acquisitions with transportation planning and carrier onboarding
• Partner with Operations, Sales, Finance, and Procurement to align transportation capabilities with business growth objectives
• Support the sales team with transportation cost modeling for large project quotes and long-term customer contracts
• Participate in S&OP processes to align fleet capacity and third-party logistics commitments with equipment deployment forecasts
• Other responsibilities as assigned

Skills

Transportation operations

Fleet management

Logistics networks

Freight optimization

Third-party logistics management

DOT regulations compliance

TMS and analytics

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Logistics, or related field

Tools

TMS

ERP

Dispatch software

Telematics

Analytics tools

Job description

National Trench Safety in Houston, TX seeks a Transportation Manager to lead and optimize transportation operations across the branch network, overseeing a mixed fleet of company-owned trucks and third-party providers to move rental assets between branches and customer sites.

The role focuses on reducing total freight spend, implementing load consolidation, and deploying a Transportation Management System and ERP solutions to improve asset utilization, on-time delivery, and overall cost