Strategic Fleet Load Planner & Optimizer

GTS Transportation Inc; Burr Ridge (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

GTS Transportation Inc. is seeking a Load Planning Manager to optimize revenue and fleet utilization for our asset-based trucking operation in the Chicagoland area.

You will develop daily and 24–72-hour load plans and work with Dispatch, Sales, and Brokerage to maximize profitability. The role emphasizes proactive planning, forward-looking decisions, and continuous improvement to reduce empty miles and detour costs across the fleet.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of transportation experience preferred.
• Strong asset-based trucking experience required.
• Load planning, dispatch, or fleet operations experience.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Advanced Excel and TMS experience preferred.
• Ability to make quick, profitable decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication, leadership, and accountability skills.
• Ability to translate fleet data and market information into clear operational decisions.

Responsibilities

• Develop daily and 24–72-hour load plans for the entire fleet.
• Ensure every truck has a planned next move whenever possible before completing its current load.
• Establish and maintain fleet preplanning standards, including the percentage of tractors preplanned before delivery and average hours of forward planning visibility.
• Maximize revenue and contribution profit per tractor, per day, and per total mile.
• Reduce empty/deadhead miles and unnecessary repositioning while recognizing when strategic repositioning creates a more profitable overall move.
• Identify and build continuous moves, reloads, round trips, backhauls, and other network-density opportunities.
• Position trucks strategically based on customer demand, freight availability, lane strength, seasonality, historical performance, and current market conditions.
• Monitor spot-market and customer rate trends, inbound/outbound market balance, and lane performance to identify trucks at risk of sitting and develop immediate solutions before service or utilization is impacted.
• Analyze loads based on total profitability, including revenue, loaded miles, empty miles, fuel, driver cost, driver hours, appointment requirements, and next-load opportunities.
• Ensure load plans are operationally executable within driver HOS, appointment requirements, home-time commitments, equipment restrictions, and other known operational constraints.
• Balance the fleet network by identifying equipment surplus and deficit markets and developing repositioning strategies that improve future freight opportunities.
• Continuously re-plan when disruptions occur, including breakdowns, delays, rejected loads, detention, missed appointments, driver refusals, weather, customer cancellations, or other operational exceptions.
• Work closely with Dispatch to execute the daily plan and hold the operation accountable for results.
• Work with Sales to identify customers, lanes, and freight that improve network density and profitability.
• Work with Brokerage to determine when company assets should be utilized versus outside capacity.
• Identify underperforming customers, lanes, and freight and recommend corrective action.
• Analyze fleet performance and provide Senior Leadership with actionable recommendations and root-cause analysis.
• Conduct daily fleet planning reviews and establish consistent planning standards across the operation.

Skills

Load planning

Dispatch

Fleet operations

Analytical skills

Excel

TMS

Decision making

Communication

Tools

Excel

TMS

Job description

GTS Transportation Inc. is seeking a Load Planning Manager to optimize revenue and fleet utilization for our asset-based trucking operation in the Chicagoland area.

You will develop daily and 24–72-hour load plans and work with Dispatch, Sales, and Brokerage to maximize profitability. The role emphasizes proactive planning, forward-looking decisions, and continuous improvement to reduce empty miles and detour costs across the fleet.