Transportation Operations Manager – Houston

The Grane Companies; Baytown (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Commission

Performance-based incentives

Competitive base salary

Job summary

The Grane Companies is seeking an experienced Transportation Operations Manager to lead starting Houston operations, overseeing day-to-day drayage and intermodal transportation, and ensuring safe, efficient, and profitable freight movement.

You will lead operational teams, collaborate with drivers, terminals, customers, and vendors, drive revenue growth through customer retention and new business, and participate in sales initiatives with commission potential.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of leadership experience in drayage operations.
• Strong understanding of port, rail, and intermodal transportation environments.
• Proven ability to manage teams in a fast-paced logistics setting.
• Experience supporting sales efforts, customer retention, or business development initiatives.
• Strong communication, customer service, and negotiation skills.
• Proficiency with transportation management systems (TMS), dispatch, and fleet tracking tools.
• Solid knowledge of transportation regulations and safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day drayage and intermodal transportation operations.
• Manage dispatching, scheduling, and load planning to maximize equipment utilization and on-time performance.
• Monitor fleet performance, driver productivity, and operational KPIs.
• Recruit, train, mentor, and manage operations staff and drivers.
• Develop and implement training programs to improve safety, performance, and service quality.
• Ensure compliance with DOT, FMCSA, port, rail, and company safety regulations.
• Implement and enforce safety policies, procedures, and corrective actions.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and implement cost-control and process-improvement initiatives.
• Serve as point of contact for customers, addressing escalations and service issues.
• Maintain strong relationships with key accounts to ensure long-term customer satisfaction and retention.
• Coordinate with ports, rail yards, terminals, and vendors to ensure seamless freight movement.
• Support business development initiatives by identifying growth opportunities and new customer prospects.
• Collaborate with ownership and sales teams to pursue new drayage, intermodal, and contract transportation business.
• Participate in customer meetings, onboarding, and service reviews to support sales efforts.
• Assist with pricing strategies, lane development, and service capabilities aligned with operational capacity.
• Help execute strategic growth plans that increase revenue while maintaining operational efficiency.
• Contribute directly to company revenue growth, with commission and bonus eligibility based on new business, account growth, and overall sales performance.
• Analyze operational and financial data to support strategic decision-making.
• Contribute to short and long-term planning to meet company growth, profitability, and service objectives.
• Prepare performance reports related to operations, customer metrics, and business development efforts.

Skills

Leadership experience

Drayage operations

Team management

Negotiation skills

TMS proficiency

Tools

TMS

Fleet tracking tools

Job description

Transportation Operations Manager – Houston

Employment Type: Full-Time, On-Site

Position Overview

This role is in a very early stage of setting up an operation that will require a motivated individual to do a lot of heavy lifting to support the operation through the strain of growth into a developed operation.

The Operations Manager oversees daily drayage and intermodal transportation operations while actively engaging in sales growth and developing an operation to support an operation to keep pace with scaling demand with the expected growth. This role ensures safe, efficient, and profitable freight movement, strong customer relationships, and continuous operational improvement. The Operations Manager will lead operational teams, collaborate with drivers, terminals, customers, and vendors, and contribute to revenue growth through customer retention and new business initiatives. In addition to a competitive base salary, the role offers commission and performance-based incentives.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Leadership

• Oversee day-to-day drayage and intermodal transportation operations
• Manage dispatching, scheduling, and load planning to maximize equipment utilization and on-time performance
• Monitor fleet performance, driver productivity, and operational KPIs
• Recruit, train, mentor, and manage operations staff and drivers
• Develop and implement training programs to improve safety, performance, and service quality
• Ensure compliance with DOT, FMCSA, port, rail, and company safety regulations
• Implement and enforce safety policies, procedures, and corrective actions
• Identify operational inefficiencies and implement cost-control and process-improvement initiatives

Customer Service & Account Management

• Serve as point of contact for customers, addressing escalations and service issues
• Maintain strong relationships with key accounts to ensure long-term customer satisfaction and retention
• Coordinate with ports, rail yards, terminals, and vendors to ensure seamless freight movement

Business Development & Sales

• Support business development initiatives by identifying growth opportunities and new customer prospects
• Collaborate with ownership and sales teams to pursue new drayage, intermodal, and contract transportation business
• Participate in customer meetings, onboarding, and service reviews to support sales efforts
• Assist with pricing strategies, lane development, and service capabilities aligned with operational capacity
• Help execute strategic growth plans that increase revenue while maintaining operational efficiency
• Contribute directly to company revenue growth, with commission and bonus eligibility based on new business, account growth, and overall sales performance
• Analyze operational and financial data to support strategic decision-making
• Contribute to short and long-term planning to meet company growth, profitability, and service objectives
• Prepare performance reports related to operations, customer metrics, and business development efforts

Qualifications & Experience

• 3-5 years of leadership experience in drayage operations
• Strong understanding of port, rail, and intermodal transportation environments
• Proven ability to manage teams in a fast-paced logistics setting
• Experience supporting sales efforts, customer retention, or business development initiatives
• Strong communication, customer service, and negotiation skills
• Proficiency with transportation management systems (TMS), dispatch, and fleet tracking tools
• Solid knowledge of transportation regulations and safety standa