Transportation Planner

Default Brand; Mesquite (TX); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Employee PTO

Employee discount on home furnishings

Professional development opportunities

Tuition assistance

Wellness centers

401(k) and Profit Sharing

Life insurance

Job summary

A transportation planner role at Ashley Furniture Industries centers on coordinating inbound and outbound freight, optimizing trailer utilization, and aligning capacity with demand across a defined region. You will work with internal teams to balance service levels, costs, and efficiency, leveraging TMS tools for real-time decisions.

The ideal candidate has experience in freight planning, strong analytical skills, and excellent communication.

Qualifications

• Transportation experience in freight planning or carrier coordination.
• Analytical thinking to interpret freight data and cost metrics.
• Strong verbal and written communication to collaborate with teams.

Responsibilities

• Plan freight movements within 24–72 hours and ensure on-time delivery.
• Manage trailer pools to reduce idle assets and improve turns.
• Analyze lane data to match demand with carrier capacity and route freight accordingly.
• Collaborate with Customer Service, Sales, and Area Managers on capacity plans.
• Support real-time freight decisions using TMS and related systems.
• Maintain accurate freight data and billing records in TMS.

Skills

Transportation experience

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Tech proficiency

Tools

TMS platforms

Load planning tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Build Your Career with Ashley Furniture- Where Innovation Meets Comfort

Who We Are:

At Ashley, inspiring the love of home is at the heart of everything we do. As the world’s largest manufacturer of home furnishings, we’re more than a business — we’re a family driven by innovation, competitiveness, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. We persevere through challenges, push beyond the status quo, and constantly seek better ways to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Our solutions-first mindset and dedication to growth are why Ashley remains #1 in our industry.

If you’re ready to grow, you’ve come to the right place. With a true “Growth Mindset,” Ashley Furniture invests in developing future leaders and helps every team member learn from the best in the business.

If you are a current Ashley employee

Please login to your UKG account and apply using the internal job board.

Summary:

Are you a transportation professional with a passion for freight planning and network optimization? As a Transportation Planner, you’ll be a key player in our logistics operations, responsible for managing freight flows, trailer assets, and carrier capacity across a defined region. Your decisions will directly impact service levels, cost control, and operational efficiency.

Responsibilities:

• Plan Freight Movements:
  Coordinate inbound and outbound freight within a 24–72 hour window, ensuring optimal trailer utilization and on-time delivery across our transportation network.
• Manage Trailer Pools:
  Monitor and adjust trailer pool allocations to reduce idle assets and improve turn times at customer locations.
• Optimize Capacity & Routing:
  Analyze lane-level data to match freight demand with available carrier capacity, making strategic decisions to accept, decline, or reroute freight based on cost, service, and network impact.
• Collaborate Across Teams:
  Partner with Customer Service, Sales, and Area Managers to align freight volumes with network commitments and develop proactive solutions for capacity constraints.
• Support Real-Time Freight Decisions:
  Respond to dynamic freight needs by securing additional capacity, adjusting schedules, and leveraging transportation management systems (TMS) to maintain service and profitability.
• Ensure Data Accuracy:
  Maintain precise records in TMS, validate billing details, and ensure all freight planning data is entered correctly for operational transparency.

Qualifications required:

• Transportation Experience: Background in freight planning, carrier coordination, or transportation operations. Experience with trailer pool management or TMS platforms is a plus.
• Analytical Thinking: Ability to interpret freight data, lane performance, and cost metrics to make fast, informed decisions.
• Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written skills to collaborate with internal teams and external partners.
• Problem-Solving: Resourceful and proactive in resolving freight challenges and capacity issues.
• Tech Proficiency: Familiarity with transportation management systems (TMS), load planning tools, and Microsoft Office Suite.

If MFG/DC:

• This position is located in an active industrial manufacturing and distribution center with moderate to high noise levels, temperature variations, and material handling equipment in operation. The role may require extended periods of standing or walking on concrete floors and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as safety glasses and steel-toed boots. The fast-paced environment involves time-sensitive and safety sensitive operations and may include various shift schedules to support production and distribution needs.

Schedule:

Monday- Friday Day Shift

Benefits We Offer:

• Health, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off; increases with years of service
• Generous Employee Discount on home furnishings
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Tuition AssistanceAshley Wellness Centers (location specific)
• 401(k) and Profit Sharing
• Life Insurance

Our Core Values:

• Honesty & Integrity:Acts with transparency, discretion, and ethical judgment. Trusted to handle sensitive information and provide accurate, unbiased insights.
• (Dirty Fingernail:Takes full accountability for outcomes, not just tasks. Inspects details, ensures data accuracy, and follows through to completion.
• Continuous Improvement:Actively seeks better ways to improve templates, tools, and processes. Learns from prior initiatives and embeds lessons into standard work.
• Growth & Results Focus:Understands how transformation initiatives drive growth, cost reduction, and profitability. Keeps work aligned to enterprise priorities.
• Culture of Leadership:Leads through influence, reliability, and example. Builds trust across functions and supports leaders at every level.
• Customer-Centric & Boundaryless:Works across silos for the greater good of the organization. Ensures outputs meet the needs of executives, initiative owners, and teams.
• Operational Excellence:Demonstrates strong organizational discipline, attention to detail, and the ability to translate ambiguity into clear, executable tools.

Interested in learning more about Ashley Furniture’s Community Engagement programs, Environmental Stewardship, or our Core Values, click the links below:

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and provide a drug-free working environment. While Ashley appreciates the interest of all candidates only those meeting specific position requirements may be contacted. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment. The company reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

Notice to Search Firms:

We are not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms. We will not pay any placement, referral or other fees to any search firms unless we have agreed otherwise in a valid, written agreement for the specific position posted and signed by an authorized representative of Ashley Furniture Industries.

* Please note this position is not eligible for current or future employment sponsorship. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or at any time in the future.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.