Transport Planner in Newcastle under Lyme

Transport Planner Location: Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire Salary: £35,000–£37,000 per annum DOE Hours: 40 hours per week, working shifts within 06:00–18:00 Contract: Full-Time, Permanent Overtime: Additional hours/weekend overtime paid We are recruiting an experienced Transport Planner to join a well-established, family-run transport and logistics operation based in Newcastle-under-Lyme. This is a hands-on planning position within a busy general haulage operation, where you'll take responsibility for planning vehicles and drivers across the UK while ensuring fleet utilisation, customer service and transport compliance remain at a high standard. You'll need to be comfortable making decisions in a fast-moving environment where plans can change quickly due to traffic, driver availability, additional collections, breakdowns and changing customer requirements. The Role As Transport Planner, your responsibilities will include: * Planning and coordinating daily and weekly vehicle movements across the UK * Allocating drivers, vehicles and loads effectively * Maximising vehicle utilisation and reducing unnecessary empty running * Planning collections, deliveries and backloads * Monitoring live transport movements throughout the day * Replanning in response to delays, breakdowns, driver availability and changing customer requirements * Communicating directly with drivers regarding routes, collections and deliveries * Liaising with customers, warehouses, depots and subcontractors * Coordinating subcontractors where required to maintain service * Monitoring drivers' hours and vehicle availability What We're Looking For You will need proven transport planning experience within a busy HGV transport environment. We're particularly interested in candidates with experience within: General haulage National distribution Pallet networks Multi-drop operations Full and part-load transport Own-fleet HGV operations You should also have: * Experience planning and allocating HGV drivers and vehicles * Good knowledge of the UK road network * Understanding of Drivers' Hours and Working Time Directive * Strong geographical knowledge * Good IT skills * Experience using a Transport Management System * Excellent communication and organisation skills * The ability to think quickly and replan under pressure Hours & Benefits * £35,000–£37,000 per annum DOE * 40-hour working week * Shift patterns operating within 06:00–18:00 * Paid overtime available for additional/weekend hours * 20 days holiday plus Bank Holidays * Employer pension contribution * On-site parking * Training and development * Genuine long-term career progression * Permanent position within a stable, growing transport business This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Transport Planner who enjoys being involved in the day-to-day operation rather than simply monitoring a plan. Apply today with your CV for immediate consideration