Transport Planner

About Us: Chadkirk Transport was established in 2009 under the guidance of our dedicated Managing Director, Rhys Fildes. Over the past decade, Chadkirk Transport has experienced remarkable growth, evolving from a small courier enterprise to a prominent player in the UK haulage industry achieving FORS Silver accreditation. Today we proudly operate a fleet of over 20 various size vehicles on a national scale from our conveniently located HQ in Stockport, Greater Manchester. We firmly believe in investing in our staff through industry-recognised training programs.

Overview: The purpose of the Transport Planner's role is to organise and manage the movement of goods in the most efficient, cost effective and compliant way. They are responsible for planning delivery routes, allocating loads, vehicles and drivers, ensuring that schedules are met whilst minimising mileage, fuel consumption and wasted time and maximising revenue. They are responsible for the day to day operations of the fleet and drivers taking care of any problems or delays, ensuring all legal and safety regulations are followed and everything runs smoothly.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Plan and assign the most efficient and cost effective routes for vehicles, considering factors such as distance, fuel consumption, vehicle size, driver hours and delivery deadlines.
• Minimise operational costs by optimising vehicle usage and reducing unnecessary travel time, miles and driver hours.
• Utilise the fleet available to maximise revenue.
• Plan daily vehicle schedules reviewing vehicle availability, employee shifts, maintenance schedules and training requirements.
• Ensure that the vehicles are loaded in the most efficient way, minimising costs where applicable.
• Work closely with drivers to ensure they are fully informed of their routes, their hours, their deliveries and any changes or delays.
• Help complete homework on potentially hazardous routes.
• Ensure drivers are regularly contacted and any issues reported are communicated directly to the customer in a timely manner.
• Respond to inbound customer inquiries regarding RFQ's, vehicle/driver information, status updates and transport-related questions.
• Identify opportunities for securing backloads and increasing revenue.
• Coordinate Return Loads ensuring that backload opportunities align with vehicle schedules.
• Track data to evaluate the performance of the fleet.
• Provide reports on delivery efficiency and any issues that have arisen during traffic management to upper management.
• Manage incoming emails to the operations inbox, prioritising and dealing with any customer queries.
• Assist in completing Hiab/lifting plans.

Knowledge/Experience:

• Strong understanding of transport logistics, fleet operations, and UK road transport regulations.
• Good knowledge of geography and routing across the UK.
• Understanding of transport management systems (TMS) and tracking/telematics software.
• Basic knowledge of cost control, scheduling efficiency, and customer service principles.
• CPC in Road Haulage (Transport Manager qualification) – advantageous but not a necessity.
• IT literacy – proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Full UK driving licence – Required.
• Proven experience in a transport planning, logistics coordination, or traffic office role with a fleet of 15+ vehicles (2+ years).
• Experience with route planning, driver management, and vehicle scheduling.
• Background in haulage, pallet networks, or general distribution operations preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage workloads under pressure, solve problems quickly, and communicate clearly with drivers and customers.

Essential Requirements:

• Proven experience in a transport planning, logistics coordination, or traffic office role with a fleet of 15+ vehicles (2+ years).
• No criminal convictions.
• Flexibility for early starts and late finishes.

Desirable Requirements:

• Located near to Chadkirk HQ in Stockport, Greater Manchester.
• Good knowledge of the UK Highways.
• Familiar with laws relating to drivers hours, working time directive and tachograph regulations.
• ADR (Hazardous Goods) Trained.
• Forklift Licence.
• Valid HGV Class 2 or 1 licence.
• CPC (Transport Manager).

Benefits: At Chadkirk Transport, we are committed to creating a culture where employees work diligently, find satisfaction in their roles, and feel valued and equally rewarded and recognised for their commitment and dedication to the company.

Key Benefits:

• 28 Days holiday (including bank holidays).
• Additional day annual leave for your Birthday.
• Company branded uniform provided.
• Automatic pension enrolment.
• Employee investment via training budget allowance.
• Fast growing modern company.
• Bonus.
• Company organised Christmas and Summer social events.
• Free Parking.
• Company Mobile and Laptop.
• Opportunity to earn additional income on call.

How To Apply: If this role matches your skills and aspirations and you believe this role is for you, we would love to hear from you. Please email your CV over and include a short summary as to why you believe you should be considered.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £32,500.00-£37,500.00 per year

Benefits: Additional leave, Company pension, Free parking

Work Location: In person