Logistics Manager

POSITION SUMMARY

The Local Logistics Manager is responsible for the daily performance of the local transportation operation. This is a leadership role focused on delivering excellent customer service, maintaining a strong culture of safety, driving operational efficiency, and ensuring full regulatory compliance. The successful candidate leads by building systems, setting clear expectations, and holding a team of drivers and dispatch personnel accountable so the operation runs consistently and professionally. Rather than relying on stepping in to perform individual tasks, this role is defined by ownership of results — developing the processes and accountability that keep the operation running smoothly every day.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure external customers receive on-time deliveries and professional communication.
• Maintain clear, proactive communication with internal teams — including sales, production, dispatch, warehouse, and accounting — particularly when delays, changes, or service risks arise.
• Keep dispatch and field operations aligned, and identify and resolve service issues before they escalate.
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures to close process gaps that affect service quality.
• Address service failures with appropriate corrective action and escalate issues with recommended solutions.

Safety Leadership & Culture

• Lead consistent, documented safety meetings and reinforce safe driving behavior.
• Conduct coaching conversations and ride-alongs, correcting unsafe behavior promptly.
• Identify unsafe trends early and intervene before they become incidents.
• Maintain full DOT compliance and driver qualification records in an audit-ready state.
• Ensure all accidents and incidents are fully addressed — including accurate reporting, insurance processes, remedial training, disciplinary action, and root cause analysis.
• Collaborate with the local shop mechanic to ensure proper and timely fleet repairs, keeping vehicles in optimal condition and minimizing downtime.

Operational Efficiency & Driver Accountability

• Oversee, support, and coordinate the transportation department's daily activities, including scheduling, routing, and dispatching vehicles and drivers.
• Work with dispatch to structure and optimize routes, and improve yard inbound/outbound and delivery times to reduce cost and increase profitability.
• Monitor route performance trends and control overtime.
• Hold drivers accountable to estimated route times and investigate performance variances.
• Coach drivers in the field to improve execution and address operational barriers.
• Meet transportation performance metrics as assigned by the Director of Logistics, and assist in developing and maintaining staff performance metrics and reports — using data to identify areas for improvement.
• Support the Director of Logistics in identifying and implementing cost-saving measures across transportation operations.
• Maintain proficiency in all aspects of dispatch and provide dispatch coverage during vacations and personal days.

Administrative & Regulatory Oversight

• Maintain current vehicle insurance records and oversee accurate fleet registrations.
• Administer DOT driver compliance documentation and keep files audit-ready.
• Maintain and own fuel tax data entry to support timely IFTA filing by the third-party provider.
• Serve as an authorized company signatory when required.

Workforce & Team Development

• Develop and implement strategies to attract and retain top-performing drivers, ensuring a stable and efficient workforce.
• Perform additional responsibilities as necessary to support the operation.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Prior supervisory or leadership experience in logistics, transportation, or a related field (preferred).
• Experience managing driver teams and local delivery operations.
• Working knowledge of DOT regulations and compliance requirements.
• Dispatch or routing experience.
• Class A CDL preferred but not required.
• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite, with strong Excel skills — including the ability to extract, organize, and review data to support operational decisions.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to set expectations and hold a team accountable.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with both internal teams and external customers.
• Sound judgment and the ability to distinguish genuine operational barriers from avoidable ones.
• Organizational skills and attention to detail, particularly with compliance documentation.
• Comfort working with data — using Excel and reporting tools to analyze performance and inform decisions.
• A proactive, ownership-driven mindset focused on results and continuous improvement.
• A visible commitment to safety and professional standards.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

• On-time delivery performance and customer issue resolution.
• Safety compliance, documentation, and audit readiness.
• Overtime management and route efficiency.
• Driver accountability and consistent coaching follow-through.
• A local operation that runs reliably with minimal need for higher-level intervention.

Comprehensive benefits package including (but not limited to) health, dental, vision and 401k