| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Logistics and Warehousing |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Head of Logistics |
| Direct reports | Transport Supervisor, Fleet Supervisor, Trip Scheduler |
| Experience | 6 to 10 years in road transport operations |
Transport Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Transport Manager
Department: Logistics and Warehousing
Reports to: Head of Logistics
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Transport Manager owns the movement of goods by road. They schedule vehicles, plan routes, manage own and hired transporters, and keep transit times, cost and safety in line. Day to day they place vehicles against dispatch plans, chase vehicles in transit, control detention and turnaround at plants and warehouses, and settle transporter bills. A good Transport Manager keeps vehicles rolling to plan, cuts empty running and detention, and holds transporters to committed rates and delivery times without letting dispatches slip.
Key responsibilities
- Place own and hired vehicles against the daily dispatch plan so every load has a vehicle on time.
- Plan routes and trip sequences to cut kilometres, empty running and transit time.
- Manage transporters and vehicle vendors on rate, availability, service and conduct.
- Control detention and turnaround time at plants, warehouses and customer docks.
- Track vehicles in transit, act on delays, and keep dispatch and sales informed of arrival times.
- Verify and settle transporter bills against agreed rates, trips and detention rules.
- Ensure vehicle documents, driver licences and load safety before every dispatch.
- Handle transit incidents, breakdowns and accidents and arrange replacement vehicles quickly.
- Reduce transport cost per trip and per ton while holding delivery reliability.
- Supervise transport staff and schedulers and report vehicle placement and cost to leadership.
Requirements
- Graduate in any discipline
- Sound knowledge of road transport and the Motor Vehicles Act
- A diploma in logistics or transport management is an advantage
- 6 to 10 years in road transport operations
KRAs and KPIs for a Transport Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Vehicle placement | Vehicles placed against the dispatch plan on time above 98 percent |
| Transit time | Transit time within committed hours on the key lanes |
| Transport cost | Cost per trip and per ton within the monthly budget |
| Detention | Detention and turnaround time reduced against the prior quarter |
| Empty running | Empty kilometres reduced through better route and load planning |
| Compliance and safety | Zero dispatches with document or load-safety lapses |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Transport management system, GPS tracking, MS Excel, E-way bill portal, Vehicle vendor network.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Head of Logistics, General Manager Logistics, Regional Logistics Manager
Interview questions for a Transport Manager
- How do you place vehicles when dispatch volume is higher than the vehicles available?
- What levers reduce detention and turnaround time at a busy plant gate?
- How do you plan routes to cut empty running on return trips?
- A vehicle breaks down mid-transit with a time-bound delivery. What do you do?
- How do you verify a transporter bill and challenge wrong detention charges?
- How do you keep hired transporters to their committed rates and service?
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What does a Transport Manager do?
A Transport Manager runs road movement of goods. They schedule vehicles against dispatch plans, plan routes, manage own and hired transporters, and control transit time, detention and cost. They track vehicles in transit, settle transporter bills, ensure document and load safety, and handle breakdowns. The aim is reliable delivery at the lowest transport cost per trip.
What is the difference between a Transport Manager and a Fleet Manager?
A Transport Manager focuses on moving goods: scheduling vehicles, planning routes, managing transporters and hitting delivery times. A Fleet Manager focuses on the vehicles themselves: maintenance, fuel, compliance and availability. In companies with an owned fleet the two work closely, but the transport role is service-led while the fleet role is asset-led.
What qualifications does a Transport Manager need?
A graduate degree is the usual base, along with sound knowledge of road transport and the Motor Vehicles Act. Employers look for years of transport operations experience, skill in vehicle scheduling, route planning and transporter negotiation, and a record of controlling transit time and cost. A logistics or transport management diploma is an advantage.