Transport Operator - Morning Shift
Location: Castle Vale, Birmingham
Salary: £30,000 - £33,500 (depending on experience)
Working Hours: Monday - Friday, 06:00 - 15:00 (one-hour unpaid lunch break)
Contract: Temporary - Permanent
We are seeking an experienced and driven Transport Operator to join our client's operations team in Castle Vale, Birmingham. This role is a key position within their morning shift operations, responsible for delivering efficient, compliant transport planning across the pallet network and dedicated distribution activities.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys the analytical and planning side of transport operations, with responsibility for route optimisation, cost control, and service performance. The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of Working Time Directive (WTD) compliance and previous experience working within pallet network or groupage environments such as Pallet Track, Pall-Ex, Palletline, or similar.
As a Transport Operator, you will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and monitoring daily transport operations to ensure optimal fleet performance, cost efficiency, and service excellence.
Your responsibilities will include:
. Executing daily delivery and collection routes, ensuring efficient vehicle utilisation, minimising empty running, and achieving service windows.
. Optimising route planning using cost-to-serve principles, balancing service performance with fuel efficiency, mileage reduction, and labour productivity.
. Monitoring live fleet operations, making real-time planning adjustments to mitigate delays, maximise productivity, and protect service levels.
. Ensuring full compliance with Drivers' Hours and Working Time Directive (WTD) regulations, proactively managing driver availability and legal working limits.
. Managing daily pallet network operations, including manifesting, trunk planning, hub departure compliance, and delivery route scheduling across systems such as Pallet Track, Pall-Ex, Palletline, or equivalent VIGO TMS platforms.
. Tracking consignments and delivery performance, ensuring accurate status updates and timely exception management within the network and internal systems.
. Analysing operational performance data, identifying planning improvements, cost-saving opportunities, and efficiency gains across fleet and subcontractor activity.
. Conducting structured driver briefings and debriefings, ensuring operational priorities, route planning, and compliance expectations are clearly communicated.
. Liaising with pallet network hubs, customers, subcontractors, and internal departments to resolve operational challenges and maintain KPI performance.
. Supporting continuous improvement initiatives by identifying trends, improving load build strategies, and enhancing route planning processes.
. Providing clear and structured shift handovers to maintain operational continuity between planning teams.About You
We are looking for a proactive, commercially aware transport professional who can combine operational planning with a strong focus on compliance and service.
You will ideally have:
. Previous experience within a transport planning or transport operator role.
. Strong knowledge of Drivers' Hours and Working Time Directive (WTD) regulations.
. Experience working within pallet network or groupage distribution operations such as Pallet Track, Pall-Ex, Palletline, or similar hub-and-spoke logistics environments.
. Strong planning and analytical skills, with the ability to optimise routes and improve cost-to-serve performance.
. Experience using transport management systems VIGO / Contrado (TMS), route planning tools, and Microsoft Office packages, particularly Excel.
. Excellent organisational and multitasking abilities within fast-paced operational environments.
. Strong communication skills, with confidence managing driver engagement and stakeholder relationships.
. A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with strong attention to detail and operational efficiency.
. Knowledge of pallet weight#INDASH25
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