As Transport Manager at Caterfood you are accountable for the operations of the transport department in accordance with budgetary constraints, legal compliance whilst achieving the best possible level of service to internal and external customers. You should execution direction and coordination of all transportation matters within the department ensuring that budgets are managed, schedules & routes are organised. You will also need to make sure that vehicles are safe and meet legal requirements, and that drivers are aware of their duties in line relation to standards.
At Caterfood SW LTD we are an independently run business who can trace its history to the 1970’s located within the South West England, Devon. We pride ourselves on being a company which truly puts customer service at the top of our agenda. We are the preferred supplier for a diverse range of customers covering numerous sectors, and we provide a substantial range of products to meet all of our customer’s needs.
Location: Paignton
Work Schedule: 5 days out of 7
Role Essentials
- Manage transport costs in line with agreed budgets, including vehicle utilisation, route efficiency and labour planning.
- Maintain effective control of fleet maintenance and associated costs, ensuring compliance is achieved in a cost-efficient manner.
- Compliance with Operator’s Licence requirements, including tachograph, driver hours and Working Time Directive
- Vehicle compliance and transport audit outcomes (internal and external), maintaining audit-ready standards at all times
- BRC and food safety audit results, including transport-related compliance (vehicle hygiene, temperature control and product integrity)
- Health and safety performance, including accident rates, near miss reporting and investigation quality
- Driver safety performance, including reduction in driver fault incidents and adherence to safe systems of work
- Delivery performance, including on-time delivery, failed deliveries and POD accuracy
- Customer service standards, including customer feedback, service issues and credits
- Cost efficiency, including vehicle utilisation, route performance and cost per drop
- Timely completion and close-out of audit actions, compliance checks and improvement plans
- Employee engagement, absence and retention within the transport team.
Who we’re looking for
- National CPC qualification (essential) and ability to act as the named Transport Manager on the Operator’s Licence
- Experience managing transport operations within a multi-drop, food wholesale or distribution environment
- Strong knowledge of transport legislation and O-licence compliance (driver hours, tachographs, WTD)
- Experience overseeing vehicle compliance and fleet management, including maintenance and inspections
- Understanding of health & safety and food safety standards, ideally within a BRC or audit-driven environment
- Proven ability to lead and influence drivers and supervisors in a fast-paced operational setting
- Strong focus on customer service delivery through drivers, ensuring high standards at all customer touchpoints
- Ability to manage performance, prioritise workload and drive consistency across a 24/7 operation
- Good commercial awareness, with the ability to manage costs, improve efficiency and use KPIs effectively
- Clear and confident communication skills, with the ability to set expectations and drive accountability
Benefits
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free flu jabs
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
Pay: £50,000.00-£52,000.00 per year
Application question(s):
- Do you live within a 60 Minute Commute of Paignton, Devon?
- Where are you based?
- Do you have experience managing Transport Operations?
- Do you hold a valid Transport Manager CPC qualification?
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (preferred)
Work Location: In person
