Associate Transportation Planner

Smithfield Foods • Suffolk, VA

5d

About The Position

A great job-and a great future-awaits you at Smithfield Foods. We are an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. We’re looking for motivated people who want to join our team and grow lasting and meaningful careers with us. Apply Now! THE VALUE YOU’LL BRING: The position summary states the general nature and purpose of the job. Overall accountabilities are defined in this section. Join Our Supply Chain Team and Drive Operational Excellence! The Supply Chain team is looking for a detail-oriented Associate Transportation Planner to help optimize our transportation and distribution network. In this role, you’ll analyze supply chain processes to reduce freight costs, improve material efficiency, and ensure on-time delivery of our products to customers and consumers. You’ll leverage your knowledge of U.S. geography, transportation costing, and Hours-of-Service regulations to support strategic planning and execution. If you’re motivated by problem-solving and passionate about keeping shelves stocked and supply chains moving, this is your opportunity to make an impact!

Requirements

• Associate degree, preferably transportation or logistics; or equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
• Understanding of transportation industry, rate structures, and current trends; experience in the transportation industry, rate structures, and current trends; experience in the food/meat industry preferred.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Office Suite; familiarity with SAP is a plus.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to build strong relationships and work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree, preferred.
• Respectful, approachable, and team-oriented with a focus on creating a positive work environment.

Responsibilities

• Review daily orders for accuracy and proper routing.
• Build efficient truckloads for geographic areas (single and multi-stop), balancing cost and service.
• Tender loads to awarded contract carriers for both customer and inter-company shipments.
• Identify and onboard new carriers to add value and improve transportation options.
• Maximize truck utilization by seeking additional orders to optimize weight.
• Collaborate with product schedulers to ensure accurate inter-company moves.
• Support cost-reduction and efficiency initiatives to maintain a competitive edge in refrigerated transportation.
• Schedule delivery appointments with customers to ensure timely and accurate deliveries.

Benefits

• Smithfield is proud to offer robust, flexible and affordable benefit plans and programs to support our team members and their loved ones, and with out-of-pocket costs, on average, 20 percent less than plans offered by other employers.
• Beyond our medical plans, our Be Well programs offer tools and resources to enhance your quality of life, at no additional cost. These programs are uniquely tailored to our Smithfield team and provide support for elective surgeries, weight loss, mental health, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, smoking cessation, asthma, maternity management and more.
• Our company invests in your future. We offer comprehensive training and professional development programs designed to help you reach your full potential. Our partnership with GUILD supports your continuing education with tuition assistance covering English language learning and various certificate programs, while our leadership development initiatives nurture high-potential talent.
• For those looking to build specialized skills, we offer apprenticeship programs that combine hands-on experience with focused learning.
• We also offer unique benefits like our Smithfield Scholarship Program for employees’ children.
• Smithfield’s Education Reimbursement Program provides financial reimbursement to team members who want to further their formal education by obtaining a GED/High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma or by pursuing an academic degree at an accredited college or university that is not a Guild learning partner.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree