Freight Handler Lead

Roadrunner•Charlotte, NC

86d•Onsite

About The Position

This role is mission-critical to maintaining on-time, damage-free throughput across our Charlotte terminal. The Freight Handler Lead ensures freight moves predictably and safely from dock to staging, directly impacting transit times, customer satisfaction, and cost-to-serve. The business challenge is operational scale: higher density long-haul lanes, tighter schedules, and fewer touches demand disciplined execution, consistent handling standards, and real-time problem resolution. Success means measurable reductions in damage and rehandling, faster dock cycle times, and a reliable, accountable crew that executes to our Smart Network™ standards. You will translate strategic service commitments into repeatable dock-level systems, lead a small team to deliver flawless handling, and be the on-site owner of safety, quality, and throughput.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED
1–3 months related experience or equivalent combination of education and hands-on experience
Prior supervisory or lead experience preferred
Proven ability to read work orders, interpret safety and operating instructions, and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced dock environment
Forklift driver qualification
Hazardous Material Training
Basic arithmetic competency (add, subtract, multiply, divide with whole numbers, fractions, decimals)
Demonstrated judgment in solving problems with limited structure
Ability to influence peers and coordinate cross-functionally

Nice To Haves

Experience in LTL or long-haul freight operations
Familiarity with custodial control practices and shipment visibility systems

Responsibilities

Supervise daily dock activities to ensure loads are moved, staged, and secured for transit with minimal rehandling.
Own shift priorities, assign tasks, and verify completion against work orders and oral instructions.
Escalate and resolve exceptions that threaten on-time departure or shipment integrity.
Enforce handling standards and observe, correct, and report unsafe practices; own incident prevention.
Ensure loads are stacked, banded, and secured to ride without damage; validate pallet and trailer integrity.
Maintain hazardous materials compliance and verify forklift and hoist operations meet safety protocols.
Standardize dock workflows, checklists, and handoffs to reduce touches and cycle time.
Drive continuous improvement by documenting root causes for damage and implementing corrective actions.
Coordinate with operations and maintenance to keep equipment and work areas operational and clean.
Coach freight handlers on safe, efficient techniques and cross-functional expectations.
Monitor performance, provide feedback, and support training for forklift qualification and hazardous materials handling.
Build a resilient shift team that can execute under limited structure and changing priorities.
Track and report key metrics (damage rates, cycle time, load accuracy) and use data to prioritize actions.
Partner with Operations Supervisor, dispatch, and OTR teams to align dock throughput with network schedules.
Own shift-level accountability for customer-facing outcomes and operational cost drivers.