Load Planning Manager

GTS TRANSPORTATION•Burr Ridge, IL

About The Position

The Load Planning Manager maximizes the revenue, profitability, and utilization of the company’s asset-based fleet by strategically planning loads, equipment, and driver capacity. The role focuses on positioning trucks for profitable freight while reducing empty miles, downtime, and avoidable operational risk. It is not a traditional dispatch position; the manager is expected to plan 24–72 hours ahead and determine the most profitable executable next move for each truck. The Load Planning Manager owns fleet planning strategy, while Dispatch owns driver communication and execution. Material deviations from the approved load plan should be communicated, documented, and justified. The manager evaluates the financial and network impact of significant deviations and adjusts the forward plan accordingly. Success is measured by improved revenue and contribution profit, greater fleet utilization, fewer empty miles and trucks sitting without freight, stronger forward planning, and better fleet positioning. The role conducts daily fleet planning reviews, establishes consistent planning standards, and provides Senior Leadership with actionable recommendations and root-cause analysis.

Requirements

Strong asset-based trucking experience.
Experience in load planning, dispatch, or fleet operations.
Strong understanding of truckload lanes, rates, driver HOS, appointment requirements, equipment, and market dynamics.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability to make quick, profitable decisions in a fast-paced environment.
Strong communication, leadership, and accountability skills.
Ability to translate fleet data and market information into clear operational decisions.

Nice To Haves

5+ years of transportation experience preferred.
Advanced Excel experience preferred.
TMS experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop daily and 24–72-hour load plans for the entire fleet.
Ensure every truck has a planned next move whenever possible before completing its current load.
Establish and maintain fleet preplanning standards, including the percentage of tractors preplanned before delivery and average forward-planning visibility.
Maximize revenue and contribution profit per tractor, per day, and per total mile.
Reduce empty/deadhead miles and unnecessary repositioning while recognizing when strategic repositioning improves the overall move.
Identify and build continuous moves, reloads, round trips, backhauls, and other network-density opportunities.
Position trucks based on customer demand, freight availability, lane strength, seasonality, historical performance, and current market conditions.
Monitor spot-market and customer rate trends, inbound/outbound market balance, and lane performance to support profitable planning decisions.
Identify trucks at risk of sitting and develop solutions before service or utilization is affected.
Analyze loads based on total profitability, including revenue, loaded and empty miles, fuel, driver cost, driver hours, appointment requirements, and next-load opportunities.
Ensure load plans are operationally executable within driver HOS, appointment requirements, home-time commitments, equipment restrictions, and other known constraints.
Identify equipment-surplus and equipment-deficit markets and develop repositioning strategies to improve future freight opportunities.
Continuously re-plan when disruptions occur, including breakdowns, delays, rejected loads, detention, missed appointments, driver refusals, weather, customer cancellations, and other exceptions.
Work with Dispatch to execute the daily plan and hold the operation accountable for results.
Work with Sales to identify customers, lanes, and freight that improve network density and profitability.
Work with Brokerage to determine when company assets should be used versus outside capacity.
Identify underperforming customers, lanes, and freight and recommend corrective action.
Analyze fleet performance and provide Senior Leadership with actionable recommendations and root-cause analysis.
Conduct daily fleet planning reviews and establish consistent planning standards across the operation.
Evaluate the financial and network impact of significant deviations from the approved load plan and adjust the forward plan accordingly.