Transport Driver Manager

Blarney Castle Oil Co•Bear Lake, MI

2d•Onsite

About The Position

To manage driver operations and ensure safe, compliant, and efficient transportation services while maintaining high performance and customer satisfaction standards.

Responsibilities

Serve as the direct manager for all transport drivers statewide.
Establish and enforce clear expectations for performance, safety, and professionalism.
Ensure consistent standards and practices across all branches.
Serve as the final decision-maker on driver-related issues, rather than dispatch or branch managers.
Maintain regular communication with drivers through meetings, ride-alongs, and calls.
Support fleet operations and operate transport vehicles when necessary.
Oversee the full hiring process for transport drivers in collaboration with Talent Acquisition.
Recruit and source qualified CDL candidates.
Conduct interviews and participate in the candidate selection process.
Make final hiring recommendations and decisions.
Ensure appropriate staffing levels across all regions.
Develop and maintain a pipeline of qualified CDL drivers to support proactive hiring.
Develop and implement a standardized transport driver training program in partnership with the Manager of Training & Liability.
Oversee onboarding for all new drivers, with support from the Onboarding Coordinator.
Conduct ride-alongs to evaluate driver skill, safety practices, and professionalism.
Ensure drivers are properly trained in equipment operation, technology and tablets, company procedures, and customer service expectations.
Collaborate with HR and the Manager of Training & Liability to ensure training programs align with company policies, safety standards, and risk management requirements.
Maintain ownership of overall transport driver safety performance.
Enforce compliance with DOT/FMCSA regulations, hours-of-service requirements, and company policies.
Investigate accidents, near-misses, and safety incidents.
Partner with the Manager of Training & Liability on safety investigations, corrective actions, and risk mitigation strategies.
Implement corrective actions and ongoing safety training initiatives.
Track and improve key safety metrics, including accidents, violations, and claims.
Establish clear key performance indicators (KPIs) for drivers, including safety, efficiency, delivery accuracy, and customer service.
Monitor driver performance using operational data and ride-alongs.
Conduct regular performance reviews with input from dispatchers and customers when appropriate.
Address performance issues promptly and implement improvement plans when necessary.
Recognize and reward top-performing drivers.
Collaborate with HR on performance management processes as needed.
Manage all disciplinary actions for transport drivers in coordination with HR.
Administer verbal and written warnings when necessary.
Implement performance improvement plans.
Manage suspensions and termination decisions.
Ensure disciplinary actions are applied consistently and properly documented across the organization.
Take prompt action when performance or safety standards are not met.