Transport Manager Employment Contract UK

Responsibilities reflected in the contract

• Plan compliant transport operations and resources.
• Supervise drivers planners and fleet administration.
• Monitor vehicle checks defects and maintenance.
• Review hours infringements incidents and performance.
• Maintain required fleet and operator records.

A realistic working scenario

Based at a depot and on route, the Transport Manager prepares vehicle and load checks, updates vehicle check records and the route or delivery system, completes handovers at customer sites, monitors mileage and incident records, raises delays or safety escalations to the transport or depot manager, and supports drivers, warehouse and planning teams on operational exceptions.

Outputs to agree

• Completed vehicle check records and signed handover notes for each shift or delivery.
• Updated route or delivery system entries showing planned vs actual mileage and ETA changes.
• Incident and delay reports submitted to the transport or depot manager with photographic or system evidence.
• Load security and inventory checklists reconciled with route manifest before departure.

Records and evidence

• Vehicle check records (pre- and post-trip) with signatures and corrective actions noted.
• Route or delivery system logs showing allocations, ETA updates and route changes.
• Mileage and incident records, including timestamps and photographic evidence where applicable.
• Handovers and customer acceptance records documenting deliveries or passenger transfers.
• PPE issue and vehicle equipment checklists kept with the depot's vehicle records.
• Stock records.

Reporting relationship

Typically reports to Warehouse Manager or Shift Supervisor. Confirm the employer's actual reporting structure in the builder.

Authority and escalation

• The Transport Manager may allocate vehicles and adjust routes within authorised work commitments recorded in the route or delivery system. Any vehicle unroadworthy finding, unsafe load, significant delay, safeguarding disclosure or suspected data breach must be escalated to the transport or depot manager for approval of remedial action or reallocation. The Transport Manager must not authorise overtime, subcontract major route changes, or release goods without the transport or depot manager's approval where the exception affects customer commitments or safety.
• May allocate routine work and make operational decisions only within documented staffing, financial, contractual and policy limits.

Supervision

• Supervise drivers planners and fleet administration.
• Allocate and review assigned work within delegated authority and escalate formal people matters through the Employer's procedures.

Tools and systems

• Warehouse management systems.
• Scanners.
• Stock handling equipment.
• Picking equipment.

Workplace context

• Warehouse, depot, goods-in, dispatch, loading and approved logistics work areas.

Training and certification

• Complete employer-required health and safety training.

Contract priorities

• Maintain accurate vehicle check records and complete pre/post-trip handovers.
• Use the route or delivery system and management dashboards for allocations and ETA updates.
• Escalate unroadworthy vehicles, unsafe loads, safeguarding disclosures or major delays to the transport or depot manager.
• Protect route, delivery, customer, tracking, stock, fuel and incident records and report suspected unauthorised access.
• Follow depot operating controls for loading, equipment checks, PPE and safe working practices.

Information the employer should prepare

• the fleet classes depots and operating area
• the operator-licence responsibilities actually assigned
• the driver and planner reporting structure
• the maintenance defect and incident authority
• the on-call budget and supplier arrangements