Truck Transportation Lead

Summary

The Truck Transportation Lead will perform activities that ensure efficient transportation of materials and products from origin to destination. We seek a professional who will participate in identifying and selecting the most appropriate and cost-effective transportation in support of grain trading strategy and tactical execution. This position will provide stakeholders in business units with accurate and market-based freight pricing and ensure that accurate freight rates are loaded in appropriate rating systems. Additionally, they will build a firm understanding of freight markets within the position's scope of responsibility and use this understanding to communicate market insights, context, and knowledge to stakeholders within CHS. Likewise, the Truck Transportation Lead will work to improve organizational understanding of customer and plant specific shipping requirements across multiple modes of transportation and assist in effectively managing to these requirements and communicating them to our suppliers. This role will also execute truck freight logistics/brokerage activities to serve both CHS and outside customers to create additional value for CHS. This role is located in Lincoln, NE.

Responsibilities

• Support CHS’s Transportation and Logistics' carrier management strategy through negotiations, relationship management, and supplier selection, capacity management and service.
• Negotiate rates with carriers for both one way and round-trip shipments (backhauls)
• Independently analyze current transportation operations practices to resolve process and cost improvement opportunities.
• You will work under general supervision and independently solve issues. (Matrix management structure reporting to Ag Business Transportation Management in Inver Grove Heights and local Trading Management in Lincoln, NE)
• Negotiate rates and contract terms, ensuring rates paid for transportation services are competitive and sourced in the best interest of CHS.
• Serve as subject matter expert on transportation markets and rates.
• Ensure that all third-party transportation relationships are profitable and accretive to business unit earnings.
• Issue blanket PO’s for accurate vendor management
• Execute truck freight logistics/brokerage activities
• Other duties as assigned

Systems and Data

• Monitor carrier performance/KPI’s and take corrective action to reverse negative trends and maintain required service levels
• Update transportation websites and databases for contracts, freight rates, and estimates, insurance information, customer information, etc
• Monitor and communicate transportation rating trends to our commercial sales and purchasing teams.

Value Improvement

• Delivering value goals by using knowledge of the transportation industry to make recommendations to strengthen customer and carrier relations through continuous improvement.

Cross Team Alignment

• Partner with both internal (commercial management and finance) and external customers (Vendors and customers) to meet the demands of the business

Minimum Qualifications (required)

• High School diploma or GED
• 4+ years of experience in Supply Chain and Procurement and/or Transportation and Logistics

Additional Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred in Business, Ag Business, Economics, Manufacturing, Logistics, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Statistics or related field
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong working relationships
• Strong organizational and collaboration skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• In-depth understanding of standard shipping practices, trucking, rail and container
• Prior logistics brokerage experience and working with logistics tools
• Proficient in MS Office suite
• SAP and CMIS knowledge and experience
• Knowledge of commodity markets, contractual terms, truck transportation/logistics.
• Sense of urgency in dealing with time sensitive issues. 
• Pre-employment screening is based on the job requirements and industry guidelines and may or may not be required for the position. If required, selected candidates must pass pre-employment screenings to include all or a combination of drug, criminal, motor vehicle check, physical requirements and FMSCA Clearinghouse.

Physical Requirements