Route Planner

JOB PURPOSE: The Route Planner is responsible for organizing and optimizing daily delivery routes to ensure efficient, cost-effective, and timely distribution of goods. The role includes maximizing truck load factor to reduce total trips, fuel consumption, overtime, and trucking expenses. The Route Planner also ensures proper communication and reporting to Sales so they can align orders and dispatches with train schedules or customer cut-off requirements.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

KPA-1:

1. Route Planning & Optimization Weight: 50% Responsibility: Ensures all routes are planned, released and dispatched on time to meet committed delivery and train schedule cut-offs. Designs efficient routes that reduce travel time distance and fuel consumption Prepare and finalize daily dispatch routes based on order volumes, truck capacities, cut-off times, and delivery priorities. Optimize routes to maximize truck load factor (volume and weight utilization) to reduce the number of trips and operational cost. Assign the appropriate truck type and capacity for each route. Re-plan routes as needed for rush orders, cancellations, and road constraints KPA-2:
2. Cost Efficiency & Load Factor Management Weight: 20% Responsibility: Plans and consolidates loads to maximize truck utilization while minimizing transport cost per trip Main Tasks: Ensure high load utilization to minimize half-empty trips, fuel wastage, truck rental cost, and overtime. Consolidate deliveries when possible to achieve ideal loading ratios. Analyze loading performance and recommend cost-saving initiatives. KPA-3:
3. Coordination & Communication Weight: 10% Responsibility: Provides timely and accurate routing and load status reports to Sales to support adherence to train schedules and order cut-offs Main Tasks: Coordinate with Warehouse Dispatch for loading sequence, product availability, and dispatch timing. Communicate route instructions clearly to drivers and truckers. Provide timely daily reports to Sales (e.g., load status, expected dispatch times, cut-off risks) to help them align with train schedules and customer commitments. Alert Sales immediately for any risk of missed train schedules, cut-offs, or load reductions so they can adjust order placement or customer communication. KPA-4:
4. Monitoring & Control Weight: 5% Responsibility: Monitors live dispatch, resolves delivery exceptions and escalates risks to prevent service failures Main Tasks: Track active deliveries, truck status, route adherence, delays, and breakdowns. Ensure trucks depart with approved load factors and document exceptions. Monitor POD returns and escalate delivery issues. KPA-5:
5. Data Management & Reporting Weight: 10% Responsibility: Maintains accurate routing, load and performance reports to support operational and management decisions Main Tasks: Maintain customer lists and database (e.g. delivery address, train schedule, and channel), route plans, loading data, dispatch performance, and transport KPIs. Submit analysis on cost impact of load factor, trip efficiency, and train schedule compliance. Leads transport management project such as AACE, TMS and FTH rates. Provide daily/weekly dashboards that support Sales, Warehouse, and Transport decisions. KPA-6
6. Compliance & Safety Weight: 5% Responsibility: Ensures all routes and loading plans comply with company policies, safety standards and regulatory requirements Main Tasks: Ensure all planned routes comply with company policies, customer requirements, and government regulations. Maintain route and loading documentation for audit purposes.