The Transportation Planner coordinates outbound freight to ensure customer orders are delivered on time, in full, and at the most cost-effective service level. This role manages carrier assignments, shipment scheduling, freight tracking, transportation documentation, and communication with internal teams and external transportation partners. The Transportation Planner works closely with Customer Service, Warehouse Operations, Shipping, and freight carriers to optimize transportation efficiency, maintain service commitments, and support smooth material flow within a fast-paced warehouse and distribution environment.
Responsibilities
- Review daily shipping schedules, customer orders, and outbound freight requirements to develop and execute transportation plans.
- Assign shipments to carriers and transportation modes based on delivery requirements, freight characteristics, service levels, and cost considerations.
- Coordinate Less-Than-Truckload (LTL), parcel, and other outbound shipments to meet customer delivery commitments.
- Schedule carrier pickups and ensure freight is tendered accurately and on time.
- Monitor shipment status, pickup performance, and carrier activity to ensure service expectations are achieved.
- Adjust transportation plans as needed to accommodate volume fluctuations, equipment availability, delivery changes, or transportation disruptions.
- Identify consolidation opportunities that improve freight utilization and reduce transportation costs.
- Coordinate with warehouse and shipping personnel to ensure freight is staged, loaded, and sequenced appropriately for efficient delivery.
- Communicate with carriers to confirm appointments, shipment details, pickup schedules, and routing requirements.
- Partner with Customer Service to communicate shipment status, estimated delivery times, delays, and exceptions.
- Support efforts to resolve transportation-related issues including missed pickups, delivery delays, freight damage, and shipment discrepancies.
- Maintain strong working relationships with carriers, internal customers, and operational teams.
- Generate shipping documents, labels, bills of lading, and other transportation-related paperwork.
- Process shipment transactions and maintain accurate transportation records within Oracle, Shipwell, and other business systems.
- Ensure transportation data is entered accurately and timely to support shipment visibility and reporting.
- Maintain organized transportation, shipping, and carrier records.
- Support freight audits and documentation requests as needed.
- Analyze carrier and lane performance data to identify service issues, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.
- Monitor transportation metrics related to on-time pickup, on-time delivery, freight costs, and carrier performance.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on transportation efficiency, cost reduction, and service enhancement.
- Assist with inventory movement and material flow activities to support overall operational objectives.
- Coordinate with warehouse personnel to ensure proper skid placement, organization, and staging of outbound shipments.
- Assist with general warehouse and distribution activities when required.
- Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment.
- Comply with all company safety policies and procedures.
- Perform additional duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
- High school diploma or GED required.
- One (1) to three (3) years of transportation, logistics, shipping, warehouse, customer service, or related experience preferred.
- Experience with transportation management systems (TMS), ERP systems, or shipping software preferred.
- Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
- Forklift experience or certification preferred; ability to obtain certification as required.
Required Skills/Abilities
- Working knowledge of transportation, logistics, shipping, and warehouse operations.
- Ability to coordinate multiple shipments and carrier relationships simultaneously.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Basic mathematical skills, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
- Attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
- Ability to troubleshoot shipment and transportation issues.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and business systems.
- Knowledge of Oracle and Shipwell preferred.
- Ability to work effectively in a team-oriented environment.
- Ability to adapt and reprioritize in response to changing business needs.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
This position operates in both office and warehouse environments and requires frequent standing, walking, bending, reaching, and movement throughout the facility. The employee must occasionally lift and carry materials weighing up to 50 pounds. Work is performed in a fast-paced warehouse and distribution environment with concrete floors and exposure to moving equipment, forklifts, freight activity, varying temperatures, and noise. The facility is not air-conditioned. Employees are required to wear all applicable personal protective equipment (PPE), including steel-toed footwear and other safety equipment as required.
M-D Building Products has been a trusted name in American construction for over 106 years. Founded in 1920, we have spent more than a century designing, manufacturing, and distributing the products that builders, contractors, and homeowners depend on to get the job done right. What started as a focused commitment to quality weatherstripping has grown into one of the most recognized and respected product portfolios in the construction industry.
We are proud to be an American manufacturer. Every product bearing the M-D name is made right here in the United States, with production facilities in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, our home and headquarters, as well as Louisville, Kentucky, and Gainesville and Brooklet, Georgia. Our facilities are home to skilled, dedicated teams who bring the same pride and craftsmanship to every product.
At M-D, we don't just compete in our categories, we lead them. Our products are industry leaders or strong contenders for industry leadership across every line we carry. That standard of excellence isn't accidental. It is the result of more than a century of listening to our customers, investing in our people, and refusing to settle for good enough. The people of M-D are guided by five core values that define how we work, how we treat one another, and how we show up for our customers every day.
Integrity~ Honesty doesn't need a policy. We do the right thing when nobody is looking.
Vision~ Tomorrow's success is taken by the steps we take today.
Commitment~ Every day, we are accountable to each other and our customers.
Communication~ We listen with intent, communicate with clarity, and speak up for what's right.
Stewardship~ We serve to promote one another, create opportunities, and provide customer delight.
When you join M-D Building Products, you join a company that has stood the test of time. Not by standing still, but by continuously evolving, improving, and investing in the people who make everything possible. We believe every individual can make a meaningful impact, and we cultivate a culture that recognizes and develops that potential. If you are eager to learn, motivated to grow, and interested in building a career at M-D, we encourage you to apply.
Benefits
M-D Building Products, Inc. offers a benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, On-Site Clinic, Voluntary Life Insurance, Lab Card Program, Group Term Life & AD&D, Flexible Spending Accounts, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, 401(K) with Company Match, Paid Time Off, Tuition Reimbursement, Education & Development, Mental Wellness (Employee Assistance Program), and Voluntary Benefits including Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital Indemnity Insurance.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected status, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
Location: 2095 Memorial Park Road, Gainesville, GA 30504
