Shipping Supervisor

Job Summary

The Shipping Supervisor is responsible for leading the company's shipping and logistics operations to ensure finished products areshipped safely, accurately, on time, and cost-effectively. This position oversees daily shipping activities involving bothcompany-owned trucks and outside LTL and FTL carriers, ensuring the right product reaches the right customer at the right time and in the right condition.

The Shipping Supervisor coordinates closely with Production, Production Planning, Customer Service, Purchasing, Warehouse, and Sales to align shipping activities with customer requirements and production schedules. The position is responsible for optimizing the use of company trucks, selecting and coordinating outside carriers, preparing shipping documentation, managing freight costs, ensuring proper loading and securement, and resolving transportation issues.

Key Responsibilities

Shipping Operations

• Supervise all daily shipping activities for finished fabricated products and materials.
• Develop and execute daily shipping schedules based on production completion, customer requirements, carrier availability, and delivery commitments.
• Coordinate shipments using company-owned trucks as well as outside LTL and FTL carriers.
• Ensure products are properly packaged, labeled, staged, and prepared for shipment.
• Verify shipment quantities, part numbers, customer information, and shipping documentation before products leave the facility.
• Ensure Bills of Lading, packing lists, delivery documents, and other required documentation are complete and accurate.
• Coordinate with Production and Planning to ensure completed orders are moved from production to shipping without unnecessary delays.
• Monitor shipping priorities and make adjustments throughout the day as production schedules and customer requirements change.
• Ensure shipping areas remain organized, safe, and efficient.
• Establish clear expectations for productivity, safety, attendance, quality, and customer service.
• Ensure employees are properly trained and competent in shipping procedures, material handling equipment, loading practices, and applicable safety requirements.
• Conduct regular department meetings and communicate daily priorities.
• Address performance issues promptly and consistently.
• Cross-train employees to provide adequate coverage during absences and periods of increased shipping volume.

Company Fleet Management

• Coordinate daily routes and schedules for company-owned trucks and drivers.
• Maximize utilization of company trucks while balancing delivery requirements, driver availability, mileage, and operating costs.
• Ensure company vehicles are properly maintained, inspected, and available for scheduled deliveries.
• Coordinate preventative maintenance and repairs with appropriate internal or external resources.
• Monitor driver compliance with company policies and applicable DOT requirements.
• Maintain appropriate records related to company vehicles, drivers, mileage, fuel, inspections, and maintenance.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement opportunities to improve shipping efficiency, productivity, safety, and cost.
• Establish and monitor department KPIs.
• Reduce freight waste, unnecessary handling, expedited freight, waiting time, and avoidable accessorial charges.
• Support the company's overall goal of good parts, shipped on-time.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in shipping, logistics, transportation, warehouse, or manufacturing operations.
• Previous supervisory or team-lead experience.
• Experience coordinating LTL and FTL shipments, freight documentation, Bills of Lading, and shipment scheduling.
• Knowledge of DOT requirements and commercial vehicle operations.
• Forklift certification/training experience.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Strong computer skills and experience with ERP/WMS or transportation systems.
• Strong understanding of workplace safety and material-handling practices.

Key Competencies

Leadership & Accountability

Sets clear expectations, holds employees accountable, provides coaching and feedback, and creates a culture of ownership, teamwork, and professionalism within the shipping department.

Logistics & Transportation Management

Demonstrates a strong understanding of LTL, FTL, and company-owned fleet operations. Effectively coordinates carriers, routes, pickups, deliveries, freight requirements, and transportation resources.

Problem Solving & Decision Making

Quickly identifies the root cause of shipping, transportation, or customer delivery problems and makes practical decisions to resolve issues. Balances urgency, cost, safety, and customer requirements when making decisions.

Planning & Prioritization

Effectively prioritizes competing shipments based on customer commitments, production status, carrier availability, delivery requirements, and business priorities. Anticipates potential delays and takes action before they impact the customer.

On-Time Shipment Focus

Maintains a strong sense of urgency around customer delivery commitments and takes ownership of ensuring orders are shipped on time and complete. Understands the impact of shipping performance on customer satisfaction and company profitability.

Safety & Compliance

Demonstrates a strong commitment to safe shipping, loading, material handling, vehicle operation, and regulatory compliance. Consistently reinforces safety expectations and addresses unsafe conditions or behaviors.

Communication

Communicates clearly and professionally with employees, drivers, carriers, customers, and internal departments. Provides timely information regarding shipment status, delays, changes, and problems.

Continuous Improvement

Looks beyond daily tasks to identify opportunities to improve processes, eliminate waste, reduce shipping errors, improve carrier performance, increase fleet utilization, and improve overall department efficiency.

Employee Development

Recognizes employee strengths and development opportunities and actively trains, coaches, and cross-trains team members to build department capability and flexibility.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made in accordance with the ADA.

• Frequently stand and walk throughout the manufacturing, warehouse, shipping, and loading dock areas.
• Frequently bend, stoop, reach, twist, climb steps, and work in and around trailers and loading areas.
• Occasionally climb into and out of trucks, trailers, and other commercial vehicles to inspect loads and verify proper loading and securement.
• Frequently use hands and arms to inspect, handle, point to, and manipulate shipping documents, labels, packaging materials, and other items.
• Occasionally lift, carry, push, or pull materials, shipping supplies, or other objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work in varying temperatures and environmental conditions, including heat, cold, dust, noise, and outdoor weather conditions while inspecting or coordinating truck loading and unloading.

Work Environment

• Industrial shop setting with exposure to noise, dust, and heavy equipment.
• Requires wearing PPE (steel-toe boots, gloves, safety glasses, etc.).
• Moderate to heavy physical activity and occasional outdoor work during loading/unloading.