Fleet Coordinator

Nature Fresh Farms is a Leamington-based greenhouse company with facilities in Leamington, ON and Delta, OH as well as Laredo, TX. Our company and its innovative, dynamic team are expanding every day, growing new plant varieties, and introducing cutting-edge ideas and practices to the fresh produce industry. However, at Nature Fresh, we don't just grow plants - we also grow people. Our team is passionate about bringing the highest quality products to consumers, but it is also committed to creating an inspiring, diverse, and team-oriented workplace environment that everyone can enjoy. Nature Fresh Farms is a recognized leader within the greenhouse farming industry - join our team and help us continue to grow!

We are currently looking to fill a permanent full-time position for a Fleet Coordinator for our Shipping and Receiving department at our Leamington, ON location.

As a member of the Shipping and Receiving Team, the Fleet Coordinator oversees the shipment and delivery of local produce and dry goods from local growers to the distribution center (DC), ensuring timely and safe arrivals. They manage the booking of appointments for inbound purchase orders (POs) and transfers, coordinating with carriers to schedule these appointments. Additionally, they plan pickup and delivery routes to optimize efficiency and resource utilization, coordinating and prioritizing pickups based on the needs of the shipping and production departments. The coordinator ensures that the team's work area is clean, orderly, and safe by reporting equipment malfunctions and coordinating repairs. They also guide employees to success by training them on policies, procedures, and operational knowledge to enhance the activities of the local truck driving department. 

Job Specific Duties:
 

• Communicate with other departments to successfully identify and resolve daily challenges.
• Run the daily production meeting to address any issues or potential delays of outbound shipments.
• Prioritize all local pickups with our partner farms to ensure the produce and dry goods needed by the Shipping, Receiving, Allocation and Production Departments arrive in a timely manner.
• Working with Procurement, Allocation, Logistics and Receiving to co-ordinate inbound transfer and purchase orders. Schedule receiving appointments based on loads priority to ensure timely arrivals of required produce.
• Coordinate and designate trailers to our local farms and growers. Ensuring compliance with all Bio Security protocols.
• Monitor and ensure all annual inspections, CVOR (Commercial Vehicle Operator Registration), insurance are current and present in all vehicles.
• Follow up on maintenance requests of Drivers and coordinating with Purchasing on maintenance of all local trucks and trailers.
• Coordinate and troubleshoot all maintenance on Fleet including repairs, and equipment inspections ensuring all equipment is operational and issues are settled in a timely manner.
• Ensures success of the local trucking team through coaching and advising the team on how to improve their overall performance. Ensuring they are trained properly for all departmental processes and procedures.
• Provide clear instructions to the team and coordinate in person meetings with the team to communicate changes/updates, policies/procedures, and appropriately address any questions and concerns in a timely and effective manner.
• Provides coaching, hands-on training and follow-up to new hires; however, training, development and coaching occurs regularly throughout the department to ensure job descriptions are understood and followed.
• Planning, delegating, motivating, and leading the team daily to improve performance, while ensuring work is done efficiently, correctly, and up to quality standards.
• Providing feedback to the Receiving Manager regarding employee performance, assisting with performance evaluations, incident reports and health & safety investigations, applying progressive discipline processes for non-compliances in a respectful manner
• Approve/deny employee time off requests and timecards within deadlines required to ensure smooth completion of payroll, while managing employee schedules to ensure full coverage of the department.
• Implementing strategies to maintain a clear and up-to-date overview of the company's truck and trailer fleet. This includes planning the departmental requirements of rental trailers to manage the seasonal fluctuations of the produce industry.
• Report all labour and H&S related incidents.
• Investigate issues involving equipment/property damage, employee relations, operational issues, etc. via Incident Report in a timely manner and send to Receiving Manager and Human Resources.
• Assign and maintain workloads during down times by designating employees to ensure the interior and exterior of our trucks and trailers are always kept clean.
• Support a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging feedback, innovation, and learning under the guidance of management. Identify opportunities for process optimization, efficiency gains, and team member skill development to enhance team performance.
• Ensure that various checks are performed including inspection of pre-ops for trucks and trailers escalating to the receiving manager when drivers are not following process.
• Under the direction of Receiving Manager, plan, and coordinate DC Local and Highway Truck Drivers schedules, including time off and coverages for absences including highway routes and backhauls
• Communicating with carriers when their trailers have been onsite for longer than 48 hours to facilitate the trailers use or removal from company property.
• Maintain all spreadsheets and data for historical tracking for record keeping and to monitor continuous improvement.
• Develop and maintain all SOPs for trucks, emergency response, and associated equipment/procedures and conduct in person training with the team when needed.
• Must comply with all Health and Safety, Food Safety, Bio Security, and Nature Fresh Policies and Procedures.
• Must be able to complete all physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.
• This job description highlights the main components but is not inclusive of other activities that may be required.

Qualifications:
 

• 5+ years in a produce warehouse setting.
• 2 years of experience in demonstrated abilities in supervising a team.
• Strong knowledge of commercial trucking laws and regulations.
• Familiarity with GPS tracking software.
• Experience and comfort in working with computers proficiency with Microsoft Office (specifically Excel, Word, and Outlook.) and use of NAV, WMS and TMS systems
• Strong and demonstrated troubleshooting, strategic planning, and scheduling abilities.
• High degree of confidentiality regarding employee and job-related matters.
• Excellent communication abilities, active listening skills and written communication skills.
• Must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively with others.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision in a team environment, some independent work.
• Ability to work in a fast environment by multitasking and prioritizing work while being attentive to details and quality.
• Ability to embrace and adapt to the rapid growth, innovation, and development of the company.

Working Conditions:
 

• Fast paced warehouse environment where temperatures vary from cooler to temperature-controlled areas.
• Working with a wide array of people/cultures in a team setting. These include offshore workers, locals, contractors, and vendors, etc.
• Must be available Monday through Saturday, and holidays if required. Hours can fluctuate according to the needs of the business.

Nature Fresh Farms is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, beginning with the hiring process. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcome applications from candidates, in accordance with all relevant legislation. Nature Fresh Farms provides an accessible environment in which all individuals have access in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.