WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS

This role is mission-critical to maintaining on-time, damage-free throughput across our Charlotte terminal. The Freight Handler Lead ensures freight moves predictably and safely from dock to staging, directly impacting transit times, customer satisfaction, and cost-to-serve.

The business challenge is operational scale: higher density long-haul lanes, tighter schedules, and fewer touches demand disciplined execution, consistent handling standards, and real-time problem resolution. Success means measurable reductions in damage and rehandling, faster dock cycle times, and a reliable, accountable crew that executes to our Smart Network™ standards.

You will translate strategic service commitments into repeatable dock-level systems, lead a small team to deliver flawless handling, and be the on-site owner of safety, quality, and throughput.

What you’ll do

1. Lead operational execution

• Supervise daily dock activities to ensure loads are moved, staged, and secured for transit with minimal rehandling.
• Own shift priorities, assign tasks, and verify completion against work orders and oral instructions.
• Escalate and resolve exceptions that threaten on-time departure or shipment integrity.

2. Protect freight integrity and safety

• Enforce handling standards and observe, correct, and report unsafe practices; own incident prevention.
• Ensure loads are stacked, banded, and secured to ride without damage; validate pallet and trailer integrity.
• Maintain hazardous materials compliance and verify forklift and hoist operations meet safety protocols.

3. Improve systems and processes

• Standardize dock workflows, checklists, and handoffs to reduce touches and cycle time.
• Drive continuous improvement by documenting root causes for damage and implementing corrective actions.
• Coordinate with operations and maintenance to keep equipment and work areas operational and clean.

4. Develop people and capability

• Coach freight handlers on safe, efficient techniques and cross-functional expectations.
• Monitor performance, provide feedback, and support training for forklift qualification and hazardous materials handling.
• Build a resilient shift team that can execute under limited structure and changing priorities.

5. Influence business performance

• Track and report key metrics (damage rates, cycle time, load accuracy) and use data to prioritize actions.
• Partner with Operations Supervisor, dispatch, and OTR teams to align dock throughput with network schedules.
• Own shift-level accountability for customer-facing outcomes and operational cost drivers.

What you bring

• Experience: High school diploma or GED; 1–3 months related experience or equivalent combination of education and hands-on experience; prior supervisory or lead experience preferred.
• Functional expertise: Proven ability to read work orders, interpret safety and operating instructions, and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced dock environment.
• Technical skills: Forklift driver qualification; Hazardous Material Training; basic arithmetic competency (add, subtract, multiply, divide with whole numbers, fractions, decimals).
• Leadership: Demonstrated judgment in solving problems with limited structure; ability to influence peers and coordinate cross-functionally.
• Preferred: Experience in LTL or long-haul freight operations; familiarity with custodial control practices and shipment visibility systems.

How you operate

• You think in systems, not tasks.
• You own outcomes, not activity.
• You move quickly without creating chaos.
• You challenge assumptions constructively and surface risks early.
• You communicate clearly and decisively with operators and supervisors.
• You prioritize safety and quality as non-negotiable business drivers.

About Roadrunner

We’re not just moving freight; we’re reimagining long-haul shipping. Our Smart Network™ offers more direct long-haul metro-to-metro routes than any other nationwide LTL carrier in the United States, with service extending into Canada and Mexico and terminals across 40+ metro markets. Powered by AI and machine learning, our operations platform ensures real-time tracking, custodial control, and full shipment visibility. With driver teams executing over-the-road (OTR) moves — and no freight moving on rail — customers experience industry-leading transit times, minimal rehandling, and dramatically reduced risk of loss or damage.

Our 900+ owner-operators benefit from scheduled freight, fewer