What a transport planner does
The core tasks include: accepting and prioritising orders, route and tour planning, allocating vehicles and drivers, monitoring transports in progress, responding to disruptions (traffic jams, breakdowns, delivery problems), communicating with customers and drivers, and documentation and reporting. The planner is often the first point of contact for customers with questions about consignment status.
The tools of transport planning
Modern planning runs on TMS software (transport management system) with integrated route optimisation, GPS tracking, digital order management and telematics. Real-time data from the vehicle helps to calculate the ETA precisely and respond immediately to deviations. AI-supported systems optimise tours automatically and reduce empty running.
Local vs long-distance planning
In local traffic (delivery, the last mile) planners schedule many short tours with numerous stops every day. In long-distance traffic they coordinate long routes, rest periods under EU driving-time rules and international documents. The two areas call for different knowledge and different tools.
