Transportation Safety & Compliance Manager

Job Description

Job Description:\n\nCompliance Manager — CR Express Inc. CAREERS — JOB DESCRIPTION & POSTING Transportation • DOT / FMCSA • TSA / STA • Customs • Workplace Compliance Location: Bensenville, Illinois | Full-time | Onsite only Base salary: $80,000–$90,000 annually, based on relevant experience and demonstrated qualifications. Reports to: TBD Schedule: Full-time onsite, with occasional after-hours support for urgent compliance matters under an agreed coverage schedule. Benefits and other compensation: About the Role CR Express Inc. is seeking an experienced, hands-on Compliance Manager to lead transportation compliance, driver security eligibility, applicable customs requirements, and office/facility compliance oversight.This role owns the full driver compliance lifecycle: onboarding, qualification, STA administration, ongoing monitoring, accurate records, audits, corrective actions, and offboarding. We need a proactive leader who works confidently with drivers, dispatch, warehouse teams, maintenance, HR, and leadership.The right person identifies risks early, builds reliable processes, communicates clear expectations, and follows issues through to resolution. Required Qualifications Experience: Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible, hands-on trucking safety or transportation compliance experience, including at least 3 years with direct ownership of compliance programs, audit responses, or safety/compliance team leadership.Technical Foundation: Strong practical DOT/FMCSA knowledge and demonstrated responsibility for driver qualification files, onboarding approvals, HOS/ELD oversight, drug and alcohol programs, Clearinghouse compliance, and audits or corrective actions.Execution & Judgment: Proven ability to organize accurate records, investigate discrepancies, prioritize deadlines, train and coach others, and professionally enforce compliance requirements.Strong Excel, Microsoft 365, and electronic-record skills; ability to work independently onsite. Preferred Experience & Development Ideal candidates bring 7–10+ years of relevant experience.Hands-on TSA/STA and air-cargo security administration, customs-related driver credentials, bonded-freight records, and workplace/warehouse compliance experience are strongly preferred.Familiarity with Samsara, PCS or a comparable TMS, owner-operator fleets, and electronic compliance systems is valuable.A relevant degree or professional safety certification is helpful, not required. Candidates who meet the core experience requirements but have limited specialty gaps may be considered.Targeted training or certification support may be available under an approved development plan.Required training, credentials, authorization, and demonstrated competence must be in place before independent responsibility for regulated tasks. Key Responsibilities / Transportation Driver & Fleet Compliance: Driver Onboarding and QualificationManage compliance onboarding for company drivers, owner-operators, and partner drivers operating under CR Express authority.Review applications, license status, endorsements and restrictions, medical qualification, required driving and safety history, and company screening requirements.Coordinate required testing, Clearinghouse clearance, road-test documentation or permitted equivalents, orientation, and appropriate employment or contractor paperwork.Document pre-dispatch approval and complete any permitted post-hire follow-ups within applicable deadlines.Accurate Records and Ongoing EligibilityMaintain complete, accurate, accessible driver qualification files and a reliable active-driver roster.Track annual MVR reviews, medical qualification, license and endorsement expirations, training, and other required renewals.Reconcile records across compliance systems, dispatch, and insurance schedules.Investigate missing or conflicting information, retain an audit trail of changes, and protect confidential information with appropriate access restrictions and retention controls.Drug and Alcohol Program AdministrationCoordinate pre-employment drug testing and required random, post-accident, reasonable-suspicion, return-to-duty, and follow-up testing with authorized providers.Maintain an accurate testing pool, required Clearinghouse queries and consents, employer reporting, and restricted-access records.Track deadlines and immediately implement required safety-sensitive-duty restrictions.Serve as the designated employer representative when formally assigned and trained.Hours of Service and ELD OversightReview hours-of-service records, ELD exceptions, unidentified driving, missing certifications, and supporting records.Resolve discrepancies with drivers, coach recurring issues, and coordinate lawful corrections without falsifying logs.Work with dispatch to prevent assignments that violate driving or duty limits and support ELD malfunction and roadside-inspection procedures.Fleet Documentation, Permits, and InsuranceMaintain current vehicle and equipment compliance records, including registrations, periodic inspections, maintenance documentation, and defect-repair evidence.Coordinate renewals, permits, carrier filings, insurance driver and vehicle schedules, and relevant IFTA/IRP records with maintenance, accounting, and authorized vendors.Verify applicable lease and owner-operator documentation.Track out-of-service restrictions and required evidence before release.Accidents, Roadside Inspections, and Safety Follow-UpMaintain accident registers, inspection reports, incident files, and supporting evidence.Coordinate timely notifications, testing decisions, evidence preservation, and follow-up with management, insurers, and counsel as appropriate.Review violation and safety-data trends, submit supported DataQs requests when warranted, and track training, repairs, and corrective actions through closure. Operating Expectation: Keep verified driver and equipment eligibility visible to dispatch.Maintain current rosters, renewal calendars, supporting evidence, and a prioritized list of unresolved issues.Address time-sensitive events when they occur rather than waiting for a routine review.Protect confidential records and preserve the audit trail of decisions and changes. Key Responsibilities / Security & Assurance Air Cargo, Customs & Audits: TSA / Security Threat Assessment (STA) ManagementManage STA applications and company sponsorship or association through the authorized program or provider; verify approval status and track required updates and renewals.Maintain accurate driver and personnel rosters, security-training records, and freight-specific eligibility.Coordinate with applicable air-cargo customers, authorized representatives, and security contacts.Keep required security procedures current, protect Sensitive Security Information, and support TSA/customer audits.Prevent assignments requiring clearance or training that has not been verified.Complete required affiliation updates and access removal when a person leaves or changes duties.Track STA approval, security training, and location-specific access credentials separately.Customs Compliance and Driver AccessAdminister customs-related driver requirements, including applicable CBP identification, Customs access seals, airport/cargo-facility badges, supporting records, renewals, and required exit notifications.For bonded or customs-controlled work, verify the company authorization, required bond coverage, shipment movement authority, and relevant driver access before assignment.Audit applicable in-bond records, cargo and seal information, authorized destinations, arrival reporting, and final disposition evidence.Coordinate with dispatch, warehouse teams, customs brokers, customers, and CBP contacts to resolve discrepancies, holds, notices, or overdue items.Confirm that required electronic filings were accepted; a delivery receipt alone is not evidence that every customs obligation is complete.Apply these duties only to CR Express programs and shipments in scope.Audits and Corrective ActionsLead preparation for DOT/FMCSA reviews and applicable TSA, CBP, state, workplace, insurance, and customer audits.Conduct recurring internal file and process reviews, assemble accurate supporting records, coordinate responses, and track requests to completion.Identify root causes, assign corrective-action owners and deadlines, and verify that improvements are implemented and effective.Escalate regulatory notices and unresolved risks promptly. Decision Authority & Accountability: Place drivers, equipment, restricted shipments, or facility access on an appropriate compliance hold under company procedures and notify the responsible team immediately.Require documented evidence that the blocking condition has been resolved before release.Escalate serious or unresolved risks directly to leadership; operational pressure must not override legal restrictions. Track general DOT eligibility separately from STA status, required security training, airport/CBP credentials, and shipment authorization.Ensure dispatch can see the applicable clearance or restriction without exposing unnecessary personal or security-sensitive information. Scope & Collaboration: Own compliance verification, documentation, monitoring, and corrective-action follow-through for CR Express operations in scope.Coordinate with qualified security contacts, customs brokers, authorized filing providers, insurers, and counsel.This position does not independently perform licensed customs brokerage or replace legal advice, technical inspections, medical decisions, or specialist authorizations. Key Responsibilities / Workplace & Governance Office Compliance & Reporting: Office and Facility Compliance OversightRecords, Training, and Notices: Maintain the compliance calendar, required workplace notices, policy acknowledgments, and training records.Coordinate employee-file and Form I-9 checks with HR; keep contractor documentation appropriate to the relationship.Track applicable harassment-prevention and other workplace training and retain completion evidence.Safety and Incident Records: Coordinate office/facility walkthroughs, emergency-plan reviews, required inspection records, and applicable injury recordkeeping and reporting.Track warehouse safety documentation, including forklift operator training/evaluations, hazard communication and safety data sheets, protective equipment, and dock/exit issues, with warehouse leadership and qualified specialists.Access, Permits, and Follow-Through: Audit visitor controls, keys, badges, sensitive-record access, and offboarding with facilities and IT.Track applicable business licenses, permits, insurance evidence, and vendor requirements with responsible departments.Assign owners and deadlines for deficiencies and verify corrective action.Department supervisors retain day-to-day operational enforcement.Policies, Training, and Management ReportingKeep procedures and checklists current.Coordinate driver orientation, refresher training, and applicable supervisor and workplace training; document completion and acknowledgments.Report driver eligibility, STA/security status, upcoming expirations, customs exceptions, audit findings, incidents, and overdue actions.Improve electronic workflows and hold responsible parties accountable for assigned work.Offboarding and Record CloseoutCoordinate driver, employee, and contractor exits with operations, HR, accounting, security contacts, and system administrators.Update active rosters, applicable testing and insurance records, and required STA/company affiliations.Coordinate required CBP or airport notifications and credential return.Recover assigned equipment, cards, keys, and badges; confirm access removal promptly.Preserve required records, open-claim evidence, and legal holds, and escalate unresolved items. What Success Looks Like Accurate, audit-ready records; verified driver and equipment eligibility; timely renewals, testing, training, and reporting; clear STA/customs status; and corrective actions closed with evidence.Provide leadership a concise weekly report covering restrictions, upcoming expirations, incomplete records, customs exceptions, office/facility findings, and overdue actions with owners and deadlines. During the first 90 days, validate the active rosters and program requirements, identify and address urgent gaps, establish consistent approval and renewal workflows, and complete a documented mock audit.Any specialty training gaps should have a defined development plan and qualified interim coverage. How to Apply Apply through this posting with your resume and a brief summary of the compliance programs and audits you have personally managed.Describe your DOT/FMCSA, STA/air-cargo, customs-related driver, and workplace compliance experience, including any areas where targeted training would be needed. CR Express Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable accommodations as required by law.