Freight Handler Lead

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 touches by design, consistent long-haul density, and a differentiated metro-to-metro model that creates predictable earning opportunities.

This precision and performance have earned Roadrunner national recognition by over 3,000 shippers, and was ranked this year #1 in Operations, #1 in Technology, and #1 in Value in the Quest for Quality Awards, as well as honors as a Top 100 Trucking Company by Inbound Logistics and a Top Tier Service Carrier by Mastio.

We're growing fast. Roadrunner is building something special with great people, a winning culture and a differentiated service offering in the marketplace. Join us today to grow your career!

We Run Safe. We Run Smart. We Run Together.

Compensation & Setup

• Pay: $19.00 per hour.
• Incentives: Performance recognition programs and bonuses where applicable.
• Location: Onsite - Charlotte, NC.
• Benefits: Full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), PTO, and training for forklift and hazardous materials certification.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel, reach with hands, and talk and hear.
• The employee is occasionally required to sit, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and smell.
• The employee must regularly lift and or move up to 50 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 80 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities include color vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to moving vehicles, outside weather conditions and vibrations. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, high precarious places, and extreme temperatures.
• The noise level in the work area is usually moderate to high.
• The above statements reflect the general details necessary to describe the principal functions of the position and are not intended to be all inclusive.
• The position and any of the requirements listed above are subject to change at any time according to the changing needs of the company.

* The above statements reflect the general details necessary to describe the principal functions of the position and are not intended to be all inclusive. The position and any of the requirements listed above are subject to change at any time according to the changing needs of the company.

* Roadrunner is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind.

* We will not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters or recruiting agencies. Thank you!

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