Freight Handler Lead

Freight Handler Lead

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.