I’ve spent the past few weeks trying and failing to get some information on how I could get into the planner and management field within logistics.
The problem I have is that I have no ‘on the job’ experience of working in a planning or transport office, and most agencies who are advertising posts don’t want to know if your not qualified.
I have a background in Project Management and have been driving for several years now (class2), but there seems to be a missing link.
The main problems I have is:-
No experience of Isotrak or Paragon - neither company will do a training course for individuals and we have no plans to use anything like this at work.
No class one experience - although I do go all over the UK.
I’ve looked at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport website and thought about becoming a member and trying some on there courses, but I can’t seem to find anything that is suitable - is anyone on here a member or have a good contact with them I could speak to?
So any advice on how you guys either have, or know of people who have, moved over to planning would be greatly received.
what are you looking to get into . joe bloggs transport with 5 trucks or eddie wincantons with hundreds of trucks all over the place .
the main thing to remember about being a traffic planner is, if you need a job doing urgent the next driver you see or speak to is the fleets no1 driver. the ability to bs your customers when there load doesn’t arrive on time (blow out normally works) and just about read a map.
No experience in transport or planning, sounds like you would make a top planner then.
Basically just keep on trying because quite a few companies prefer people without any experience because they can train them in there way whether it is right or wrong.
Just remember that 99.9% of drivers will think your an idiot no matter what, so expect plenty of flack.
When I cover the planning job I find that if you are polite to the drivers and don`t try barking at them down the phone most will actually work with you instead of against you.
Also remember, when trying to fob off customers no matter what excuse you can come out with they will have heard it a hundred times.
Good luck in the job hunt.
Have you ever thought of asking your boss if he would be willing to train you in the planning office for holiday cover.
fingers:
what are you looking to get into . joe bloggs transport with 5 trucks or eddie wincantons with hundreds of trucks all over the place .
the main thing to remember about being a traffic planner is, if you need a job doing urgent the next driver you see or speak to is the fleets no1 driver. the ability to bs your customers when there load doesn’t arrive on time (blow out normally works) and just about read a map.
best of luck jon
I had 30 drivers and only one was really against me, but I found that telling the drivers and the customer the truth makes things a lot easier, the worst things you can do is ignore the problem hoping it will go away, an irate customer will appreciate a bad news phone call at 8am rather than at 16.55.
I’ve looked at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport website and thought about becoming a member and trying some on there courses, but I can’t seem to find anything that is suitable - is anyone on here a member or have a good contact with them I could speak to?
Hi Keith
I am a member of the CILT and if you PM me with your e mail or contact details I will be able to point you in the right direction. The CILT run courses from level 2 (NVQ0 to level 6 (Degree Level) and they are all very good and relevant courses.
you will receive a bit of stick on here, but I tend to agree with a lot of comments about planners. Most don’t know the front of a truck from the back, or indeed where the M1 even is (apologies to those planners who do, and there are a few). That’s because a lot of them have no transport experience at all. Something you already have, so you are already qualified in part.
If you want to get into transport management then you may want to consider sitting a CPC (operator) course. A bit expensive, but a nessesary qualification if you want to be a transport manager.
The possibilities or training courses are endless, but it all depends how much time you want to invest and how deep your pockets are.
I’ve spent the past few weeks trying and failing to get some information on how I could get into the planner and management field within logistics.
The problem I have is that I have no ‘on the job’ experience of working in a planning or transport office, and most agencies who are advertising posts don’t want to know if your not qualified.
I have a background in Project Management and have been driving for several years now (class2), but there seems to be a missing link.
The main problems I have is:-
No experience of Isotrak or Paragon - neither company will do a training course for individuals and we have no plans to use anything like this at work.
No class one experience - although I do go all over the UK.
I’ve looked at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport website and thought about becoming a member and trying some on there courses, but I can’t seem to find anything that is suitable - is anyone on here a member or have a good contact with them I could speak to?
So any advice on how you guys either have, or know of people who have, moved over to planning would be greatly received.
Cheers
Keith
they normally start as driver then move onto planning,or start out as brief/debrief clerk,i notice though theres a advert on board for planner at moment and says requires driving experiance
all ours do is hand you a run sheet with drops/collections on,once in a blue moon they ring you to change collection
i.e if you tip sittingbourne you either collect dartford/hoddeson,birtley-york,ketterig mansfield etc,etc,its 99.9% of the time the jobs set in stone,youll not have much to do,most driver dont need babysitting,just hand them sheet and theyll sort job,but theres always a percentage[seems to be getting more] who need there hand holding ,just give them a local,anyway best of luck
When I worked for a company that used it, the it man proclaimed that it was like the second coming of Jesus, to which I asked him the following q’s:
Does it know where roadworks are?
Does it know any restrictions when arriving at a premises?
Does it know any shortcuts
etc etc etc…
When he replied no, but it will save the company thousands, I told him to stick it where the sun don’t shine, and refused to use it.
Case in point…
1 drop Catford
1 drop Lewisham
1 drop Peckham.
Using brain power, they all go on one trailer, using Paragon, they go on 2.
I rest my case.
Ken.
We trialed the original Roadrunner System but it was in its infancy. To be honest we didn’t use it to it’s full potential but the built-in invoicing software was good. If there was a problem you could ring Derek (Beevor) direct, now they have customers and offices all over the world.
When I worked for a company that used it, the it man proclaimed that it was like the second coming of Jesus, to which I asked him the following q’s:
Does it know where roadworks are?
Does it know any restrictions when arriving at a premises?
Does it know any shortcuts
etc etc etc…
When he replied no, but it will save the company thousands, I told him to stick it where the sun don’t shine, and refused to use it.
Case in point…
1 drop Catford
1 drop Lewisham
1 drop Peckham.
Using brain power, they all go on one trailer, using Paragon, they go on 2.
I rest my case.
Ken.
Agreed about Paragon, 1 of the beauties it brought up at the old place was to travel 30 miles from drop to collection when we had a wagon in the next unit to the collection finishing its run, load times irrelivant. But we had to do it Paragons way 'Because the system says so and weve alot of money invested in it. Ours didnt take into account weight limits, low bridges etc, and had us down to use the Mersey rail tunnel
Not all companies need you to be qualified, many will be more interested in your attitude and other skills. If you join one of the big firms they’ll likely put you through any qualifications needed anyway.
Planners don’t need to be qualified per se, although the CPC is the qualification to aim for. Having CPC means you could move on and become a transport manager.
I really wouldn’t worry about having experience of different planning software either. There are many different systems out there, and anyway none of them beats the mk1 pencil & paper (never use a biro to plan - if you do it once you’ll see why). To be frank, when you see the state of some traffic planners, you realise that the software can’t be that hard to figure out.
Have you tried ringing the training team at Esl Crick and having a chat with them about what you’d like to do?
You may even get to chat to our new trainer,the “battersea basher”!! Lol
jase:
Have you tried ringing the training team at Esl Crick and having a chat with them about what you’d like to do?
You may even get to chat to our new trainer,the “battersea basher”!! Lol
then there was the planner who put northampton and southampton on a trailer for a dayrun
Yes its true they thought the place was Ampton and there was a north and a south.
when a company( Peter lewis) to over Laybond at chester they gave me a day run 12 tons for
syon lane hospital houndslow and 10 tons for eastleigh and was expected back to chester for
evening loading…silly woman router did’nt even drive a car yet alone have any idea of where
place was.
John
How dare you lot take the mickey out of Britains Greatest Dad. Mr.Babygro himself. ESL,s No.1 Driver. The only one of the ESL team , who can chase a train, while lying on his back steering with his elbows, and being so aware of what is going on around him, that he sees no need to check his mirrors, as he chats to camera The TOP Driver who cannot find his way to Battersea Power station, without pranging a car with his T.OTR motor, in the process. The list of his “abilities” , to which can now be added “Driver Trainer” (Gawd ,elp us ), must surely mean that he is destined for further promotion. Planner – Team Leader Depot Manager . Neil Burdon had better mind his back. Matt is on the Stairway to --Stobart-- Heaven.
I hope the OP is taking note of how to achieve his dream.
we got 4 planners in our office & only one has a licence for HGV, although paragon is the basic principle of how transport would be in a real world , …it’s not
i did once ask to let to grips with the planning for maybe coming off the road , but i was too valuable to come off the road ! so a girl from the office was drafted in ,she then went to production so a chap from the seat / volkwagen garage applied for the job & got it
so if you want to become a transport planner you need to have worked as a secretary or in the parts department of the local car dealership
3300John:
then there was the planner who put northampton and southampton on a trailer for a dayrun
Yes its true they thought the place was Ampton and there was a north and a south.
when a company( Peter lewis) to over Laybond at chester they gave me a day run 12 tons for
syon lane hospital houndslow and 10 tons for eastleigh and was expected back to chester for
evening loading…silly woman router did’nt even drive a car yet alone have any idea of where
place was.
John
I know a driver who got the confused between the two hamptons, he was a ■■■■ of the first order
But the best planner or router I ever had used to come to work on the bus, never drove all his life and didn’t even ride a cycle. He had done it a long time and just knew all the drops. Even my own mother who was never a driver ran the traffic department with a rod of iron
.
– Team Leader 
