Transportation Planner at Ashley Furniture Industries in Redlands, CA

Job description

Build Your Career with Ashley Furniture - Where Innovation Meets Comfort Who We Are: At Ashley, inspiring the love of home is at the heart of everything we do. As the world's largest manufacturer of home furnishings, we're more than a business — we're a family driven by innovation, competitiveness, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. We persevere through challenges, push beyond the status quo, and constantly seek better ways to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Our solutions-first mindset and dedication to growth are why Ashley remains #1 in our industry. If you're ready to grow, you've come to the right place. With a true "Growth Mindset," Ashley Furniture invests in developing future leaders and helps every team member learn from the best in the business. If you are a current Ashley employee: Please login to your UKG account and apply using the internal job board. Summary: The Carrier Capacity Planner is a key player in our logistics operations, responsible for managing freight flows, trailer assets, and carrier capacity across a defined region. This role coordinates inbound and outbound freight planning, optimizes trailer utilization, and makes strategic decisions to balance freight demand with available capacity. The Carrier Capacity Planner ensures optimal service levels, cost control, and operational efficiency by analyzing lane-level data, managing trailer pools, and collaborating across teams to align freight volumes with network commitments. Your decisions will directly impact service levels, cost control, and the performance of our transportation network. Responsibilities: Plan Freight Movements Coordinate inbound and outbound freight within a 24–72 hour planning window, ensuring optimal trailer utilization and on-time delivery across our transportation network Develop and execute daily, weekly, and monthly freight plans to meet customer demand and service commitments Analyze freight volumes, origins, destinations, and delivery requirements to create efficient load plans Balance freight demand across multiple lanes and facilities to optimize network capacity Monitor freight movements in real-time and adjust plans as conditions change Coordinate with shipping and receiving facilities to ensure smooth freight flow and minimize delays Manage Trailer Pools Monitor and adjust trailer pool allocations to reduce idle assets and improve turn times at customer locations Track trailer inventory levels across the network and reposition assets as needed to meet demand Analyze trailer utilization metrics and implement strategies to maximize asset productivity Coordinate with operations teams on trailer availability, condition, and maintenance requirements Develop trailer deployment strategies to minimize empty miles and optimize asset utilization Maintain accurate records of trailer locations, movements, and assignments Optimize Capacity & Routing Analyze lane-level data to match freight demand with available carrier capacity, making strategic decisions to accept, decline, or reroute freight based on cost, service, and network impact Evaluate carrier performance, rates, and service levels to select optimal transportation providers Negotiate spot rates and secure additional capacity during peak periods or capacity constraints Identify opportunities to consolidate freight, optimize routing, and reduce transportation costs Monitor lane performance metrics including cost per mile, on-time delivery, and capacity utilization Develop contingency plans for capacity shortages, weather disruptions, or operational challenges Collaborate Across Teams Partner with Customer Service, Sales, and Area Managers to align freight volumes with network commitments and develop proactive solutions for capacity constraints Communicate freight plans, capacity issues, and service updates to internal stakeholders Coordinate with warehouse operations on loading schedules, dock availability, and freight priorities Work with procu