Zone Skip Manager - Freight Operations

Position Summary

The Zone Skip Manager ensures zone-skip freight moves through the hub accurately, efficiently, and within required service windows. Reporting to the Hub Manager, this role oversees nightly freight flow, sequencing, and visibility. It makes time-sensitive routing and prioritization decisions when operating conditions change. The position serves as the primary operational contact for zone-skip activity, coordinating with third-party carrier leadership, Account Management, Customer Service, and other internal partners. Through process ownership and partnership rather than direct supervision, it aligns priorities, resolves exceptions, and supports timely releases, accurate reporting, and consistent service outcomes.

Essential Duties and Key Deliverables

• Own nightly zone-skip execution, adjusting the freight plan as arrival times, volumes, capacity, or other operating conditions change to protect established service windows.
• Plan and sequence freight using sort codes, destination requirements, expected volume, available capacity, release times, and inbound and outbound schedules to assign freight to the appropriate outbound movement.
• Communicate Lanter's required freight outcomes, priorities, and sequencing needs to the third-party carrier's dock supervisor and coordinate operational exceptions without directing carrier personnel or work methods.
• Use scanning and operational checks to confirm freight is routed to the correct destination and loaded onto the appropriate outbound movement.
• Identify and resolve free-astray freight, damage scans, missed releases, and other processing exceptions.
• Research unlabeled, misrouted, returned, or unidentified parts and assets using available systems and partner with Account Management and Customer Service to determine ownership and proper routing.
• Prepare and distribute routine reporting on inbound and outbound times, release performance, volume, available capacity, damage scans, free-astray activity, and related service measures using TViz, Parcel Search, and Excel.
• Provide timely shipment updates and escalate service risks with clear facts and recommended next steps.
• Provide operational input on freight flow, capacity, routing, and hub readiness as new zone-skip business is evaluated and launched.
• Promote safe, organized, and efficient operations by supporting Lanter's Safety First expectations, 5S practices, quality controls, standard work, and continuous improvement efforts.

Required Experience and Skills

• At least three years of experience coordinating time-sensitive freight flow or sequencing in high-volume logistics, cross-dock, hub, parcel, or freight operations.
• Ability to work independently, balance competing priorities, make sound operating decisions, and escalate risks in a time-sensitive environment.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to interpret sort codes, shipment data, schedules, routing requirements, and capacity information.
• Experience using freight-tracking, warehouse, scanning, or similar operational systems, along with working proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to communicate clearly and coordinate effectively across internal and external partners.
• Ability to lead through influence and process ownership to achieve required outcomes without direct authority over partner personnel.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in zone-skip, hub-and-spoke, parcel, freight-sequencing, or automotive or industrial parts operations.
• Experience coordinating freight priorities and service outcomes with third-party carriers or outsourced dock operations.
• Working knowledge of Lean, 5S, standard work, quality control, or other continuous-improvement practices.

Work Environment

This job operates primarily in a warehouse, dock, or distribution environment. The role routinely works near moving equipment and warehouse traffic and may be exposed to varying temperatures, noise, and other conditions common to a logistics operation. The team member regularly uses a computer, handheld scanner, phone, and other job-related technology and must be able to move safely throughout the work area while monitoring freight activity.

Physical Demands

The team member is regularly required to stand, walk, observe freight movement, communicate verbally and in writing, and use a computer, handheld scanner, and other job-related equipment. The team member may occasionally be required to bend, reach, climb, push, pull, or lift up to 15 pounds. This role is not responsible for loading or unloading freight.