Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Cargo Fleet Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Cargo Fleet Manager is accountable for the safe, compliant, and cost-effective operation of the organization's cargo fleet. This role oversees driver management, preventive and corrective maintenance programs, telematics and ELD systems, budgeting and procurement, vendor and subcontractor relationships, and performance reporting. The manager partners with operations, safety, procurement, and finance to align fleet capability to business needs and to continuously reduce total cost of ownership while maintaining service and safety standards.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Fleet Coordinator / Fleet Administrator
Maintenance Supervisor / Shop Manager
Transportation Planner / Logistics Analyst

Advancement To:

Director of Fleet Operations
Head of Transportation / VP of Logistics
Director of Safety & Compliance

Lateral Moves:

Supply Chain/Network Operations Manager
Procurement / Vendor Management Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead day-to-day operations of a mixed cargo fleet (trucks, trailers, vans, and specialty equipment), ensuring vehicles are available, safe, and compliant to meet scheduled loads and customer service targets.
Own the fleet maintenance strategy: develop, implement and monitor preventive maintenance schedules, repair workflows, and shop performance to minimize downtime and extend asset life.
Manage vendor relationships and service contracts for maintenance shops, parts suppliers, leasing companies, tire providers and tow/recovery services; negotiate pricing, SLAs and warranty claims.
Oversee driver recruitment, onboarding, licensing verification, random drug & alcohol testing programs, training, performance monitoring and retention strategies to maintain a qualified driver pool.
Ensure compliance with DOT, FMCSA, provincial/state regulations, permits, weight/axle rules and local ordinances; maintain accurate records for audits and inspections.
Implement and manage telematics, GPS, ELD and fuel card systems to enable real-time visibility, route adherence, hours-of-service compliance and electronic recordkeeping.
Develop and report on key fleet KPIs (cost per mile, cost per hour, uptime, mean time between failures, DVIR completion rate, fuel MPG, accident frequency) and present actionable insights to senior leadership.
Create and manage the fleet budget, including capital expenditures, lease/purchase decisions, maintenance spend, fuel, insurance, tolls and contingency reserves; forecast long-term replacement cycles.
Plan and execute fleet replacement strategy: evaluate lifecycle costs, residual values, fuel/ emissions profiles and total cost of ownership to optimize capital deployment.
Lead incident response and accident investigation processes, including root cause analysis, insurance claims coordination, corrective action plans and driver coaching.
Develop and enforce fleet safety programs, driver coaching protocols, and safety incentive initiatives aimed at reducing preventable accidents and violations.
Optimize routing and asset utilization in collaboration with operations and dispatch to reduce empty miles, improve load matching, and increase on-time delivery performance.
Administer fuel management programs: fuel card oversight, theft prevention, reconciliation and fuel efficiency initiatives (idling reduction, eco-driving).
Maintain and ensure accurate fleet documentation: vehicle titles, registrations, permits, inspection logs, maintenance records, warranty and recall documentation.
Drive continuous improvement using data-driven analytics and Kaizen/Lean techniques to reduce repair times, parts consumption, and operational waste.
Oversee parts inventory strategy, reorder points and vendor-managed inventory arrangements to ensure parts availability while controlling carrying costs.
Coordinate outsourced maintenance and body shops for heavy repair work, ensuring quality control, turnaround time targets and cost containment.
Manage relationships with leasing or rental companies for short-term capacity needs and evaluate commercial lease vs buy proposals.
Implement technology and process improvements (fleet management systems like Fleetio, Samsara, Omnitracs, Teletrac) to automate workflows, reduce manual entry and improve data accuracy.
Ensure environmental and sustainability objectives are met, including emissions reporting, idle reduction programs, alternative fuel initiatives and electrification planning where applicable.
Lead cross-functional projects such as warehouse-to-fleet integration, seasonal capacity planning, and disaster recovery mobilization for surge events.
Prepare and present regular executive-level reports on fleet performance, capital requests, risk exposures and strategic initiatives to the leadership team.
Supervise and mentor fleet staff (supervisors, schedulers, technicians), conduct performance reviews, set development plans and recruit to fill skills gaps.
Manage insurance and claims processes in partnership with risk management: coordinate claims investigations, cost containment and subrogation activities.
Ensure procurement and purchasing processes are followed for vehicle acquisitions, parts purchases and major service engagements, including RFPs and supplier evaluations.
Drive compliance with corporate policies and labor rules, including union agreements where applicable, and liaise with HR on disciplinary or safety-related driver issues.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc operational and capacity planning requests from sales and customer success teams to align fleet availability with contracts.
Work with IT and data teams to define fleet data requirements, maintain data quality and deploy dashboards for operational transparency.
Participate in cross-functional projects such as sustainability initiatives, electrification pilots, and telematics rollouts.
Assist procurement with vendor selection, contract negotiations, and supplier performance reviews for fleet-related suppliers.
Contribute to training content and delivery for drivers and technicians on new technologies, safety practices and compliance updates.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Fleet management and operations (fleet size planning, lifecycle management, preventive maintenance).
Regulatory compliance: DOT/FMCSA rules, hours-of-service, vehicle inspection programs, IFTA, IRP and permit management.
Telematics / ELD / GPS systems experience (Samsara, Omnitracs, Geotab, Fleetio, Verizon Connect or comparable).
Maintenance systems and troubleshooting knowledge (CMMS, shop workflows, heavy and light duty vehicle systems).
Data analysis and KPI reporting (Excel advanced, Power BI/Tableau or native fleet analytics).
Budgeting and total cost of ownership analysis, CAPEX planning and procurement processes.
Vendor and contract management, RFP management and negotiation.
Fuel management and fuel reporting systems, fuel card oversight and reconciliation.
Accident investigation, root cause analysis and insurance/claims coordination.
Route optimization concepts and capacity planning tools; experience working with dispatch systems or TMS integration.
Parts inventory management and supply chain fundamentals for spare parts procurement and control.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and team development skills with experience coaching supervisors and technicians.
Excellent communicator able to interact with drivers, vendors, operations, safety, and executive teams.
Problem solving and decision-making under pressure; calm and methodical in incident response.
Results-oriented with a focus on continuous improvement and measurable outcomes.
Negotiation and influence skills to manage external vendors and internal stakeholders.
High attention to detail for compliance documentation and safety audits.
Adaptability and project management skills for technology rollouts and process change.
Customer-service mindset to align fleet decisions with on-time delivery and service quality.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Logistics, Transportation, Supply Chain, Business Administration, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree plus certifications such as Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (NAFA), Certified Transportation Professional (CTP), APICS/CPIM, or related safety certifications.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Logistics & Transportation
Supply Chain Management
Mechanical / Automotive Engineering
Business Administration / Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–12 years in fleet operations, transportation management, or maintenance leadership roles.

Preferred:

7+ years managing medium to large cargo fleets (20+ vehicles) or equivalent scale.
Hands-on experience with DOT/FMCSA compliance, telematics/ELD deployments, maintenance shop oversight, and capital budgeting.
Prior experience in freight, LTL/FTL, courier, or commercial truck operations is strongly preferred.