The Owner Operator Affairs Manager is a hands-on position responsible for coordinating the day-to-day business relationship, safety support, onboarding, compliance administration, and operational needs of independent owner-operators and their drivers across the company's multi-state liquid-bulk/tanker network. The position serves as the primary business contact for owner-operators and the position oversees the owner-operator lifecycle from recruiting and qualification through onboarding, ongoing safety and regulatory compliance, contractor support, equipment/maintenance coordination, settlement issue resolution, performance management, retention, and offboarding. He/She works closely with Safety, Operations, Maintenance, Accounting, Training, and HR to support safe, compliant, efficient, and profitable service. Success in this role requires strong trucking judgment, organized follow-through, practical knowledge of DOT/FMCSA and hazardous-material requirements, and the ability to resolve contractor concerns while maintaining clear company expectations and appropriate independent-contractor relationships.
Key Responsibilities
Owner-Operator Recruiting & Onboarding
- Recruit and help qualify experienced owner-operators and owner-operator drivers based on company standards, operational needs, tanker experience, and customer requirements.
- Coordinate onboarding, lease/independent-contractor agreements, insurance documentation, permits, equipment and credential verification, and required compliance paperwork before dispatch eligibility.
- Work with Safety and administrative teams to verify driver qualification, motor vehicle records, drug and alcohol requirements, Clearinghouse status, and required orientation or training, as applicable.
- Explain company operating expectations, safety requirements, settlement processes, customer/site requirements, and key points of contact to new owner-operators.
Owner-Operator Relationship Management
- Serve as the primary business contact for owner-operators and provide timely, consistent communication regarding safety, operations, maintenance, administrative, and settlement concerns.
- Address concerns fairly and promptly, escalating issues to the appropriate department or leadership when necessary to support retention and accountability.
- Communicate company updates, safety initiatives, customer requirements, operational changes, and performance expectations to the owner-operator fleet.
- Coordinate performance discussions and documented follow-up when safety, customer, operational, or contractual expectations are not met; partner with leadership on further action when needed.
Safety & Regulatory Support
- Support the Safety Department in promoting compliance with applicable DOT/FMCSA, hazardous-material drug and alcohol, hours-of-service/ELD, vehicle inspection, and company safety requirements
- Monitor owner-operator safety and compliance concerns, including roadside inspections, citations, equipment issues, training completion, preventable events, and corrective-action follow-up.
- Assist with documentation and coordination following accidents, incidents, spills/releases, out-of-service events, or customer safety concerns, and promptly escalate significant events to Corporate Safety and leadership.
- Assist with periodic reviews of owner-operator files, credentials, insurance, training status, and other documentation needed for company, customer, or regulatory audits.
- Assist the Training Department with LMS/computer-based training and commodity or site-specific training requirements for owner-operators.
Operational & Equipment Coordination
- Coordinate with Operations to support owner-operator satisfaction, safe utilization, and reliable service across terminals, lanes, and customer locations.
- Maintain familiarity with liquid-bulk commodities transported by the company, including propane, butane, liquid asphalt, ammonia, nitric acid, pentane, condensate, and other products as assigned.
- Work with Maintenance and owner-operators to monitor maintenance schedules, inspection status, equipment downtime, and recurring defects, and help coordinate safe and cost-effective corrective action.
- Maintain practical knowledge of tanker-related equipment and required inspections or certifications so concerns can be identified and routed to the appropriate technical resource.
Administrative & Financial Management
- Maintain current lease/contract records, certificates of insurance, endorsements, registrations/permits, and other required owner-operator documentation.
- Review and coordinate resolution of settlement questions, deductions, reimbursements, chargebacks, insurance items, and related account concerns with Accounting/Settlements.
- Track document and credential expiration dates and follow up on exceptions to help prevent compliance or dispatch disruptions.
- Maintain accurate, organized, and confidential records for internal reporting, audits, and owner-operator administration.
Performance, Reporting & Cross-Functional Support
- Track practical owner-operator metrics including recruiting/onboarding activity, active contractor count, retention, safety events, training completion, equipment or maintenance issues, downtime, and recurring settlement concerns.
- Provide regular updates to the VP of Safety and other leaders regarding owner-operator issues, trends, and items requiring cross-functional follow-up.
- Partner with Safety, Operations, Maintenance, Accounting, Training, and HR on process improvements that strengthen compliance, contractor experience, cost control, and operational efficiency.
- Support company locations with onboarding, drug/alcohol collection coordination, owner-operator meetings, and other Safety or administrative assignments as needed.
Experience & Education
- Minimum 5 years of experience in trucking operations, fleet safety, maintenance, owner-operator administration, tanker/hazardous-material operations, or a related transportation role.
- Experience working with owner-operators or independent contractors strongly preferred; multi-terminal or multi-state transportation experience is preferred.
- High school diploma or equivalent required; additional education in transportation, safety, logistics, business, or a related field is preferred.
Technical Knowledge & Skills
- Working knowledge of DOT/FMCSA and hazardous-material requirements applicable to commercial motor vehicle and tanker operations, with the judgment to recognize when technical or legal questions should be escalated.
- General familiarity with driver qualification, hours-of-service/ELD, drug and alcohol testing, vehicle inspection/maintenance, roadside inspection, and accident/incident processes.
- Practical understanding of tractor and tanker maintenance needs, inspection schedules, downtime, and safe repair coordination.
- Strong written and verbal communication, problem-solving, conflict-resolution, organizational, and time-management skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities independently while maintaining professional working relationships with owner-operators and internal departments.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications and ability to learn transportation, safety, LMS, document-management, and reporting systems.
Additional Requirements
- Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record. Current CDL-A and tanker/hazardous-material endorsements preferred but not required.
- Must be willing to obtain and maintain company-required drug and alcohol collection training/certification and other job-related safety credentials.
- After-hours availability is required for significant owner-operator, safety, or operational issues.
- Position may require approximately 25% overnight travel to company locations, customer sites, owner-operator meetings, or incident locations.
- Ability to walk in terminal/shop environments; climb steps or ladders; access tractor/tanker equipment and elevated work areas; bend, twist, and lift up to 50 pounds when necessary. May be exposed to weather, noise, traffic, industrial environments, and hazardous-material transportation settings; required PPE must be used.
Pay: $75,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
