Route Manager
Employment Type: Full-Time
Schedule: Monday through Friday
Hours: Typically, 8am - 4:30pm
Position Summary
The Route Manager is responsible for overseeing daily route operations, training and supporting route employees, inspecting company assets, maintaining service standards, and ensuring all customer locations are properly serviced.
This position serves as the primary point of contact for route employees and is expected to identify problems, provide hands-on support, and hold employees accountable for completing their assigned responsibilities. The Route Manager will regularly travel to customer locations, inspect equipment and vehicles, assist with route coverage, and work closely with management to improve operational efficiency.
Primary Responsibilities
Route Operations
- Oversee the daily performance of all assigned routes.
- Confirm routes are completed accurately, efficiently, and on schedule.
- Review route paperwork, inventory records, service reports, and other required documentation.
- Monitor product levels, expired products, equipment cleanliness, and location presentation.
- Assist route employees with customer issues, equipment concerns, inventory shortages, and operational problems.
- Provide route coverage when an employee is absent or additional assistance is needed.
- Recommend route adjustments to reduce unnecessary travel, overtime, product waste, and missed service.
- Ensure route employees follow established service schedules and company procedures.
Employee Training and Supervision
- Train and onboard new route employees.
- Provide hands-on instruction for loading, driving, servicing locations, rotating products, completing paperwork, and operating company equipment.
- Conduct follow-up evaluations with new employees during their introductory training period.
- Coach employees on productivity, organization, customer service, safety, and job performance.
- Address performance concerns promptly and document coaching or corrective action when required.
- Communicate employee attendance, performance, and conduct concerns to the General Manager.
- Conduct regular route ride-alongs and employee performance evaluations.
- Help create a professional, accountable, and team-oriented work environment.
Asset Inspections
- Conduct regular inspections of company vehicles, vending machines, coolers, equipment, tools, handheld devices, keys, fuel cards, and other company-owned assets.
- Maintain an accurate inspection schedule and document all findings.
- Identify damage, missing assets, maintenance needs, cleanliness concerns, and safety issues.
- Ensure employees properly care for and secure company property.
- Coordinate repairs and maintenance with management or approved vendors.
- Verify that vehicle inspections, registrations, insurance documents, and required maintenance records are current.
- Report repeated misuse, neglect, or preventable damage involving company assets.
Inventory and Product Control
- Monitor route inventory levels and help ensure employees are loading the correct products and quantities.
- Verify proper product rotation and removal of expired or damaged products.
- Investigate inventory shortages, excessive waste, unexplained product loss, and recurring discrepancies.
- Work with warehouse employees to improve product availability and route-loading accuracy.
- Ensure returned products, damaged products, and credits are properly documented.
- Assist with physical inventory counts and inventory audits.
Customer Service
- Maintain professional relationships with customers and location contacts.
- Respond to customer complaints, service concerns, refund issues, and special requests.
- Follow up to confirm customer concerns have been resolved.
- Conduct location visits to evaluate equipment condition, product selection, cleanliness, and overall service quality.
- Communicate customer feedback and potential sales opportunities to management.
- Help retain customer accounts by providing dependable and professional service.
Safety and Compliance
- Ensure route employees follow company safety policies and safe-driving practices.
- Confirm employees complete required vehicle and equipment inspections.
- Investigate accidents, injuries, property damage, and safety concerns.
- Ensure employees follow applicable food-safety, sanitation, product-handling, and workplace requirements.
- Maintain accurate inspection, training, incident, and performance documentation.
- Immediately report serious safety, customer, employee, or equipment concerns to management.
Additional Duties
- Assist with scheduling, vacation coverage, call-offs, and emergency route assignments.
- Participate in operations meetings and provide updates on route performance.
- Help develop and improve training procedures, inspection forms, and operating standards.
- Assist the warehouse and other departments during high-volume periods.
- Perform other duties assigned by the General Manager.
Qualifications
- Previous experience in route operations, delivery, vending, distribution, warehouse operations, retail management, or a related field is preferred.
- Previous supervisory or employee-training experience is preferred.
- Valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record.
- Ability to operate company vehicles safely.
- Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to hold employees accountable while maintaining a professional working relationship.
- Ability to work independently and make sound operational decisions.
- Basic computer, email, inventory, and recordkeeping skills.
- Ability to manage multiple routes, employees, customer concerns, and deadlines.
- Dependable attendance and punctuality are required.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, push, pull, and climb in and out of company vehicles throughout the workday.
- Ability to repeatedly lift and carry products, equipment, and supplies weighing up to 50 pounds.
- Ability to work in warehouses, customer locations, loading areas, and outdoor conditions.
- Ability to drive for extended periods and travel between customer locations.
Performance Expectations
The Route Manager will be evaluated based on:
- Route completion and service accuracy.
- Employee training and retention.
- Customer satisfaction and complaint resolution.
- Completion of asset and vehicle inspections.
- Reduction of product waste, inventory discrepancies, and missed service.
- Employee attendance, productivity, and compliance.
- Condition and accountability of company vehicles and equipment.
- Timely communication with management.
- Overall efficiency and professionalism of route operations.
Work Schedule
This is a full-time, Monday-through-Friday position. Starting and ending times may vary depending on route schedules, employee call-offs, operational needs, and customer service requirements. Occasional early-morning, evening, or emergency coverage may be required.
Compensation and Benefits
Compensation will be based on experience and qualifications. Benefits may include paid time off, company holidays, health benefits, retirement benefits, company vehicle access, and other benefits offered by the company.
Pay: $37,500.00 - $41,600.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
