Important Transportation Manager Interview Questions
Q – 1 Tell me what is consignment inventory?
Ans- Consignment inventory is in the possession of the customer but still owned by the supplier. It means you will pay the supplier only when their goods are sold.
Q – 2 Tell me what is cycle time?
Ans- Cycle time is the time consumed to get and order from order entry to the shipping dock.
Q – 3 Tell me what is batch picking?
Ans- The technique of transporting inventory which are grouped into small batches at one go is known as batch picking.
Q – 4 Tell me what is a capacity requirement planning?
Ans- It is a process for determining the quantity of machine and manual labor resources necessary to assemble a production.
Q – 5 Do you know what is bonded warehouse?
Ans- Bonded warehouse is a dedicated portion of a facility where imported goods are stored before the customs duties or taxes are being paid.
Q – 6 Do you know what is meant by Reverse Logistics?
Ans- Reverse Logistics is the collection of all processes that come into play for goods that move in the reverse directions which means transportation of goods customer to the business.
Q – 7 Tell us why do you want to leave your current employer?
Ans- Although I love what I do, I feel that I’m ready to take on more challenging assignments and unfortunately, my there’s no room for me to grow there.
Q – 8 Do you know what is chargeback?
Ans- When any shipment that does not meet the customers decided terms and conditions, a financial penalty is charged against the supplier by customer. This charge is referred as charge back. For example, lack of proper packaging or labelling.
Q – 9 Tell me with the help of WTS how you can generate an Invoice?
Ans- There are two ways you can generate Invoice using WTS technique
One way of creating an invoice is assigning it directly with the orders that you are working on
And the other way is to export the order to QuickBooks and create the invoice there.
Q – 10 Where do you see yourself in five years as Transportation Manager?
Ans- I am driven to be the best at what I do and I want to work somewhere where I’ll have opportunities to develop my skills, take on interesting projects, and work with people I can really learn from. Some of the most innovative thinkers in the industry work here, and that’s a big reason I would love to continue my career here.
Q – 11 Tell us what is blind shipment and bread bulk?
Ans- When the source of the supplier is hidden from the customer, such shipment is referred as a blind shipment.
Bread bulk is referred to overseas shipments, where the cargo being shipped consists of smaller units like crates, bales, cartons and so on.
Q – 12 Explain how detail oriented are you?
Ans- I am very oriented. I know that working in the transportation industry requires attention to details. It is very important to be precise and accurate when in the transportation field. One little mistake can have a big affect and, therefore it is very important to pay close attention detail, and I do that very well.
Q – 13 Explain how would you describe your management style?
Ans- Management style is pretty hard to put your finger on, but I think un general a good manager gives clear directions and actually stays pretty hands off, but is ready and available to jump in and offer guidance, expertise, and help when needed. I try my best to make that my management style. In terms of what makes me unique, I also go out of my way to make sure I know when my team needs help.
I don’t hang around nd wait to be called upon by my direct reports, I go to them. That means plenty of informal check ins, both on the work their doing and on their general job satisfaction and mental well being.
Q – 14 Tell us In inventory management what do you mean by allocation?
Ans- It is a demand which is created by the Sales Order or Work Orders next to a particular team.
Q – 15 Tell me why did you choose to pursue a career as a Transportation Manager?
Ans- I’m working in logistics and supply chain industry since 13 years and I’m confident that my skills and abilities can ad value in the field of transportation and I can contribute very will if I got this position.
Q – 16 Tell me what is WTS (Warehouse Tracking System)? How does it work?
Ans- WTS or Warehouse Tracking System is a software application which is specifically designed for the warehouse industry. It uses the system of barcode labels which allows you to track product movement, audits and shipments easily. It enables you to identify each piece of stock by a unique serial number.
Q – 17 Tell us what is the difference between logistics and transport?
Ans- Logistics: Logistics is referred as the procedure of managing goods, resources and information from the source to the consumers in a manner that it fits the requirements of both parties.
Transportation: Transport is the movement of the goods from one point to the other. It is considered as part of logistics.
Q – 18 Explain what are the skills required for transportation manager employee in order to success in his work?
Ans- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents, Talking to others to convey information effectively, Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times, Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions, Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Q – 19 Explain how Warehouse Tracking System will be helpful in warehouse transportation?
Ans- In the warehouse, WTS will help you
Eliminate searching for lost products and saves your transportation time
Reduce picker walk time
Monitor warehouse activity and order status in real time
Q – 20 Explain what are the major transportation issues in warehousing?
Ans- The major transport issues in warehousing are
► Costs
► Delays
► Tracking and communications
► Warehouse Safety
Q – 21 Tell me do you have any violations as a commercial or personal operator or violations in the last 5 years?
Ans- Employers need to be assured of your pristine operating record so that they know you have the ability to safely transport your passengers. Honesty is the best policy when answering this question, because the employer will surely check with the proper authorities to verify your record. It may not always mean that you are dismissed as a candidate for hiring if something is found. It does depend on the circumstances and number of occurrences. This is a very common transportation interview question.
Q – 22 Explain what are the areas should be focussed more in order to improve warehouse transportation?
Ans- ☛ Delivery Frequency
☛ Turnaround Times
☛ Journey Times
☛ Fixed Routing
☛ Unification of product
☛ Performance standard
☛ Vehicle fill
☛ Scheduling
☛ Vehicle and operational records
☛ Preloading
Q – 23 What are APS, ASN and ASRS?
Ans- ☛ APS: It stands for Advance Planning and Scheduling
☛ ASN: It stands for Advanced Shipment Notifications
☛ ASRS: Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems
Q – 30 Please tell me what are the knowledge elements you obtained from your education, training and work experience would support your transportation manager career?
Ans- The Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits, business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources, the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar, principles and processes for providing customer and personal services.
This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction, laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Q – 31 Tell me what is the meaning of Triage?
Ans- The sorting of products or goods based on their condition or quality is referred as Triage. Some of the goods needs to be repaired and sent back, others have to be sold off as used or defective goods.
Q – 32 Explain what is compliance labels?
Ans- Compliance label are used as shipping labels, carton labels, pallet labels and they usually contain bar codes. It is used for the identification of goods delivered.
Q – 33 Explain what is your greatest strength? How does it help you as a Transportation Manager?
Ans- I have quite a few strengths. My greatest strength is my work ethnic. When I commit to a deadline, I do whatever it takes to deliver.
For example, My previous supervisor was off of work due to an injury. He had route reviews to attend and hadn’t been able to complete the maps for our cluster. I stepped in and completed every map we had in less than a week. I worked on them throughout the day at work as much as I could (Given the fact that I had other obligations).
However, I spent time working on the maps at home, because I had less interruptions. I also attended the route reviews and my depot manager and the director was impressed with my work and the time frame in which I got the work done. It will help me as a Transportation Manager because I will get things done in a timely and efficient manner.
Q – 34 Explain what are the main job duties and responsibilities of transportation manager employee?
Ans- Transportation manager responsibilities are to analyze expenditures and other financial information to develop plans, policies, or budgets for increasing profits or improving services; collaborate with other managers or staff members to formulate and implement policies, procedures, goals, or objectives; implement schedule and policy changes; monitor operations to ensure that staff members comply with administrative policies and procedures, safety rules, union contracts, and government regulations; monitor spending to ensure that expenses are consistent with approved budgets; plan, organize, or manage the work of subordinate staff to ensure that the work is accomplished in a manner consistent with organizational requirements.
Set operations policies and standards, including determining safety procedures for the handling of dangerous goods; direct investigations to verify and resolve customer or shipper complaints; direct activities related to dispatching, routing, or tracking transportation vehicles, such as aircraft or railroad cars; direct procurement processes including equipment research and testing, vendor contracts, or requisitions approval; prepare management recommendations, such as proposed fee and tariff increases or schedule changes; supervise workers assigning tariff classifications and preparing billing; conduct employee training sessions on subjects such as hazardous material handling, employee orientation, quality improvement, or computer use; direct and coordinate, through subordinates, activities of operations department to obtain use of equipment, facilities, and human resources; negotiate and authorize contracts with equipment and materials suppliers, and monitor contract fulfillment; recommend or authorize capital expenditures for acquisition of new equipment or property to increase efficiency and services of operations department; serve as contact persons for all workers within assigned territories; promote safe work activities by conducting safety audits, attending company safety meetings, or meeting with individual staff members; direct activities of staff performing repairs and maintenance to equipment, vehicles, and facilities; conduct investigations in cooperation with government agencies to determine causes of transportation accidents and to improve safety procedures; develop criteria, application instructions, procedural manuals, or contracts for federal or state public transportation programs.
Participate in union contract negotiations and settlements of grievances; provide administrative or technical assistance to those receiving transportation-related grants.
Q – 35 Tell me what are the important aspects of transportation and fleet management?
Ans- The important aspects of transportation and fleet management
☛ Transport Acquisition
☛ Transport Planning
☛ Routing maintenance planning
☛ Fleet maintenance and Scheduling
☛ Risk management
☛ Human resource management
Q – 36 Tell us what are the main supply chain challenges companies face today?
Ans- The five big challenges that companies face today is
☛ Ignoring the continued growth of e-commerce as a channel in the industrial sector
☛ No attention to the potential risk like volatile transportation costs
☛ Over expectation that supply chain management technologies will fix everything
☛ Over-reliance on past performance to predict future sales
☛ Increase complexity added to supply chain operations with implementation of unnecessary technologies
☛ Lack of understanding of the full capacities of suppliers and service
Q – 37 Tell us what is wave picking?
Ans- Wave picking is a technique of assigning orders into groups and release them together, so as to allow several activities to run parallel and complete the task.
Q – 38 Tell me what is SKU number?
Ans- Stock Keeping Unit also referred as SKU number is a unique code used to identify particular line items.
Q – 39 Tell me how many years experience do you have in the transportation field?
Ans- I have sixteen years experience in the transportation field.
Q – 40 Tell me how would you describe (needed transportation manager or your) work style?
Ans- My work style matching exactly what cashier job requires by: being honest and ethical, being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations, a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction, being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks, a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Q – 41 Tell us are you familiar with the safety regulations for this mode of transportation?
Ans- Before you are hired for a company, an employer wants to be assured that you are willing to comply with all safety precautions. If you are transitioning to a similar, but different mode of transportation than the one you were trained in, take the time to educate yourself. Be as familiar as you can about the safety rules. Knowing the specific safety needs of the vehicle you plan to operate is of the utmost importance.
Q – 42 Explain from health and safety point what are things to be taken care while warehouse transportation?
Ans- ☛ Don’t leave items in aisles on the floor or perched insecurely on a surface
☛ Clean up all spills immediately
☛ Don’t block fire exits, sprinklers or fire extinguishers
☛ Put items in their assigned places
☛ Don’t leave sharp tools or cutters perching out
☛ Keep cord and wires off the floor
☛ Report loose flooring or tripping hazards
☛ Dispose of trash immediately in proper containers
Q – 43 Tell me what is activity based costing?
Ans- It is a method which helps in the breakdown of the costs into specific activities in order to maintenance of accuracy in the distribution of costs in product costing.
Q – 44 Do you know what is Carton Clamps?
Ans- It is the most versatile attachment used for handling and transporting multiple unpalletized products such as furniture, carton, appliances, etc.
Q – 45 Why are you the best candidate for us as Transportation Manager?
Ans- I couldn’t comment on other candidates for the job, but I can say that, having now been working in this industry for over a decade I have built up a very enviable amount of experience which I think other candidates would find hard to beat. For instance, I acted in this position for almost a year successfully managing a cluster which included three supervisors. Two of them I trained because they were new to the position. I did all the maps for my cluster and having no experience in map reviews was told that I did an excellent job.
I also routed and kept pre k routes up to date. While acting in the TCM positon, I still managed to perform my duties and complete all required work for my current position. I believe my previous track record is clear evidence of what I would be able to achieve for you if you decide to appoint me to the role. I’m ambitious, high driven and I relish a challenge.
Q – 46 Explain the abilities you have in order to work with us as transportation manager?
Ans- I have the ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing, listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences, communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand, tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem, communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Q – 47 Explain do you currently hold the proper endorsements and licenses?
Ans- As the operator of any mode of travel, a list of credentials is necessary. Be prepared to discuss the types of transportation vehicles you have operated. Have your credentials with you, as you may be asked by the interviewer to present them. Also be sure that they are current and authentic. If this question is not asked during the interview, your credentials will still need to be verified before being hired.