Heavy Haul Logistics Lead

Position Summary

ThermalWorks is seeking a Heavy Haul Logistics Lead to own the movement of ThermalWorks equipment from the point of manufacture to the point of customer delivery. This role manages the full transportation lifecycle of chillers, cooling distribution units, coolant control units, and related heavy equipment, including carrier sourcing, schedule coordination, rigging verification, insurance adequacy, and permit management.

The Heavy Haul Logistics Lead owns each shipment from factory pickup through customer receipt, at which point responsibility transfers to the ThermalWorks Project Management team for on-site coordination. This role is the operational connective tissue between manufacturing partners, transportation providers, and the customer-facing delivery function. Reliable and well-coordinated equipment delivery is essential to ThermalWorks' ability to meet customer commitments, and this role owns the accountability for that delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Carrier Sourcing and Management
• Identify, qualify, and maintain relationships with heavy haul carriers appropriate for the size, weight, and geographic requirements of ThermalWorks equipment shipments.
• Source competitive freight quotes for each shipment; balance cost, timing, carrier capability, and reliability in carrier selection.
• Verify carrier operating authority, safety ratings, and insurance coverage prior to engagement; maintain an active pool of qualified carriers for domestic and international shipments as required.
• Negotiate freight rates, terms, and service-level expectations with carriers; manage carrier performance and hold carriers accountable to committed schedules and service standards.
• Schedule Coordination and Delivery Management
• Coordinate pickup schedules with manufacturing partners (currently including Jabil and NPSG in the United States, and multiple manufacturing partners in Europe and Asia) based on production completion dates and customer required delivery dates.
• Build and maintain delivery schedules that reconcile factory ready dates with carrier availability, transit time, and customer site readiness.
• Monitor in-transit shipments and communicate proactively to internal stakeholders and to Project Management on shipment status, expected arrival, and any deviations from planned schedule.
• Coordinate with the Production Planner and the Procurement Manager on pickup timing so that production completion, materials availability, and outbound transportation are sequenced correctly.
• Rigging, Handling, and Equipment Preparation
• Confirm that rigging capabilities at pickup and drop-off locations are sufficient for the equipment being moved, including verification of crane capacity, forklift capability, staging area suitability, and rigging equipment on hand.
• Verify that carriers have the appropriate trailer type, tie-down equipment, protective materials, and handling capability for each shipment; ensure specialized equipment such as heavy haul trailers, flatbeds, step-decks, or drop-decks are procured as required by the shipment profile.
• Coordinate with manufacturing partners on equipment preparation for transport, including any protective measures required by product characteristics (such as nitrogen charge, plugged connections, or protective packaging for units with sensitive internal components).
• Establish and maintain standard operating procedures for rigging verification, load securement, and receipt handoff to ensure repeatable, predictable delivery outcomes across shipments.
• Insurance and Permits
• Verify that carrier insurance coverage is adequate for the value and characteristics of each shipment; secure supplemental coverage where required.
• Manage permits for oversize, overweight, and specialized transportation as required by shipment dimensions, weight, and routing; ensure permits are obtained in advance of shipment and are valid for the full transit route.
• Track and document insurance certificates, permit documentation, and other compliance artifacts for each shipment; maintain an organized record for internal reference and audit.
• Stay current on regulatory changes affecting heavy haul transportation across the domestic and international routes in which ThermalWorks operates.
• Cross-Functional Coordination
• Coordinate closely with the ThermalWorks Project Management team on customer site readiness, expected delivery windows, on-site rigging arrangements, and receipt logistics; execute clean handoff of responsibility once equipment arrives at the customer site.
• Coordinate with manufacturing partner logistics contacts to ensure pickup arrangements, documentation, and dock-side coordination are aligned; escalate promptly when carrier or partner behavior threatens delivery commitments.
• Coordinate with Finance and Accounting on freight billing, cost allocation, and reconciliation of freight invoices against contracted rates and services.
• Participate in operational meetings as required, providing shipment status, upcoming delivery outlook, and any risks or issues requiring attention or escalation.
• Documentation, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement
• Maintain accurate documentation for every shipment, including bills of lading, carrier confirmations, insurance certificates, permits, delivery receipts, and any deviations or claims that arise during transit.
• Track and report on key logistics metrics, including on-time delivery performance, freight costs against budget, carrier performance, and shipment claims.
• Identify recurring issues, cost pressures, or process gaps and propose improvements to reduce transportation cost, improve delivery reliability, or strengthen carrier relationships over time.
• Support development of standard operating procedures, carrier rate agreements, and other durable process artifacts that reduce reliance on individual knowledge and support scale as ThermalWorks grows.
• Required Qualifications
• Education and Experience
• Five to ten years of professional experience in heavy haul logistics, freight brokerage, transportation coordination, or equivalent, with demonstrated experience moving industrial equipment or comparable large-scale freight.
• Demonstrated experience sourcing and managing heavy haul carriers, including negotiating rates, evaluating carrier capability, and managing carrier performance over time.
• Demonstrated experience with the practical realities of oversize and overweight transportation, including permit management, route planning, escort requirements, and regulatory compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating rigging arrangements, including familiarity with crane operations, load securement, and specialized handling equipment.
• Demonstrated experience working with manufacturing partners on outbound logistics and with end customers on receipt logistics.
• Technical and Systems Knowledge
• Working knowledge of freight rate structures, fuel surcharges, accessorial charges, and the commercial terms typical of heavy haul transportation.
• Working knowledge of transportation management systems (TMS), freight tracking platforms, and carrier scorecarding tools; ability to construct tracking and reporting workbooks in Microsoft Excel when TMS tools are insufficient.
• Working knowledge of insurance coverage types applicable to freight (motor truck cargo, general liability, umbrella coverage, contingent cargo) sufficient to evaluate adequacy for specific shipments.
• Working knowledge of state and federal permit requirements for oversize and overweight loads; familiarity with international shipping documentation (bills of lading, commercial invoices, certificates of origin, customs documentation) for cross-border shipments.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint for documentation, correspondence, and reporting.
• Professional Skills
• Strong organizational and tracking discipline. Heavy haul logistics is unforgiving of missed details on dates, weights, dimensions, permits, or insurance, and the role requires comfort working with structured information at high accuracy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to coordinate professionally with carriers, manufacturing partner logistics contacts, project managers, and customer counterparts.
• Ability to anticipate problems before they become escalations — particularly schedule slippage, permit issues, or capacity constraints — and to act on early signals rather than reacting after the fact.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent shipments, carrier relationships, and reporting commitments; meet recurring deadlines; and adjust priorities when shipment situations shift.
• Ability to maintain productive working relationships with carrier counterparts under time pressure, including in conversations about delays, expediting, and rate negotiation.
• Ability to work effectively in a fully remote environment, maintain steady communication with team members across multiple locations and time zones, and contribute productively in both individual and group settings.
• Professional discretion. The Heavy Haul Logistics Lead will routinely handle non-public commercial information, including carrier rates, contract terms, customer delivery commitments, and internal cost data.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certification in transportation, logistics, or supply chain management, such as Certified in Transportation and Logistics (CTL), Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), or equivalent.
• Direct experience with international freight coordination, including cross-border shipments to and from European Union and Asian manufacturing partners.
• Direct experience moving HVAC equipment, data center equipment, industrial cooling equipment, or similar large-scale industrial products.
• Direct experience working with contract manufacturers as the outbound logistics interface, including responsibility for coordinating pickup and rigging arrangements at partner facilities.
• Experience supporting logistics operations during a period of rapid growth or scale-up, including the addition of new manufacturing partners, new product lines, or new geographies.
• Working knowledge of a second language, particularly Spanish, given the company's active operations in Spain and Latin America.
• Working Conditions
• Remote position, with core working hours overlapping the Operations team's schedule and flexibility required to accommodate occasional after-hours coordination during shipment events.
• Travel of up to 30% is required, including domestic and international travel to manufacturing partner sites, customer sites for high-value or complex deliveries, and carrier facilities as required to maintain relationships and verify capabilities.
• Standard business hours, with flexibility required to accommodate coordination with European Union and Asian counterparts, and to respond to time-sensitive shipment situations.
• Occasional after-hours or weekend availability may be required during critical shipment events, in-transit issues, or time-sensitive customer delivery situations.