Lead CDL Driver - Las Cruces

The Lead CDL Driver is responsible for ensuring the fleet/warehouse yard is opened, maintained in a safe  and secure manner, and organized in such a way to make it easier on CDL drivers to head out on their  routes. The Lead Driver is also responsible for all equipment used at the fleet yard/warehouse is in proper  working order and put away at the end of each day. The Lead CDL Driver is also responsible for checking  in with drivers as they arrive, provide paperwork, and resolve issues that may arise due to route  changes or call ins. This role is also responsible for problem solving and communicating key issues regarding  equipment, loads, and technology to appropriate personnel.  This role is responsible for operating Class A  and non-Class A vehicles as needed and serving as a CDL Driver backup. The Lead CDL Driver will also act  as a backup for the Logistics and Distribution Manager. This position is Grant Funded under HB-1 funding  through June 30, 2027.  The continuation of the position after June 30, 2027, is dependent on the securing of additional funding. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. 

Yard/Warehouse Responsibilities:

• Assigns equipment as necessary 
• Requests maintenance/repairs on broken equipment 
• Provides input about inclement weather / road conditions 
• Engage drivers daily at start of shift and provide paperwork and other assistance to ensure prompt departure times 
• Provides driver training and re-training when necessary 
• Assist drivers in loading and unloading donations 
• Move trailers within the yard (i.e., “yard jockey” duties), reposition equipment, and assist with dock operations. 
• Fuel tractors and trailers as needed 
• Keeps manager informed about relevant information regarding the CDL Drivers and communicate successes 
• Provides support to drivers on the road as needed 
• Routinely communicates safety issues, agency feedback, process deviations or other relevant information to team 
• Maintains good communication and fosters good relationships with other departments in the food bank, with patience and professionalism 
• Communicates and solves problems with Routing & Dispatch Coordinator, Logistics & Distribution Manager and others, as needed 
• Works with drivers to ensure all reasonable actions are taken to prevent accidents or injuries and ensures a safe and productive work environment 
• May assist in investigating all accidents, customer complaints and transportation delays and helps to develop steps for prevention 
• Provides equipment training to staff, monitors use and ensures proper and safe operation, as assigned 
• Conducts vehicle and driver audits, reports findings to team and suggests action plan when necessary 
• Reports safety issues in the work environment 
• Help maintain yard safety, control vehicle/trailer traffic, ensure compliance with internal safety rules and external regulatory requirements. 

 Backup CDL Driver: 

• Delivers needed food to organizations and schools who help hungry people throughout the state of New Mexico 
• Covers routes when drivers are on vacation or sick. 
• Pickups and deliveries of food products 
• Transports fresh produce and other food products to shuttle locations and other delivery sites as assigned, including Mobile Market sites 
• Maintains DOT mandated paperwork using an electronic logging device (ELD)  
• Reads and understands schedules, customer orders, work orders, and shipping orders to determine appointments and inventory to be moved, picked up, or distributed  
• Sorts and stores perishable goods in the proper refrigerated spaces  
• Ensures perishable goods are transported at the proper refrigerated temperature  
• Ensures that all stock and inventory items are maintained in compliance with Food Bank guidelines and all applicable local, state, or federal laws or regulations 
• Observes all local, state, and federal regulations regarding vehicle transport and Department of Transportation rules  
• Completes forms, reports, and logs as required  
• Ensures vehicles and trailers are maintained in clean, safe condition; performs basic pre-trip and post-trip inspections 
• Must be flexible for occasional early mornings, late-day deliveries, or weekend/holiday support when required by business need 
• Ensures proper handling, storage and transport of perishable goods (refrigerated/frozen) in compliance with food-safety, internal and regulatory requirements  
• Leads by example: ensures safe driving practices, models compliance with vehicle and equipment regulations, and reports unsafe conditions 
• Mentors and guides other drivers (or driver-team), assisting in route planning, best practices, schedule coordination, and customer-service standards 
• Operates warehouse equipment (forklift, pallet jack) as needed, especially in loading/unloading 
• Provides excellent customer service to partner agencies, donors, and the public  
• Able to work independently  
• Observes safety and security procedures and reports potentially unsafe conditions to immediate supervisor  
• Demonstrates respect for RRFB team as a reliable teammate who regularly reports to work on time 

Supervisory Responsibilities 

This position does not directly supervise employees, but it coordinates the activity of drivers, interns, and temps as assigned. This position has decision-making capability regarding the operation of the driver’s team if the Logistics &  Distribution Manager is not present or available.  This position acts as a backup to the manager when the Logistics  & Distribution Manager is not on site or available. 

Competencies 

• Able to work independently  
• Make adjustments to routes in routing software when necessary 
• Problem solve and communicate cross-departmentally 
• Resolve issues with scheduling or routes on the fly, as they arise. 
• Provide input about inclement weather / road conditions. 
• Re-assign equipment when necessary 
• Keeps manager informed about relevant information regarding the transportation department and communicates successes 
• Represent the organization professionally — interacting with partner agencies, donors, the public. 
• Displays a passion and optimism for the work, provides vision and inspiration to peers, and exemplifies RRFB core values 

Work Environment 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.  

• This job is mainly a driving position with the need to load and unload trailers as needed 
• Be home most nights, while being flexible to support regional routes when needed (depending on assignment). 
• Inside and outside environmental conditions with no effective protection from the weather 
• Extreme cold – temperatures below 32 degrees for periods of more than one hour 
• Extreme heat - temperatures above 100 degrees for periods of more than one hour; includes other environmental conditions such as wind and humidity 
• Noise - may be necessary to shout to be heard above ambient noise level 
• Hazards including a variety of physical conditions such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, moving vehicles, electrical current, working on scaffolding and high places, exposure to high heat or exposure to chemicals 
• Atmospheric conditions such as those that affect the respiratory system or the skin and may include fumes, odors, dust, mist, gases, or poor ventilation 

Physical Demands 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. 

• Ability to exert in excess of 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or in excess of 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects.  
• Climbing – Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized  
• Balancing – Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling and walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery or erratically moving surfaces  
• Stooping – Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles  
• Kneeling – Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees  
• Crouching – Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine  
• Crawling – Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet  
• Reaching – Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction  
• Standing – For sustained periods of time  
• Walking – Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another  
• Pushing – Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward  
• Pulling – Using upper extremities to exert force to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion  
• Fingering – Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling  
• Grasping – Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm  
• Feeling – Perceiving attributes of objects such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly fingertips  
• Talking – Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word, conveying detailed or important spoken instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly  
• Hearing – Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction  
• Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make discriminations in sound  
• Repetitive Motion – Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hand, and/or fingers  
• Close visual acuity to perform an activity such as viewing a computer terminal and visual inspection of the operation of machines and/or using measurement devices at distances close to the eyes, operating machines where the seeing job is at or within arm’s reach, operating motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment, determining the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned or making general observations of facilities and structures  
• Very Heavy work – Ability to exert in excess of 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or in excess of 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects  
• Ability to perform mechanical or skilled trade tasks of a non-repetitive nature such as carpenter, technician, plumber, painter, mechanics as may be needed to help maintain the workspace  

Travel Required 

• Frequent travel required (regularly 75% of working time)  
• Though infrequent, workdays may start as early as 2:00 AM  
• Overnight stays may be required  
• Company vehicle provided for travel  
• Mileage reimbursement is provided for the use of a personal vehicle for work-related activities  
• Valid commercial driver’s license, continuous positive MVRs (Motor Vehicle Reports), continuous negative random drug test panels (urinalysis), and maintenance of DOT medical certification are required to drive RRFB commercial vehicles  
• Saturdays are required as scheduled for distribution support  

Required Education, Licenses, Certifications, and Experience 

• Current and valid CDL “Class A” Driver License, a safe driving record, current DOT Medical Certification and for insurance purposes must be at least 21 years of age 
• Minimum 1-year Commercial Class A CDL Driving experience 
• Minimum 1-year experience with heavy equipment (forklift, riding jack, electric jack) 
• Ability to be insured under the RRFB insurance carrier plan 
• Completion of Servsafe training 
• Minimum of one-year related experience (preferable experience in a warehouse, retail, wholesale, or food service setting – or – one year of prior food bank experience) 
• Ability to think strategically and to resolve problems.  
• Independent decision-making skills  
• Positive attitude and ability to work as part of a team 
• Ability to learn new software programs and work within structure  
• Self-starter and team player with the ability to work independently and effectively  
• Excellent customer service, organization, planning, communication, and public relations skills 
• Ability to work with people of widely varied backgrounds 
• Possess a high level of interpersonal skills to interact professionally with the public and work effectively with others 
• Strong communication skills 
• Good computer skills and experience using Microsoft Office Suite 
• Ability to maintain confidentiality. 
• Willing and able to work very early morning hours 
• Capable of communicating with a team inclusive of diverse backgrounds 

Preferred Education, Licenses, Certifications, and Experience 

• Prior food handling experience and/or safety training 
• Prior experience in food banking, with an emphasis on transportation and produce operations 
• Minimum one year food bank experience in a leadership role in a warehouse environment 
• Experience in general warehouse equipment including operation of forklift and electric pallet jack 
• Knowledge of food safety and proper food storage and handling techniques 

 Work Authorization/Security Clearance Requirements 

•  Legally Authorized to work within the United States 

 Grant-Supported Position Statement 

This position is Grant Funded under HB-1 funding through June 30, 2027.  The continuation of the position after June 30, 2027, is dependent on the securing of additional funding.   

 Affirmative Action/EEO Statement 

Roadrunner Food Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status. 

 E-Verify Statement 

Roadrunner Food Bank participates in the E-Verify program. 

 Other duties 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

 This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give assignments.  

 This role description excludes the marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of fundamental job duties. All Key Result areas are essential job functions and requirements. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" relationship.