
Transportation Permitting Specialist
Job Description
Clayton is a leading single-family, values-driven home builder dedicated to attainable housing, sustainable practices and creating a world-class experience for customers and team members. Our company portfolio includes a broad offering of attainable housing, and as a vertically integrated home builder, we are uniquely positioned to serve customers through every stage of the homeownership journey – building, selling, financing, and insuring homes. From entry-level to more experienced positions, we're actively recruiting individuals who are passionate, positive, and eager to learn. We then equip you for success, whether you're in the office, in the field, or on the floor. As a member of our team you'll enjoy excellent benefits, opportunities for growth, and an encouraging culture that supports work / life balance.
Position Summary
The Transportation Permitting Specialist is responsible for researching, securing, verifying, and managing oversize and overweight permits required to support the transportation of manufactured homes across multiple jurisdictions. This role serves as the central point of coordination for permitting and route compliance, working with state DOT portals, local agencies, dispatch, Driver Supervisors, and field leaders to ensure loads move legally, safely, and on schedule.
This position directly supports driver experience and operational reliability by reducing permitting delays, clarifying routing restrictions, and ensuring drivers receive accurate permit and route information before departure.
Duties and Responsibilities
Permitting and Regulatory Compliance
- Research, prepare, submit, and secure oversize and overweight permits through state DOT portals, local agencies, and approved permit systems.
- Review permit applications for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with jurisdictional requirements.
- Maintain current working knowledge of state and local permitting requirements, fee schedules, travel restrictions, expiration rules, and regulatory updates.
- Verify that permit requirements align with load dimensions, weights, configuration, equipment, and planned route.
- Ensure permit records are complete, accurate, and available for audit or operational review.
Routing and Load Planning Support
- Evaluate route requirements and restrictions, including bridge limits, height clearances, road closures, construction zones, curfews, holiday restrictions, and sunrise to sunset travel rules.
- Coordinate with dispatch, Driver Supervisors, and terminal leadership to align permits and routing with planned load movement.
- Identify escort, pilot car, flagging, signage, lighting, and other movement requirements based on state and local regulations.
- Communicate routing limitations early to prevent driver disruption, missed departures, or unnecessary route changes.
Operational Execution and Driver Support
- Process permit requests accurately and within required timelines to support scheduled load departures.
- Ensure permits are secured, verified, and distributed to drivers and operations before load movement.
- Serve as the primary resource for permit related questions from drivers, dispatch, Driver Supervisors, and terminal leadership.
- Resolve permit delays, denials, discrepancies, or route changes by working directly with state agencies and internal stakeholders.
- Provide clear permit instructions, routing details, and travel restrictions to drivers and field teams.
Data, Cost Tracking, and Process Improvement
- Maintain accurate permit logs, including jurisdiction, load details, issue dates, expiration dates, permit numbers, costs, and applicable restrictions.
- Track permit costs, turnaround times, errors, delays, and recurring issues for reporting and operational review.
- Support invoice review and cost reconciliation related to permit fees and permitting services.
- Identify opportunities to improve permit ordering, routing communication, documentation, and overall process efficiency.
- Escalate recurring permitting issues or regulatory changes that may impact service, cost, or compliance.
Key Performance Indicators
Ensures a permit accuracy rate of 99% or greater by maintaining precise documentation and compliance standards, minimizing risk and reducing the need for rework.
Completes all permits prior to scheduled dispatch to support on-time departures and maintain operational efficiency.
Monitors permit turnaround times and driver delay trends to identify bottlenecks, improve processes, and enhance the overall driver experience.
Maintains accurate tracking of permit costs and ensures timely communication of routing and restriction updates to prevent disruptions and support effective planning.
Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent required; associate degree or higher preferred.
- 1 to 3 years of experience in transportation, logistics, permitting, dispatch, compliance, or administrative operations preferred.
- Experience obtaining oversize and overweight permits through state DOT portals or third party permit systems strongly preferred.
- Knowledge of DOT, FMCSA, and state transportation requirements preferred.
- Familiarity with manufactured housing, heavy haul, specialized transport, or oversize load operations preferred.
- Strong attention to detail with ability to manage multiple permit requests, deadlines, and route changes simultaneously.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office, web based platforms, and ability to learn transportation or permitting systems.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to explain technical requirements clearly to drivers and operations.
- Customer service mindset with strong follow through, urgency, and problem solving ability.
Why Clayton?
Full-time team members have the flexibility to create their own health, dental, and vision benefits package. Clayton provides competitive 401K programs, including investment options and company matching for full and part time team members after one year to help our team members achieve their financial goals. Additional benefits include paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement, Employee Assistance Programs, and more.
As part of Clayton’s commitment to Opening Doors to a Better Life, Clayton is now providing paid time for Team Members to volunteer to causes that are meaningful to them through the Clayton Impact program.
At Clayton, we encourage holistic wellness with physical, nutritional, social, financial, spiritual and occupational programs available online or in-person for team members.
Clayton is committed to creating an inclusive workplace. Clayton is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.
Business Unit - B00007
Clayton Connect