Description
Coordinate and optimize daily transportation operations for inbound and outbound freight. Plan, schedule, and track shipments across modes; select and manage carriers; dispatch equipment; and ensure on-time, cost-effective, and compliant delivery with complete and accurate documentation throughout the shipment lifecycle.
- • Maintain strong relationships with customers, carriers, drivers, and internal stakeholders.
- • Understand shipment requirements, service levels, and special handling needs and ensure they are met.
- • Schedule and allocate shipments, vehicles, drivers, and equipment to meet demand.
- • Coordinate with sales, warehouse, procurement, and customer service to meet delivery requirements and mitigate shortages.
- • Protect shipment integrity and safeguard sensitive cargo information and documents.
- • Review transportation performance against KPIs, benchmarks, and service agreements with customers and carriers.
- • Build and maintain transportation plans, route schedules, and compliance checklists in the TMS.
- • Coordinate dispatch priorities, assign loads, and track execution to ensure resources are available.
- • Prepare and distribute daily shipment schedules, status updates, and performance reports.
- • Collect and analyze shipment and carrier data to improve routing, cost, and service.
- • Communicate routing options, ETAs, exceptions, and contingency plans to customers and management.
- • Create load tenders and freight estimates, documenting rates, accessorials, and assumptions.
- • Manage small transportation projects and process improvements, providing analysis and updates.
- • Evaluate routing alternatives and the impacts of order, schedule, or capacity changes.
- • Develop and maintain SOPs, training guides, and work instructions for transportation processes.
- • Stay current on TMS, ELD/telematics, and tracking tools to improve visibility and efficiency.
- • Optimize mode selection, routing, and load consolidation to reduce cost and transit time.
- • Manage carrier and 3PL activities, negotiate rates and capacities, and serve as liaison between parties.
- • Coordinate special shipments, samples, returns, and reverse logistics while minimizing accessorials and delays.
- • Perform freight audits, cost analyses, and lane studies to support budgeting and rate negotiations.
- • Ensure compliance with safety and regulatory requirements (e.g., DOT, HOS, hazmat as applicable).
- • Track and trace shipments end-to-end, proactively resolve delays, damages, and claims.
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Supply Chain & Transportation
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Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
