Carrier Procurement Specialist

Job Title: Carrier Procurement Specialist

Department: Transportation

Reports To: Manager: Freight Management Services

Position Type: Exempt

Schedule: 1st Shift - Monday - Friday

Values and Business Practices

• Customer First – We deliver on what we promise to our customers with a positive attitude
• We treat everybody with respect and dignity
• We operate with high business ethics
• We are a good corporate citizen
• We value our professional relationships
• We strive to have a “Continuous Improvement Culture”
• We are committed to the safety of our employees and our equipment/facilities

Flexibility: Works the hours needed to support the business goals (including overtime, weekends and holidays). Remains open-minded, performs a wide variety of job tasks, transitions from task to task effectively (multi-task).

Reliability: Always present and punctual; arrives prepared for work. Completes work in a timely, accurate and consistent manner. Plan and schedule your time off in advance with your supervisor or manager. Avoid unscheduled days off which will result in attendance points.

Attitude: Maintains a “Whatever it Takes” attitude. Lives by company stated values and inspires others.

Willingness to learn: Approaches new tasks with an interest to learn. Has the ability to learn techniques as job task requirements change.

Initiative: Seeks out additional work when job tasks are completed. Goes above and beyond required tasks. Participate in pre-shift meetings and department meetings.

Quality of Work: Maintains high standards despite pressing deadlines. Produces accurate, thorough and professional work. Understands the importance of “Only Handle It Once – OHIO”, by completing work correctly the first time.

Follows directions: Follows all written and verbal instructions provided by management, project leader, etc.…

Communication: Shares all information in a professional and factual manner ensuring the best decisions are made for the company. Report all issues to your manager/supervisor.

Appearance: Maintains an appropriate appearance and dresses in accordance with the established dress code guidelines to your respective position.

Position Expectations

1. Fast and accurate keyboarding skills and extreme attention to detail.
2. Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, the ability to quickly master Allen Distribution and customer proprietary software sites.
3. The ability to work in a fast paced and changing work environment
4. Exceptional customer service and communication skills
5. Carrier Procurement Experience

Core Duties:

• Identify appropriate mode of transportation to meet shipment criteria
• Sourcing qualified carriers for every available shipment to ensure safe, on time delivery while adhering to customer requirements, internal requirements, and related DOT regulations
• Utilization of carrier sourcing technology such as in-house carrier database, carrier portals, personal relationships, and load boards to match carriers to shipments
• Maintain reliable communications with carriers, customers and internal teams
• Pricing shipments competitively with both customer and carrier to ensure coverage while maintain company goals
• Anticipating and resolving issues as they arise
• Tracking of all booked loads through point of pickup to time of delivery to ensure accurate and available information is available for any given shipment

Partner Carrier Interaction:

• Continuously seeking new carriers to fulfill operational needs, improve performance and improve departmental financial goals
• Develop quality carriers into core partner carriers
• Inform Manager of carrier service strengths and/or weaknesses that are affecting performance levels
• Responsible for developing a monthly Carrier Scorecard to effectively manage carrier performance
• Responsible for carrier onboarding in RMIS and start up
• Responsible for accurate management of RMIS carrier database to ensure all data records are valid and up to date
• Ability to select appropriate carriers for shipments to maintain an On Time Performance level over 97%

Rating:

• Responsible for invoice reconciliation and approval for any invoices over general approval thresholds
• Ability to recognize invoicing errors and work with carriers to obtain invoice corrections as needed
• Ability to assist Manager in maintaining existing and entry of new customer rate schedules within the Rating Engine

Customer Service:

• Ability to communicate and problem solve with all customers, both internal and external, in a professional, courteous and effective manner
• Provide professional, detailed responses to customers inquiries in a timely manner. If not able to provide requested information, elevate issue to appropriate party, i.e. warehouse or Manager
• Ability to identify and determine appropriate solutions or course of action to resolve customer issues.
• Continually work to develop customer rapport and relationships
• Ability to recognize when service levels will not be met and to take appropriate action to elevate or address issues to ensure positive customer experience
• Ability to recognize trends in various issues which arise to determine if situation is a one time occurrence or is an on going issue with needs to be addressed

Freight Management Reports:

• Ability to utilize websites, customer software, interaction with customers/carriers to obtain data to compile information for operational reports
• Responsible for providing reports within the time expectations required per report.

Cross Coverage:

• Responsible for assisting in cross coverage on various duties in the absence of a fellow team member
• Responsible for assisting in the training of fellow team members on new tasks

Claims:

• Responsible for filing any customer claims filed with the Transportation Department in accordance with DOT regulations

On Call Coverage

• Assist with departmental on call coverage as determined by Manager, Freight Management Services

Project Management

• Ability to work under the direction of the Manager, Freight Management Services to assist in projects as needed

These expectations are meant to be a guide and may be changed at any time at the discretion of Allen Distribution