cargo terminal coordinator

title: Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Cargo Terminal Coordinator
salary: $45,000 - $70,000 / year
categories: [Logistics, Supply Chain, Terminal Operations, Freight Forwarding]
description: A comprehensive overview of the key responsibilities, required technical skills and professional background for the role of a Cargo Terminal Coordinator.
Detailed recruiter-style role brief for a Cargo Terminal Coordinator — optimized for SEO and LLMs.
Includes 20+ real-world responsibilities and required technical and interpersonal skills used by hiring teams
in ports, airports, and inland terminals. Keywords: cargo terminal coordinator, terminal operations,
cargo handling, manifests, customs clearance, dangerous goods, freight scheduling, WMS, TMS, KPI.

🎯 Role Definition

The Cargo Terminal Coordinator is responsible for managing daily cargo flow and terminal operations to ensure safe, compliant, and efficient handling of inbound and outbound freight. This role coordinates with carriers, freight forwarders, trucking companies, customs authorities and internal ops teams to schedule shipments, optimize gate and yard throughput, and resolve exceptions. The coordinator enforces regulatory compliance (customs, hazardous goods, ISPS), maintains accurate documentation (manifests, bills of lading, EDI), tracks KPIs (dwell time, throughput, on-time departures) and drives continuous improvement initiatives to reduce cost and speed cargo flow. This person is the operational hub between customer service, warehouse/stowage, and external stakeholders.

Primary keywords for SEO & LLM understanding: cargo terminal coordinator, terminal scheduling, cargo manifests, customs clearance, import/export operations, dangerous goods handling, yard management, EDI/manifesting, throughput optimization, operational KPIs.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Cargo Handler / Ramp Agent / Stevedore
Logistics Coordinator or Freight Forwarder Assistant
Warehouse or Yard Supervisor

Advancement To:

Terminal Operations Supervisor / Manager
Port Operations Manager
Logistics Network Planner / Capacity Manager

Lateral Moves:

Export/Import Documentation Specialist
Freight Scheduling Planner
Carrier Relations or Customer Success in Logistics

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Schedule, prioritize and coordinate daily inbound and outbound cargo movements across the terminal to meet carrier cut-off times and customer SLAs, ensuring minimal dwell and maximum throughput.
Manage gate operations and yard flow by assigning yard slots, sequencing loads, and coordinating with drayage/trucking partners to reduce queue times and avoid bottlenecks.
Prepare, review and validate shipment documentation including manifests, bills of lading, delivery orders, commercial invoices and customs declarations to ensure accuracy for import/export clearance.
Serve as primary liaison with customs brokers, port authorities and regulatory bodies to facilitate inspections, expedite holds/releases and maintain compliance with customs and trade regulations.
Oversee hazardous and dangerous goods handling by verifying DG documentation, ensuring appropriate segregation and stowage, and coordinating special handling as required by IMDG/IATA/49 CFR.
Monitor cargo status in TMS/WMS/Terminal Operating System (TOS) and update manifests, EDI transmissions and shipment statuses to provide accurate real-time visibility to customers and internal teams.
Coordinate with carriers, airline cargo, shipping lines and rail operators on arrival/departure times, berth/flight/rail assignments, and contingency plans for delays or equipment shortages.
Track and report key operational KPIs such as terminal throughput, dwell time, on-time departures, equipment utilization and damage rates; prepare daily and weekly performance summaries for management.
Lead exception management by triaging delayed, damaged, misdeclared or missing shipments, owning root-cause investigations, coordinating corrective actions and communicating status to stakeholders.
Validate and reconcile cargo counts, container numbers, seal integrity and weight declarations against manifests and bills of lading to prevent mis-ships and avoid penalties.
Manage inbound container/air cargo acceptance procedures, inspect documentation, verify consignor/consignee details and coordinate onward movement or storage assignments.
Schedule and coordinate cargo handling equipment (forklifts, reachstackers, conveyors) and labor resources with operations supervisors to meet demand peaks and planned departures.
Ensure terminal safety and security compliance with ISPS, OSHA and site-specific regulations by enforcing PPE, conducting safety briefings and escalating hazards or incidents.
Supervise or coordinate temporary staff, shift handovers and communication between day/night operations to maintain continuity and accurate logs of activity.
Implement and maintain cargo labeling, segregation and palletization standards to improve load accuracy and minimize rework during cross-dock or transload activities.
Manage financial/administrative tasks related to terminal operations such as detention/ demurrage tracking, billing exceptions, cost allocations and chargebacks in coordination with finance teams.
Facilitate pre-alerts, advance notifications and ETA updates to customers and trading partners to reduce wait times and improve customer satisfaction.
Coordinate quality inspection and damage assessment workflows, document claims, capture photographic evidence, and coordinate salvage or disposition work with insurance and claims teams.
Participate in terminal capacity planning and shift rostering to align resource levels with seasonal peaks, vessel/flight schedules and commercial commitments.
Drive continuous improvement projects focused on dock-to-gate cycle time reduction, EDI automation, paperless documentation and layout improvements to increase throughput and lower operating cost.
Conduct regular audits of manifest accuracy, documentation compliance and equipment maintenance logs; implement corrective actions and report audit findings to operations leadership.
Maintain accurate logs of hazardous material inventories, MSDS documentation, and ensure emergency response plans are up-to-date and understood by on-site personnel.
Coordinate with IT and systems teams to troubleshoot TMS/WMS/TOS and EDI issues, test system changes and ensure data integrity across cargo management systems.
Support business continuity and contingency planning for disruptions (weather, labor actions, customs holds) by executing contingency workflows and communicating with customers on alternate plans.
Execute customer-specific SOPs and SLA requirements for sensitive shipments (temperature-controlled, high-value, perishable) and coordinate special handling and chain-of-custody documentation.

Secondary Functions

Assist in on-boarding carriers, freight forwarders and trucking partners by validating credentials, service agreements and operational readiness.
Support terminal invoicing and exception billing processes by supplying operational evidence (scan logs, arrival/departure times) to commercial and billing teams.
Participate in cross-functional meetings with sales, customer service, and procurement to align operations with commercial strategies and customer commitments.
Provide training and coaching for new hires on terminal SOPs, cargo documentation procedures, and safety protocols to ensure consistent execution.
Contribute to environmental compliance and sustainability initiatives such as idling reduction, waste management and energy-saving equipment deployment.
Maintain and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) and job aids to reflect regulatory changes, system updates and continuous improvement outcomes.
Conduct root cause analysis on recurring delays or cargo damage and recommend process or layout changes to prevent reoccurrence.
Support ad-hoc reporting requests for senior management, analyzing operational data to inform decisions on capacity investments or schedule adjustments.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Terminal Operating System (TOS) and Warehouse Management System (WMS) operation and configuration experience (e.g., Navis, TOS/TMS, Manhattan, SAP EWM).
Freight and cargo documentation expertise: manifests, bills of lading, AWBs, delivery orders, commercial invoices, packing lists.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and messaging: experience with 322/753/754/856 messages, IFTMIN, or similar manifest/E-freight messages.
Customs and trade compliance knowledge: import/export procedures, customs clearance, HS codes, duties, and bonded cargo handling.
Dangerous Goods handling and regulatory compliance (IMDG, IATA DGR, 49 CFR) including segregation, labeling and documentation best practices.
Scheduling and slot management: yard planning, gate scheduling tools and capacity planning methodologies.
Basic container and cargo weight verification and load/distribution principles, including VGM (verified gross mass) awareness.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables), Google Sheets, and operational reporting tools for KPI tracking and daily reporting.
Familiarity with yard/terminal equipment types (reachstackers, RTGs, forklifts) and basic maintenance coordination.
Experience with EDI troubleshooting, data reconciliation and integrating TOS/WMS with carriers and customs brokers.
Knowledge of temperature-controlled cargo handling and special storage requirements for perishable goods.
Basic project management skills to support process improvement initiatives (Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma foundations desirable).

Soft Skills

Strong stakeholder communication: clear, concise status updates to customers, carriers, customs and internal teams.
Problem-solving and decision-making under pressure, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple exceptions simultaneously.
Customer service orientation with a proactive approach to prevent issues and manage expectations.
Attention to detail and accuracy in documentation to avoid costly customs or shipping errors.
Team leadership and collaboration: ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and lead shift handovers.
Time management and organizational skills to manage competing schedules, resources and deadlines.
Adaptability and resilience to operate in a fast-paced, 24/7 environment with frequent schedule changes.
Analytical mindset to interpret operational data and translate insights into process improvements.
Conflict resolution and negotiation skills when dealing with carriers, drivers and customers during service disruptions.
Continuous improvement mindset with an appetite for operational excellence and process automation.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent with relevant logistics/operations experience.

Preferred Education:

Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Maritime Studies or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Transportation and Maritime Studies
Business Administration / Operations Management
Industrial Engineering or Process Optimization

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years in cargo handling, terminal operations, freight coordination or related logistics role.

Preferred: 3–7 years of terminal operations or cargo coordination experience with demonstrated exposure to customs processes, DG handling and terminal systems (TOS/WMS/TMS). Prior experience working at a port, airport cargo terminal, rail ramp or large inland container depot is highly desirable.