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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Dock Coordinator

💰 $ - $

LogisticsWarehouseOperationsTransportation

🎯 Role Definition

The Dock Coordinator is responsible for planning, scheduling, and executing inbound and outbound dock activities to ensure timely, safe, and accurate movement of freight. This role manages carrier relationships, load documentation (BOLs, PODs), dock staffing and staging, and collaborates with transportation, warehouse, and customer service teams to resolve exceptions. A successful Dock Coordinator uses WMS/TMS systems, monitors KPIs (on-time departure, detention, dock productivity), enforces OSHA and DOT standards, and drives continuous improvement in dock workflows.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Dock Associate / Material Handler
  • Shipping & Receiving Clerk
  • Transportation/Logistics Assistant

Advancement To:

  • Dock Supervisor / Lead
  • Warehouse Supervisor / Manager
  • Transportation/Logistics Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Inventory Control Specialist
  • Transportation Coordinator
  • Freight/Claims Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Schedule and coordinate daily inbound and outbound appointments with carriers and 3PLs using the TMS and carrier portals, optimizing dock door assignments to minimize wait times and maximize throughput.
  • Verify incoming shipments against purchase orders, packing lists, and ASN/EDI transmissions; inspect pallets and products for damage, discrepancies, or non-conforming packaging and raise exceptions per claims process.
  • Prepare and review all outbound shipping documentation including bills of lading (BOLs), packing lists, commercial invoices (when applicable), and carrier manifests to ensure legal and customer compliance.
  • Load and unload freight planning: sequence loads, stage trailers by route and priority, and direct forklift and material handler resources to meet cut-off times and minimize double-handling.
  • Act as the primary point of contact for carriers at the dock: check-in drivers, confirm paperwork and seal numbers, direct trailer parking and staging, and resolve on-site issues to keep schedules on track.
  • Monitor dock productivity metrics (e.g., door turns per hour, on-time departures, detention minutes) and produce daily/weekly reports to site leadership to highlight trends and improvement opportunities.
  • Coordinate cross-dock operations by directing immediate transfer of inbound freight to outbound shipments, ensuring strict timing to meet delivery windows and reduce storage time.
  • Enforce safety, OSHA, and DOT policies at the dock: ensure PPE use, safe trailer movement, lockout/tagout compliance, and proper hazardous materials handling and placarding when required.
  • Conduct pre-load and pre-shipment quality checks including weight verification, pallet configuration, shrink-wrap integrity, and load securement to prevent freight damage and claims.
  • Manage trailer inventory and yard management tasks: track empty and loaded trailers, update yard management systems, and coordinate trailer moves for optimal dock utilization.
  • Liaise with customer service and account managers on shipment exceptions, delivery delays, and special handling instructions to maintain customer satisfaction and accurate communication.
  • Initiate and manage freight claims and shortage/damage investigations: collect evidence, complete claim forms, communicate with carriers, and follow through to resolution.
  • Train, schedule, and supervise dock staff and temporary labor: assign daily tasks, provide coaching on load standards and safety, and escalate performance or staffing issues to supervision.
  • Implement load optimization and palletizing best practices to improve cube utilization and minimize transportation costs by advising on consolidation and packaging changes.
  • Manage carrier performance by tracking service level agreements (SLAs), on-time pick-up/delivery statistics, and detention/dispute metrics; provide feedback and engage carriers in continuous improvement conversations.
  • Coordinate special shipments including LTL, TL, hazmat, refrigerated, and expedited freight, ensuring routing, temperature control, and proper documentation are in place.
  • Maintain accurate records in Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Transportation Management Systems (TMS), EDI logs, and manual logs for audit readiness and traceability.
  • Execute pre-trip and post-trip checks on trailers and refrigeration units when applicable, noting mechanical or temperature excursions and routing issues with maintenance and carriers.
  • Lead root cause analysis for recurring dock issues (missed appointments, claims spikes, mis-picks), propose corrective action plans, and work cross-functionally to implement process improvements.
  • Coordinate seasonal and peak-shipment planning activities, including scaling labor, staging additional dock space, and adjusting appointment windows to meet volume surges.
  • Ensure compliance with customer-specific routing guides, packaging specifications, and carrier requirements for specialized accounts and international shipments.
  • Facilitate communication between procurement, production, and distribution teams to prioritize critical inbound materials required for production continuity or urgent customer orders.
  • Support ERP/WMS/TMS upgrades and testing by validating dock-related workflows, data accuracy, and process documentation; provide end-user feedback and training.
  • Maintain an organized, clean, and hazard-free dock area, ensuring aisles, staging zones, and exits are clear and equipment is properly stored and maintained.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Assist procurement and planning teams with inbound visibility reports and ETA reconciliation.
  • Participate in continuous improvement projects (5S, Kaizen) to reduce touchpoints and speed up door turns.
  • Backfill other warehouse roles during peak periods (shipping, receiving, inventory cycle counts) as needed.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficient with Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) — experience with systems such as Oracle WMS, Manhattan, SAP WM, JDA, Blue Yonder, or equivalent.
  • Strong experience with Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) transactions (ASN, 204, 214, 210) and carrier portal use for appointment scheduling.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, data filtering) and comfortable creating operational dashboards and KPI reports.
  • Familiarity with yard management systems (YMS) and trailer/yard tracking best practices.
  • Knowledge of carrier types and freight modes (TL, LTL, intermodal, expedited) and freight costing fundamentals.
  • Experience preparing and auditing shipping documentation: BOL, POD, commercial invoices, hazardous materials documentation, and customs paperwork for cross-border shipments.
  • Comfortable using RF scanners, barcode systems, and mobile devices for scanning and cycle counting.
  • Basic mechanical and equipment familiarity — understanding of dock levelers, trailer locks, pallet jacks, and forklift interaction (forklift certification is a plus).
  • Working knowledge of OSHA, DOT, and hazmat regulations (49 CFR) relevant to dock operations.
  • Experience with freight claims processes and carrier negotiation/resolution workflows.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent verbal and written communication with carriers, internal stakeholders, and customers.
  • Strong organizational and time-management skills; ability to prioritize competing shipments and meet strict cut-off times.
  • Problem-solving mindset with the ability to troubleshoot exceptions under pressure.
  • Attention to detail for accurate documentation and damage/shortage identification.
  • Team leadership and coaching skills for managing dock crews and temporary staff.
  • Customer-service orientation and ability to manage expectations during disruptions.
  • Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced, high-volume operational environment.
  • Analytical mindset to interpret KPI trends and drive process improvements.
  • Negotiation skills for carrier disputes and detention fee resolution.
  • Collaborative approach to work cross-functionally with planning, procurement, and operations teams.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:
High school diploma or equivalent.

Preferred Education:
Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations Management, Business Administration, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Logistics & Transportation
  • Operations Management
  • Business Administration
  • Industrial Engineering (applied to operations)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:
1–5 years of experience in dock operations, shipping & receiving, or logistics coordination.

Preferred:
2–4+ years coordinating dock/transport activities with demonstrated experience using TMS/WMS, managing carrier relationships, and meeting KPI targets in a distribution or manufacturing environment. Previous supervisory or team lead experience and familiarity with EDI and freight claims preferred.

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