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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Freight Representative Assistant

💰 $ - $

LogisticsSupply ChainTransportationFreight Operations

🎯 Role Definition

The Freight Representative Assistant supports freight and transportation operations by coordinating shipments, communicating with carriers and customers, preparing and auditing shipping documentation, and resolving transactional and service issues. This role is focused on accuracy, timeliness, and maintaining strong relationships with carriers, vendors and internal teams to ensure on-time, cost-effective delivery across domestic and international lanes.

Key SEO terms: Freight Representative Assistant, freight operations, shipment coordination, carrier relations, freight billing, logistics support, transportation administration, supply chain execution.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Shipping Clerk / Shipping Administrator
  • Customer Service Representative (Logistics)
  • Warehouse Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Freight Representative / Freight Coordinator
  • Carrier Relations Specialist
  • Logistics Supervisor / Transportation Supervisor
  • Freight Manager / Transportation Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Customer Success / Account Coordinator (Logistics)
  • Rate Analyst / Pricing Coordinator
  • Customs Documentation Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Coordinate daily inbound and outbound freight activities, including booking carriers, confirming pickup and delivery windows, and sequencing shipments to meet production and customer deadlines.
  • Act as the primary point of contact for carriers, drivers and third‑party logistics providers (3PLs) to schedule pickups, provide routing instructions and manage exceptions to ensure on‑time performance.
  • Prepare, review and maintain freight documentation such as bills of lading (BOL), manifests, commercial invoices, packing lists and any required customs paperwork for cross‑border shipments.
  • Audit freight invoices and freight bills against carrier contracts, shipment records and rate confirmations; prepare dispute packets and work with carriers to obtain credits for overcharges or incorrect bills.
  • Track shipments end‑to‑end using Transportation Management Systems (TMS), carrier portals and EDI/API feeds; proactively notify customers and internal stakeholders of delays, exceptions and ETA changes.
  • Enter and maintain accurate shipment data in TMS, ERP and billing systems; generate daily shipment reports and KPI dashboards for operations and management review.
  • Negotiate and confirm spot rates and standard accessorial charges with carriers under supervision, escalating complex rate negotiation to senior freight staff when required.
  • Coordinate and process claims for loss, damage and shortage by collecting supporting documentation, filing claims with carriers and following up until resolution and recovery.
  • Assist the logistics team with tendering shipments to carriers according to service levels and routing guides while optimizing cost and transit time.
  • Verify carrier insurance, operating authority and safety compliance; maintain carrier qualification records and assist with annual vendor audits.
  • Support load planning and consolidation activities to maximize truck/container utilization, minimize empty miles and reduce freight spend.
  • Communicate with customers and internal teams (sales, warehouse, purchasing, production) to confirm order details, resolve discrepancies and provide shipment status updates.
  • Prepare and distribute shipping confirmations, proof of delivery (POD) and delivery exception reports to customers and internal stakeholders in a timely manner.
  • Manage and update routing guides, carrier contact lists, special handling instructions and hazardous materials documentation when applicable.
  • Support cross‑functional projects such as rollouts of new carriers, TMS implementations, EDI onboarding and process improvement initiatives.
  • Maintain tight inventory and shipment records for cycle counts, audits and month‑end close; coordinate with accounting on freight accruals and reconciliations.
  • Ensure compliance with DOT, FMCSA and other regulatory requirements for carriers and freight movement, including hazardous materials regulations when applicable.
  • Facilitate carrier scorecards and performance tracking by collecting on‑time delivery, claims frequency and other service metrics; recommend action plans for underperforming carriers.
  • Assist with load documentation for intermodal, LTL, TL, and parcel shipments; understand rate structures and apply the correct billing codes and accessorials.
  • Provide back‑up support for dispatch and on‑call coverage as needed, including after‑hours communication with carriers and customers for critical shipments.
  • Maintain confidentiality of customer and carrier contracts, rate agreements and sensitive shipment information while maintaining strong professional relationships.

Secondary Functions

  • Support freight-related ad‑hoc reporting requests and prepare summary analytics for cost-to-serve and carrier performance reviews.
  • Assist with EDI setup and troubleshooting between carriers and internal systems; liaise with IT or external vendors to resolve data feed issues.
  • Participate in continuous improvement projects to streamline booking, billing and claims workflows and reduce administrative cycle times.
  • Contribute to the development and maintenance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for freight administration and shipment handling.
  • Coordinate with procurement and legal teams to support carrier contract renewals and review service level agreements (SLAs).
  • Support seasonal capacity planning efforts by compiling historical shipment data and providing forecasting input to operations managers.
  • Train new hires and provide on‑the‑job mentoring for administrative freight tasks, TMS navigation and carrier communication best practices.
  • Assist with the preparation of internal and external audits by compiling shipment logs, freight records and compliance documentation.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Transportation Management System (TMS) proficiency (e.g., Transplace, Descartes, CargoWise, MercuryGate, Oracle Transportation Management).
  • Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) knowledge and experience with EDI 204/210/214 messages or API-based shipment integrations.
  • Strong Excel skills (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, INDEX/MATCH, formulas) for freight audit, reporting and rate comparisons.
  • Freight billing and auditing experience, including freight rate validation, accessorial charge reconciliation and carrier invoice dispute resolution.
  • Familiarity with carrier classification and rating (LTL class, dimensional weight, weight breaks) and understanding of FTL/LTL/Parcel pricing models.
  • Experience preparing and interpreting bills of lading (BOL), shipping manifests, commercial invoices and customs documentation for cross-border shipments.
  • Basic knowledge of DOT, FMCSA, hazardous materials handling, customs compliance and other regulatory requirements affecting transportation.
  • Experience with carrier onboarding and qualification processes including insurance certificate verification and authority checks.
  • Shipment tracking and tracing tools, carrier portals and GPS/TElematics basics for monitoring freight movement.
  • Basic accounting fundamentals for freight accruals, billing reconciliations and collaboration with accounts payable/receivable teams.
  • Familiarity with rate negotiation fundamentals and contract terms, including accessorials, detention, layover and fuel surcharge calculations.
  • CRM or ERP system experience (e.g., SAP, NetSuite, Salesforce) beneficial for order and customer communication integration.

Soft Skills

  • Clear, professional verbal and written communication; comfortable interfacing with carriers, customers and cross‑functional teams.
  • Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy when preparing documentation and auditing invoices.
  • Strong problem‑solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot shipment exceptions under time pressure.
  • Customer‑focused mindset with the ability to manage expectations and deliver timely status updates.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to handle high-volume transactional work and competing deadlines.
  • Collaborative team player who can coordinate across operations, sales, warehouse and finance.
  • Adaptability to shifting priorities, seasonality and unexpected transportation disruptions.
  • Negotiation and influencing skills to secure favorable carrier service and rate outcomes where appropriate.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or GED required.

Preferred Education:

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

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Logistics and Transportation
  • Business Administration
  • International Trade / Customs
  • Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1 to 4 years of experience in freight coordination, logistics support, shipping/receiving administration, or transportation operations.

Preferred:

  • 2+ years working in freight operations or as a freight coordinator/assistant with hands‑on experience in TMS, carrier communication, freight billing and claims processing.
  • Experience in LTL and TL operations, intermodal and international freight documentation is a plus.
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