Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Transportation Driver Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Transportation Driver Coordinator is a frontline logistics role responsible for day-to-day driver dispatching, schedule management, compliance monitoring, route planning, and driver performance oversight. This role ensures safe, efficient movement of people and/or freight by coordinating driver assignments, maintaining regulatory records (DOT, HOS, licensing, drug testing), resolving on-road issues, and collaborating with operations, customer service and maintenance teams. The ideal candidate balances operational urgency with attention to compliance and continuous improvement, leveraging TMS, GPS/telematics and data to drive measurable KPI improvements.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Line Driver / CDL Driver transitioning to an office-based coordination role
Dispatcher or Routing Specialist looking for expanded responsibility
Customer Service or Logistics Support Associate moving into operational coordination

Advancement To:

Fleet Manager
Transportation Manager / Dispatch Supervisor
Operations Manager — Logistics

Lateral Moves:

Route Planner / Optimization Analyst
Safety & Compliance Coordinator
Driver Trainer / Onboarding Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate and manage daily driver schedules and dispatch assignments across multiple routes and shifts, ensuring optimal coverage while minimizing overtime and empty miles.
Assign drivers to loads and routes using the company TMS and GPS/telematics data, balancing driver hours-of-service (HOS), qualifications, endorsements, and customer delivery windows.
Monitor Hours of Service (HOS) and ELD records in real time, proactively reassigning loads and adjusting schedules to maintain DOT compliance and avoid violations.
Conduct pre-hire and periodic driver file reviews, verify licenses, medical certifications, insurance documents, and driving records to meet company and regulatory standards.
Serve as the primary point of contact for drivers on duty, providing real-time operational support for breakdowns, delays, detours, and customer escalations to restore service quickly.
Collaborate with maintenance and shop teams to schedule routine vehicle inspections and coordinate repairs so driver downtime is minimized and vehicle readiness is maintained.
Use telematics, GPS and routing software to track vehicles, monitor driver behavior (speeding, idling, harsh braking), and implement corrective actions for safety and cost reduction.
Draft and update route manifests, load sheets, and driver instruction packets; ensure drivers have accurate delivery details, special handling instructions, and contact information.
Manage driver onboarding and offboarding processes including orientation scheduling, drug/alcohol testing coordination, I-9 and background/verifications, and issuance of safety materials.
Maintain accurate driver logs, payroll time entries, fuel/toll records, DVIRs, accident reports, and drug testing results in accordance with company policy and regulatory requirements.
Investigate incidents and accidents involving drivers, coordinate with insurance, safety teams and legal as needed, draft incident reports and follow up on corrective action plans.
Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders (customer service, warehouse, sales) and external partners (customers, brokers, subcontractors) to ensure alignment of expectations and smooth deliveries.
Implement and monitor KPIs and performance metrics such as on-time delivery, driver utilization, cost per mile, empty miles, accidents per million miles, and safety violation rates; report trends and recommend operational improvements.
Administer driver incentive programs, disciplinary processes, and performance reviews in partnership with HR to retain high-performing drivers and address chronic issues.
Coordinate cross-dock, local pickup/drop, and last-mile operations to optimize load consolidation and delivery windows in urban and regional networks.
Negotiate and manage relationships with third-party carriers, owner-operators and subcontractor drivers; ensure subcontracted services meet SLAs and contractual compliance.
Prepare daily, weekly and monthly dispatch summaries and operational reports for leadership, highlighting exceptions, root causes and proposed remediation steps.
Support fuel and route cost control initiatives by monitoring fuel card usage, tolls, routing efficiencies and recommending fuel-efficient routes or driver coaching.
Maintain and audit compliance with local, state and federal transportation regulations (DOT, FMCSA, state trucking requirements), preparing for internal and external audits.
Lead periodic safety meetings and driver communications, roll out policy updates, regulatory changes and seasonal driving guidance to maintain a safety-first culture.
Coordinate special permits, oversize/overweight route planning, and escort requirements when applicable, ensuring necessary documentation and regulatory approvals are in place.
Proactively anticipate capacity and staffing needs, partnering with recruiting to forecast hiring needs and reduce service interruptions during peak seasons.

Secondary Functions

Provide ad-hoc operational reports and data to support route optimization, productivity initiatives and executive decision-making.
Participate in process improvement projects (Lean/Six Sigma mindset), documenting standard operating procedures and testing new dispatch tools or workflow automations.
Support driver training programs by delivering classroom-or field-based orientation, defensive driving refreshers and compliant HOS best practices.
Assist with seasonal surge planning, special events and customer projects requiring temporary route redesign or driver reallocation.
Work with IT/Systems to test and rollout updates to TMS, ELD integrations, fleet telematics and mobile driver apps.
Support payroll and billing teams with timesheet reconciliation, driver pay disputes and verification of billed driver hours or load charges.
Maintain and file DOT and company-required documentation for audits; coordinate records requests and provide documentation to regulatory agencies as needed.
Act as back-up for shift leads or dispatch supervisors during planned absences or peak workload windows.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Commercial driver scheduling and dispatching experience using Transportation Management Systems (TMS) such as McLeod, Descartes, Oracle Transportation, or similar.
Strong working knowledge of DOT/FMCSA regulations, Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules, ELD/telematics compliance and driver qualification file requirements.
Real-time GPS/telematics monitoring and analytics experience (Samsara, Geotab, FleetComplete, Verizon Connect) to proactively manage driver behavior and route adherence.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, data validation) and experience generating operational dashboards and KPI reports.
Familiarity with electronic logging devices (ELD) integrations, troubleshooting HOS exceptions and escalating device issues to vendors.
Basic understanding of route optimization and load planning principles, including zone-based scheduling, multi-stop sequencing and backhaul minimization.
Experience managing driver onboarding and compliance workflows: CDL verification, DOT medical cards, background checks and drug/alcohol testing programs.
Practical knowledge of accident investigation, incident reporting, claims processing and coordination with safety/compliance teams.
Ability to interpret and apply contracts, service level agreements (SLAs) and carrier rate confirmations when assigning work to third parties.
Experience with fuel card programs, toll reconciliation and basic budget monitoring for fleet operating expenses.
Familiarity with workforce management tools, timekeeping systems and payroll reconciliation related to driver hours and overtime.
Basic data literacy: extracting, cleansing and communicating operational data to non-technical stakeholders.

Soft Skills

Strong verbal and written communication skills for clear driver directions, customer updates and cross-functional coordination.
Excellent problem-solving and decision-making under pressure — able to triage and redirect resources quickly when routes or drivers are disrupted.
Customer service orientation with ability to manage escalations calmly and maintain service-level expectations.
Conflict resolution and coaching skills to address driver performance issues and support continuous improvement.
Time management and prioritization to balance reactive dispatching demands with proactive planning activities.
Attention to detail and thoroughness in documentation to maintain compliance and accurate records.
Teamwork and collaborative mindset to work seamlessly with operations, maintenance, HR and safety teams.
Adaptability to changing regulations, technologies and seasonal demand patterns.
Analytical mindset with comfort using KPIs to drive operational decisions and continuous improvement.
Ethical conduct and confidentiality when handling sensitive driver and safety information.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma or GED

Preferred Education:

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

Relevant Fields of Study:

Logistics & Supply Chain Management
Transportation / Fleet Management
Business Administration / Operations Management
Safety Management / Occupational Health

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of experience in dispatch, driver coordination, fleet operations or logistics support

Preferred:

3–7 years in transportation operations with direct responsibility for driver scheduling, DOT compliance, TMS use, and telematics monitoring; prior experience supervising or leading dispatch teams is a plus.