1. Position Summary
TSI is seeking an experienced, organized, and detail-oriented Drayage Dispatcher to coordinate and manage container transportation between ports, rail ramps, container yards, warehouses, and customer facilities.
The successful candidate must have a minimum of two years of verifiable experience in drayage dispatching, port operations, or intermodal container transportation. The candidate must understand container pickup and delivery procedures, appointment scheduling, terminal operations, chassis arrangements, detention, demurrage, per diem, and container return requirements.
The Drayage Dispatcher will coordinate with carriers, truck drivers, steamship lines, terminals, rail facilities, warehouses, and customers to ensure shipments are completed on time while minimizing unnecessary transportation costs and accessorial charges.
2. Key Responsibilities
A. Drayage Dispatch and Load Coordination
• Dispatch and coordinate container movements for import, export, and intermodal shipments.
• Arrange container pickups from seaports, rail ramps, container yards, and other designated facilities.
• Coordinate deliveries to warehouses, distribution centers, customer locations, and transloading facilities.
• Arrange empty container returns to the correct steamship line-designated depot or terminal.
• Coordinate live unload, drop-and-hook, pre-pull, transloading, and container repositioning when required.
• Confirm carrier availability, driver assignments, equipment availability, and delivery schedules.
• Monitor loads from pickup through final delivery and empty return.
B. Port, Terminal, and Rail Operations
• Schedule and confirm appointments for container pickups, deliveries, and empty returns.
• Monitor terminal availability, container availability, holds, and release status.
• Verify container numbers, booking numbers, pickup references, release numbers, and delivery instructions.
• Coordinate chassis availability and resolve equipment-related issues.
• Track last free days (LFDs), terminal cutoffs, container availability dates, and return deadlines.
• Communicate terminal closures, congestion, delays, and operational restrictions to the appropriate parties.
• Ensure drivers receive accurate terminal instructions and documentation before dispatch.
C. Cost Control and Accessorial Management
• Monitor and help prevent avoidable demurrage, detention, per diem, storage, chassis rental, pre-pull, and waiting-time charges.
• Track free time and escalate shipments approaching critical deadlines.
• Review carrier rate confirmations and approved accessorial charges.
• Obtain approval for additional charges before authorizing services whenever practical.
• Maintain accurate records of accessorial events, supporting documentation, and customer approvals.
• Identify opportunities to improve dispatch efficiency and reduce the cost per container.
D. Shipment Tracking and Customer Communication
• Provide timely shipment status updates to customers, carriers, and internal operations personnel.
• Monitor container movements and proactively identify delays or service risks.
• Escalate missed appointments, terminal issues, driver delays, equipment shortages, and other exceptions.
• Maintain accurate estimated pickup, delivery, and empty-return times.
• Ensure shipment milestones are updated in the transportation management system (TMS).
• Communicate professionally and promptly by email, telephone, and operational messaging platforms.
E. Documentation and Administrative Duties
• Maintain complete and accurate shipment records.
• Collect and verify bills of lading, interchange receipts, proof of delivery (POD), container interchange documentation, and other required records.
• Record container numbers, chassis numbers when applicable, seal numbers, pickup and delivery dates, and empty-return confirmations.
• Ensure load documentation is available for invoicing, carrier payment, customer billing, and dispute resolution.
• Review dispatch records for discrepancies and missing information.
• Follow company procedures for load assignment, carrier communication, documentation, and reporting.
F. Carrier and Vendor Coordination
• Coordinate with approved drayage carriers and intermodal transportation providers.
• Confirm carrier capacity, pricing, equipment, operating hours, and service requirements.
• Maintain productive relationships with drivers, dispatch teams, terminals, warehouses, and customers.
• Report service failures, repeated delays, documentation issues, and potential carrier performance concerns.
• Follow company carrier approval and compliance procedures before assigning loads.
3. Required Qualifications and Experience
Candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:
• At least two years of verifiable professional experience specifically in drayage dispatching, port drayage, or intermodal container dispatch operations.
• Practical knowledge of U.S. port and rail-ramp operations.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating container pickups, deliveries, and empty returns.
• Working knowledge of container releases, terminal appointments, chassis arrangements, and empty-return procedures.
• Understanding of demurrage, detention, per diem, pre-pulls, and other common drayage accessorial charges.
• Experience tracking last free days and managing time-sensitive container movements.
• Strong communication, coordination, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, email, and transportation or logistics software.
• Ability to manage multiple shipments and competing deadlines accurately.
• Professional written and verbal communication skills.
4. Preferred Qualifications
• Experience working for a freight brokerage, drayage carrier, intermodal provider, freight forwarder, or third-party logistics company.
• Experience with transportation management systems (TMS), port community systems, terminal appointment platforms, and container tracking tools.
• Familiarity with major U.S. port and intermodal markets, including Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/New Jersey, Savannah, Houston, Charleston, Norfolk, and Chicago-area rail ramps.
• Experience coordinating with ocean carriers, railroads, transload facilities, and warehouse operators.
• Knowledge of import and export container processes.
• Experience preparing operational reports and identifying opportunities to reduce accessorial costs.
5. Verifiable Experience Requirement
TSI requires candidates to demonstrate that their stated drayage experience is genuine and directly relevant to the position.
Candidates should be prepared to provide:
• A detailed employment history identifying employers, job titles, dates of employment, and drayage responsibilities.
• Professional references who can verify their relevant experience, subject to appropriate authorization.
• A practical explanation of the dispatch process for a container from terminal pickup through delivery and empty return.
• Examples of how they have handled last free day deadlines, missed appointments, unavailable containers, chassis shortages, and empty-return problems.
• A practical assessment demonstrating their ability to coordinate a drayage shipment and identify potential accessorial charges.
Employment verification and reference checks will be conducted consistently and with appropriate candidate authorization.
6. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Performance will be evaluated using measurable operational standards, including:
• On-time pickup and delivery performance.
• Timely and accurate empty container returns.
• Reduction in avoidable demurrage, detention, per diem, and storage charges.
• Accuracy and completeness of shipment records.
• Speed and quality of shipment status updates.
• Timely identification and escalation of operational exceptions.
• Compliance with customer instructions and company procedures.
• Carrier and customer service quality.
• Accuracy of accessorial documentation and billing support.
• Ability to manage assigned shipment volume without compromising service quality.
7. Essential Skills and Competencies
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Attention to detail and accurate recordkeeping.
• Ability to prioritize urgent container movements.
• Proactive communication and follow-through.
• Practical problem-solving under time pressure.
• Cost awareness and sound operational judgment.
• Accountability, reliability, and professional conduct.
• Ability to work independently while coordinating effectively with a team.
8. Working Conditions
The position requires regular communication with carriers, drivers, terminals, warehouses, customers, and internal operations personnel. The dispatcher must be able to manage time-sensitive shipments, respond promptly to operational changes, and work within the coverage hours established by TSI and its customers.
Work schedules, time-zone coverage, remote or onsite arrangements, and after-hours responsibilities will be specified in the employment offer.
9. Application Instructions
Interested candidates should submit a current résumé detailing their drayage and intermodal experience, including employers, employment dates, systems used, shipment types handled, and major operational responsibilities.
Applicants must clearly identify their two or more years of verifiable drayage dispatching experience. Candidates whose experience is limited to general truckload dispatching without direct container or intermodal operations experience may not meet the minimum requirements.
TSI may conduct employment verification, professional reference checks, and job-related skills assessments before making a hiring decision.
Talent Solutions International (TSI)
Connecting shippers, carriers, and logistics partners through reliable transportation solutions.
Work Location: Remote