Client Account Specialist

Highway Transport•Houston, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Client Account Specialist is the central point of contact for customers, managing day-to-day activities and communications. The role books loads, communicates customer requirements to operations personnel, and provides customers with timely load-status updates. It may also involve soliciting business from existing customers. The specialist works closely with operations personnel, sales, and third-party vendors, and is based in the office in La Porte, Houston, Texas. The position manages load scheduling and booking, customer requirements, shipment changes, capacity coverage, revenue and accessorial charges, and dedicated-driver operations. It supports chemical-critical shipments from beginning to end, maintains customer account scorecards, and works to improve customer performance metrics while adhering to company policies and procedures. Highway Transport describes its culture as family-oriented and says it supports employees’ well-being and career ambitions. Its stated Responsible Care commitment includes protecting employee and contractor health and safety, protecting the environment, and minimizing the impact of operations on roadways and terminal areas.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalency required.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
Ability to build strong client relationships.
Ability to exercise independent judgment and address customer requests in a timely manner.
Strong organizational skills.
Ability to proactively assess, clarify, and validate customer needs on an ongoing basis.
Ability to work with deadlines and interruptions in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to use Microsoft software products, especially Outlook, Excel, and SharePoint.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree preferred.
At least 1 year of customer service experience preferred.
Experience in transportation logistics or operations preferred.
Transportation Management software experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Identify and understand customer requirements.
Review order tenders and work to ensure requested load coverage.
Review primary and non-primary lanes, and help cover overflow and chemical-critical requests.
Verify that customer requirements, directions, and contacts are accurate and up to date.
Complete customer reports and analyses.
Build and accept load tenders.
Work with service center operations to schedule load appointments, which may vary by shipment origin.
Comply with company transit standards.
Obtain Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for new products and verify that product SDS are current and accurate.
Review load information and requirements before committing to loads.
Review new products with the tank wash department, equipment planners, and driver managers.
Manage shipment changes and communicate them to Highway personnel.
Turn loads back and provide the best-case option for covering loads when capacity is tight.
Understand customer tariffs and accessorials, audit loads for additional accessorial charges, and communicate additional charges to customers and the billing department.
Fill capacity gaps by reaching out to customers and stay current on capacity at each service center.
Continue developing skills, expertise, and knowledge related to job assignments.
Interact with employees and customers to facilitate positive working relationships.
Proactively improve customer performance metrics.
Oversee chemical-critical shipments from beginning to end.
Manage dedicated-driver business fleets by working directly with customers, drivers, loading facilities, and the billing department.
Review and monitor account scorecards and manage account performance.
Adhere to company policies and procedures.