Dispatch Coordinator

Givens Talent•Chesapeake, VA

17h•Onsite

About The Position

The Dispatch Coordinator is a hands-on operations role managing day-to-day backhaul coordination and front-haul support. This role is responsible for pre-planning company drivers across drayage, outbound, local, and yard activities. Core duties include assigning and adjusting driver’s work, monitoring freight status, minimizing empty miles and asset dwell time, and maximizing fleet utilization while maintaining service commitments. The role requires accurate tracking, dispatching, and documentation of import/export containers within the TMS and customer platforms, alongside proactive communication with drivers, internal teams, customers, brokers, and port/terminal contacts.

Requirements

Experience in transportation/logistics operations (dispatch, brokerage support, intermodal/drayage, or similar) with responsibility for tracking loads and communicating status updates.
Working knowledge of DOT/FMCSA regulations and hours-of-service rules, including split sleeper berth.
Exceptional attention to detail and strong organization in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
Ability to work a full-time schedule with time-sensitive workload demands; willingness to support occasional early/late coverage as operational needs require.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; able to identify issues and implement solutions quickly.

Nice To Haves

CDL-A dispatch experience supporting company drivers (local/OTR) in an interstate and/or port environment; ability to make real-time adjustments to protect service.
Experience obtaining multi-state overweight permits for seagoing containers.
Knowledge of drayage/dry van terminology and processes (demurrage, per diem, detention, OS&D), chassis/equipment types, port/terminal reservations, and import/export container flows.

Responsibilities

Execute daily dispatch for assigned company fleet(s) and provide coverage support across Southeast markets.
Coordinate local drayage and road movements to meet pickup/delivery appointments and service commitments.
Provide overflow dispatch support to other fleets/markets as workload requires.
Ensure drivers complete electronic dispatch updates and required documentation accurately and on time; follow up on exceptions.
Coordinate driver schedules and capacity plans with OTR Dispatch Supervisors to maximize utilization while meeting hours-of-service and customer requirements.
Track inbound import freight from vessel arrival through final delivery; identify constraints affecting appointment readiness.
Maintain accurate container/dry van status and appointment updates in the TMS and required customer portals/spreadsheets.
Extract and reconcile container status from shipping line sites, port/terminal systems, and third-party tools, document exceptions.
Create port/terminal reservations and obtain pickup PINs/authorizations in coordination with terminals and agents.
Verify yard checks and equipment availability (container/chassis) to support accurate dispatch decisions and accountability.
Provide proactive status updates to customers and internal stakeholders throughout the freight lifecycle via email/phone, as required.
Coordinate container availability and issue resolution with brokers, freight forwarders, ocean carriers, and terminals.
Serve as a point of contact for customer inquiries, escalations, and special handling requests, document outcomes and next steps.
Support other dispatch/operations functions as needed and perform other duties as assigned.
Request and process overweight permits as required for planned movements; communicate permit details to drivers.
Coordinate with drivers and Maintenance to address equipment issues impacting dispatch; document actions taken.