Outbound Freight Coordinator

BELL LUMBER & POLE COMPANY•New Brighton, MN

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Outbound Freight Coordinator supports the effectiveness of Bell Lumber and Pole by coordinating outbound and inbound freight activities. This is an onsite position in New Brighton, Minnesota, with a Monday through Friday schedule from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Compensation is $58,000 to $70,000. The role coordinates shipping documentation, customer and carrier communications, shipment scheduling, truck loading, order updates, and receiving reports. For locations handling shipments to Canada and Mexico, the coordinator also manages export paperwork and border-crossing documents, works with vendors and freight forwarders, and resolves customs issues. The position provides phone backup, attends shipping meetings as required, and performs other responsibilities assigned by management.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
At least 5 years of proven logistics or dispatch experience.
At least 3 years of proven experience in export processes.
Knowledge of lumber shipping and/or forestry product shipping.

Nice To Haves

Community college or technical diploma.

Responsibilities

Create physical or online bills of lading (BOLs) for shipments leaving the local yard by truck or rail, including poles, TSO, and other shipments.
Prepare driver paperwork for each load, including special instructions, maps, phone numbers, and staking sheets.
Contact customers 24–48 hours before shipments leave the yard or according to customer-requested lead times.
Verify shipping information, obtain driver signatures, record load ticket numbers in the system, and update BOL dates.
Send BOL copies to customers who require them when shipments leave the yard.
Coordinate outbound loads and shipping dates with managers.
Provide mobile drivers and yard counters with instructions about loads to set out for delivery.
Serve as the main point of contact for trucking calls and route dispatcher calls through the coordinator’s desk.
Coordinate delivery of back orders with managers and maximize truck capacity on those loads.
Update customer websites with information about shipped orders.
Update customers weekly about open orders and obtain processed-order information from the yard manager.
Ensure products are in stock and ready for customer pickup.
Receive shipment paperwork from drivers and process receiving reports according to standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Update SOPs when shipments are delayed or changes are required.
Release empty rail cars to MNNR when needed and handle empty rail billing for leased rail cars.
Work with receiving yard employees to complete receiving reports for inbound railcars.
Verify that yard receiving reports match incoming BOLs and original notifications, then forward the information to the Inventory department.
Communicate reasons for late shipments and tentative new shipping dates to sales teams.
Generate and send weekly reports, including treated inventory data.
Prepare and distribute load slips for outbound customer shipments.
Print work orders for shipping processes.
Optimize truck loading to maximize freight efficiency.
Update the Shipping and Receiving System (SPS) with second acknowledgments and Advanced Shipping Notices (ASN) when shipments are ready to ship.
At sites handling shipments to Canada and Mexico, prepare export paperwork and border-crossing documents; coordinate with vendors and freight forwarders to combine loads for shipment to the port; and obtain required export documents, including treating and phytosanitary certificates.
Maintain an understanding of export requirements for each load in the out-of-country shipping process.
Process outbound loads to Canada and Mexico, send necessary paperwork to Customs, and resolve issues with customs brokers.
Provide phone backup support when necessary.
Attend daily shipping meetings as required.
Perform other responsibilities assigned by management.