Brokerage Carrier Operations Specialist - 2nd Shift

Forward Air Corp.; Des Plaines (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Employee stock purchase program

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Forward Air Corp. in Chicago, IL is seeking a Brokerage Carrier Operations Specialist for 2nd shift to secure carrier capacity, manage late loads, and coordinate evening transportation execution.

You will serve as the primary liaison between carrier partners, stations, and customer-facing teams, ensuring on-time freight movement and meeting customer commitments. Qualifications include a Bachelor's in a related field and 1–2 years in freight brokerage or logistics; strong negotiation and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Transportation, or related field preferred; equivalent industry experience may be considered.
• 1–2 years of experience in freight brokerage, carrier sales, transportation operations, logistics coordination, or related field preferred.
• Strong negotiation and relationship-building abilities with carriers and internal teams.
• Excellent communication skills with internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage and secure carrier capacity for open loads before end of business day.
• Identify, manage, and recover late, at-risk, or bounced loads to minimize disruptions.
• Serve as evening point of contact for stations, account teams, customers, and facilities.
• Source, qualify, and engage carrier partners to meet coverage needs.
• Negotiate freight rates balancing capacity, service expectations, and profitability.
• Verify carrier compliance with company policies and standards.
• Monitor active shipments and update load status in TMS.
• Coordinate pickups and delivery appointments and communicate changes.
• Investigate and resolve shipment issues with urgency.
• Maintain communication with carrier dispatchers, drivers, and internal partners.
• Collaborate with first-shift teams to ensure smooth handoffs and continuity.
• Document carrier interactions and updates in designated systems.
• Support customer service with timely shipment updates and escalations.
• Contribute to process improvements to enhance performance.

Skills

Carrier capacity

Rate negotiation

Stakeholder communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management

Tools

TMS

Load boards

Shipment tracking tools

Job description

Brokerage Carrier Operations Specialist - 2nd Shift

Chicago, IL, United States

Job Info

• Job Identification 41813
• Job Schedule Full time
• Job Category Operations: Individual Contributors
• Job Category Logistics and Transportation
• Job Function Brokerage

Job Description

Compensation: $70,000 - 80,000 Annually

Shift: 2nd Shift (3:00 PM-11:00 PM)

The Brokerage Carrier Operations Specialist is responsible for securing carrier capacity, recovering service exceptions, and ensuring seamless transportation execution during critical evening operating hours. This role serves as the primary operational liaison between carrier partners, stations, customer-facing teams, and internal stakeholders. They proactively manage open freight opportunities, address carrier-related disruptions, and maintain shipment visibility to support service commitments. This role plays a critical part in ensuring freight moves efficiently and customer expectations are consistently met.

Responsibilities

• Manage and secure carrier capacity for all remaining open loads prior to the end of the business day, ensuring timely and cost-effective coverage.
• Proactively identify, manage, and recover late, at-risk, or bounced loads to minimize service disruptions and protect customer commitments.
• Serve as the primary evening point of contact for stations, account teams, customers, and facilities regarding critical shipment activity.
• Source, qualify, and engage carrier partners to support transportation coverage needs and market demands.
• Negotiate transactional freight rates while balancing capacity availability, service expectations, and profitability objectives.
• Verify carrier compliance requirements and ensure adherence to company policies and transportation standards.
• Monitor active shipments throughout the shift and maintain accurate load status visibility within transportation management systems.
• Coordinate pickup and delivery appointments and communicate schedule changes to appropriate stakeholders.
• Investigate and resolve shipment exceptions, delays, service failures, and other transportation challenges with urgency and professionalism.
• Maintain continuous communication with carrier dispatchers, drivers, stations, and internal partners to facilitate successful freight movement.
• Collaborate closely with first-shift operations, account management, and support teams to ensure effective handoffs and continuity of service.
• Document carrier interactions, load activity, issue resolution efforts, and operational updates in designated systems.
• Support customer service objectives by providing timely shipment updates and managing escalations when necessary.
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives that enhance carrier performance, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
• All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Transportation, or a related field preferred; equivalent industry experience may be considered.
• Certification/Licensure: No certification required; transportation and logistics industry certifications are a plus.
• One to two years of experience in freight brokerage, carrier sales, transportation operations, logistics coordination, or a related field preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate rates, secure carrier capacity, and build productive carrier relationships.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively interact with internal stakeholders, customers, carriers, drivers, and dispatch personnel.
• Proven problem-solving skills with the ability to make sound decisions in time-sensitive and high-pressure situations.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously while maintaining accuracy, organization, and attention to detail.
• Strong sense of urgency, accountability, and ownership in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Experience utilizing transportation management systems (TMS), load boards, shipment tracking tools, and other logistics technology platforms preferred.
• Flexibility to work a scheduled second-shift schedule and support business needs during critical operational periods.
• Demonstrated discretion and confidentiality in handling and protecting sensitive information.
• Technical: Proficient with common office technologies, including Windows PCs, Microsoft O365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and web conferencing (Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.)
• Environment: Comfort commuting to/from and working in a 100% on-site setting (listed in this posting), with travel for related meetings/events.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Compensation: Competitive base pay based on experience, industry/geographic benchmarks and internal equity. Some positions may be eligible for incentive pay programs and/or equity-based incentives. Pay ranges published on job boards are not provided nor verified by the Company.
• Health: Medical and Pharmacy insurance; Health Savings Account (HSA); Vision; Dental; Life and Disability; Critical Illness; Accident Indemnity; Hospital Indemnity; On-demand telehealth via Teladoc; Employee Assistance Program (counseling and financial/lifestyle coaching).
• Wealth: 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match; Employee stock purchase program; Flexible Spending Account (FSA); Commuter Benefits; LegalEASE legal coverage.
• Time: 7 paid holidays and generous Paid Time Off (PTO) tiers ranging from 10-25 days annually.
• Culture: A collaborative, transformation-driven, solutions-first environment full of "can do" attitude and "will do" work ethic.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Agencies: The Company does not accept unsolicited outreach from third parties. Absent an agreement signed by internal Talent Acquisition and Procurement, and a documented request from Talent Acquisition to submit candidates for a specified requisition, we will not approve payments to any third party.
• Work Authorization: Within the United States, the Company is an E-Verify employer. Unless otherwise indicated, U.S.-based workers must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship, including but not limited to F-1, H-1, H-2, L, J, and TN visas, etc.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI): The Company is proud to be an equal opportunity employer . Applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status.
• Reasonable Accommodations: Physical/mental requirements are listed only to identify where potential accommodations may be needed, not as qualification standards. In compliance with applicable laws and regulations (including ADA, ADEA, and FMLA), accommodations may be available to qualified individuals unable to perform essential duties without them. Additional requirements may apply to meet legal, regulatory, and Company standards.
• Recruitment Fraud: We will only contact you from @forwardair.com or @omnilogistics.com emails (system messages may come from @workflow.email.us-phoenix-1.ocs.oraclecloud.com). If reached via Indeed or LinkedIn, verify recruiters by reviewing their LinkedIn profiles. We will never request sensitive personal information outside secure systems, nor ask for purchases. Report suspected scams to the Federal Trade Commission and your state Attorney General .