Customer Relations Coordinator

Forward Air Corp.; Des Plaines (IL); On-site; USD 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Forward Air Corp. in Des Plaines, IL is seeking a Customer Relations Coordinator to provide front-line administrative and customer service support for accurate shipment processing, documentation, and timely updates at a 100% on-site site.

You will be the main contact for customers, carriers, drivers, and internal teams, handling scheduling, tracking, documentation, and basic billing tasks while maintaining compliant records and delivering superior service.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; degree preferred.
• Experience in customer service or administrative support is preferred.
• Proficient with Windows and MS Office applications.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow established processes.
• Clear written and verbal communication with a customer focus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a central point of contact for customers, carriers, drivers, and internal teams via phone, email, and in-person interactions.
• Provide front-line customer service by responding to shipment status inquiries and documentation requests.
• Perform accurate data entry for shipment details and order updates within required timelines.
• Track and trace shipments and communicate updates to customers and internal teams.
• Coordinate scheduling for pickups, deliveries, and appointments.
• Prepare and organize shipping documents such as AWBs, BOLs, labels, and POD.
• Support accounts receivable, accounts payable, and billing tasks as needed.
• Maintain organized electronic and physical files for shipment and financial documentation.

Skills

Customer service

Data entry

Attention to detail

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Outlook

Excel

Word

Job description

Pay Rate: $20 per hour

Schedule: Mon, Thur & Fri 8:30am - 4:30pm

The Customer Relations Coordinator provides front-line administrative and customer service support to ensure accurate shipment processing, documentation, and communication multimodal transportation terminal, air/ocean branch, or contract logistics site. They serve as a primary point of contact for customers, carriers, drivers, and internal teams, helping ensure shipments move smoothly and customers receive timely, accurate updates. They are responsible for scheduling, shipment tracking and tracing, customer support, documentation, and core financial activities such as accounts receivable, accounts payable, and billing. They interact closely with customers, drivers, carriers, and operational teams to support the timely movement of freight across logistics networks and may assist with freight acceptance and basic cartage support where applicable.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a central point of contact for customers, carriers, drivers, and internal teams via phone, email, and in-person interactions.
• Provide front-line customer service by responding to shipment status inquiries, documentation requests, and routine service questions.
• Perform accurate data entry for shipment details, customer instructions, order updates, and operational records within required timelines.
• Track and trace shipments using internal systems and carrier platforms; communicate updates to customers and internal teams.
• Coordinate scheduling for pickups, deliveries, appointments, and other routine operational activities.
• Prepare, review, and organize shipping documents such as air waybills (AWBs), bills of lading, labels, and proof of delivery (POD).
• Support terminal or site activities as needed, including freight acceptance, driver assistance, and shipment paperwork handling.
• Assist with accounts receivable, accounts payable, and billing support tasks, including invoice preparation, verification, and reconciliation.
• Maintain organized and compliant electronic and physical files for shipment, financial, and administrative documentation.
• Communicate with carriers, warehouses, dispatch, and internal operations teams to support timely movement of freight.
• Identify routine service issues or delays and elevate them to operations leadership according to established procedures.
• Support routine administrative tasks such as inbound/outbound mail processing, record updates, and office supply monitoring.
• Participate in training, meetings, and process improvement activities as assigned.
• All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.

Qualifications

• Education: High School Diploma or GED equivalent required; undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university preferred.
• Previous experience in customer service, administrative support, logistics, or transportation environments preferred; training provided.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to follow established processes consistently.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills with a customer-focused approach.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, team-oriented, on-site environment.
• 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.