Customer Relations Specialist

Forward Air Corp.; Des Plaines (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incentive Eligible

Job summary

Forward Air Corp. in Des Plaines, IL is seeking a Customer Relations Specialist / Operations Agent to provide advanced customer service, coordinate complex shipment activity, and oversee billing and records.

This on-site role supports multiple teams and carriers with a focus on timely, compliant performance. Responsibilities include supervising shipment tracking, documentation accuracy, and cross-functional collaboration to resolve issues, improve service, and mentor junior staff.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required; undergraduate degree preferred.
• Progressive experience in customer relations, logistics, or operational support roles with increasing responsibility.
• Strong judgment and discretion in resolving complex customer and operational issues.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with ability to manage competing priorities.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication; able to influence and collaborate across teams.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, on-site environment with minimal supervision.
• Discretion and confidentiality in handling sensitive information.
• Proficiency with common office technologies, including Windows and Microsoft O365; web conferencing tools.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior point of contact for customers, carriers, drivers, and internal teams, managing complex or escalated service inquiries.
• Oversee and coordinate shipment activity from order entry through delivery, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with procedures.
• Exercise independent judgment to resolve shipment exceptions, delays, and documentation issues; determine corrective actions.
• Lead advanced tracking and tracing activities, identifying disruptions and communicating mitigation plans to stakeholders.
• Coordinate and optimize scheduling for pickups, deliveries, appointments, and workflows across multiple parties.
• Review, validate, and approve shipping documentation including AWBs, bills of lading, labels, and POD.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to coordinators and support staff on procedures and systems.
• Oversee billing accuracy and financial documentation; analyze discrepancies and resolve AR/AP issues.
• Maintain organized electronic and physical files for shipment, financial, and administrative records.
• Collaborate with operations, dispatch, and leadership to improve communication, service reliability, and process efficiency.
• Identify recurring service issues or process gaps and recommend improvements.
• Support terminal activities including freight acceptance and specialized shipment coordination.
• Participate in meetings, training, and improvement projects.
• All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.

Skills

Customer relations

Logistics coordination

Operational support

Communication

Organizational skills

MS Office

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft O365

Teams/Zoom/Webex

Job description

The Customer Relations Specialist/Operations Agent provides advanced customer service, operational coordination, and administrative oversight to support complex shipment activity within a multimodal transportation terminal, air/ocean branch, or contract logistics site. Serving as a senior point of contact, they manage escalated customer needs, oversee end-to-end shipment coordination, and resolve service issues and improve operational outcomes. They are responsible for overseeing scheduling, shipment tracking and tracing, documentation accuracy, and core financial processes including billing, accounts receivable, and accounts payable support. Working closely with customers, carriers, drivers, and internal operations teams, they proactively identify risks, recommend solutions, and ensure service commitments are met.

Base Pay: $65,000-$75,000 annually

Incentive Eligible

Schedule:

• Monday- Friday 7am-4pm
• Monday- Friday 8am-5pm
• Monday - Friday 9am-6pm

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior point of contact for customers, carriers, drivers, and internal teams, managing complex or escalated service inquiries.
• Oversee and coordinate shipment activity from order entry through delivery, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with established procedures.
• Exercise independent judgment to resolve shipment exceptions, service delays, and documentation issues; determine appropriate corrective actions.
• Lead advanced tracking and tracing activities, proactively identifying potential disruptions and communicating mitigation plans to stakeholders.
• Coordinate and optimize scheduling for pickups, deliveries, appointments, and operational workflows across multiple parties.
• Review, validate, and approve shipping documentation including air waybills (AWBs), bills of lading, labels, and proof of delivery (POD).
• Provide guidance and informal mentorship to Customer Relations Coordinators and support staff on procedures, systems, and customer interactions.
• Oversee billing accuracy and financial documentation; analyze discrepancies and work cross-functional to resolve AR/AP issues.
• Maintain oversight of organized, compliant electronic and physical files for shipment, financial, and administrative records.
• Collaborate with operations, dispatch, and leadership teams to improve communication, service reliability, and process efficiency.
• Identify recurring service issues or process gaps and recommend improvements aligned with operational goals.
• Support terminal or site activities as needed, including freight acceptance and coordination of specialized shipment requirements.
• Participate in cross-functional meetings, training initiatives, and operational improvement projects.
• 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.
• Progressive experience in customer relations, logistics, transportation, or operational support roles with increasing responsibility.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion in resolving complex customer and operational issues.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage competing priorities independently.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence and collaborate across teams.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented, on-site environment with minimal supervision.
• 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.