Transportation Specialist

This role focuses on managing and optimizing cross-border drayage operations, ensuring that containers move efficiently and compliantly across international borders and through the supply chain. You will oversee short-haul trucking movements, monitor container activity, resolve real-time transportation issues, and leverage data to improve visibility, performance, and process reliability. This position is ideal for someone who enjoys working with data, collaborating with carriers and internal teams, and driving operational excellence in a fast-paced logistics environment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee cross-border freight movements between countries such as the United States, Canada, and Mexico, ensuring timely and compliant transportation.
• Coordinate drayage operations, including short-haul trucking from ports or border crossings to fulfillment centers, warehouses, or other facilities.
• Serve as a central point of contact for resolving real-time transportation issues involving carriers, vendors, and internal teams.
• Ensure all loads are visible and accurately reflected in relevant applications, using Excel and online portals to maintain up-to-date status information.
• Manage and resolve disruptions within transportation and drayage portals, escalating issues as needed and following through to resolution.
• Run and analyze reports to understand why containers have experienced delays or periods of inactivity, and identify root causes.
• Track containers within your assigned region, maintaining clear and accurate visibility of their status throughout the supply chain.
• Provide verbal updates and reports on events and issues within your scope, clearly communicating status, risks, and next steps.
• Conduct deep-dive investigations into container movements, delays, and performance, and present findings and insights to stakeholders.
• Use Excel to track containers, aggregate data, and perform analysis using pivot tables and VLOOKUPs at a minimum.
• Communicate clearly and professionally via collaboration tools such as Chime, Slack, email, and conference bridges to coordinate actions and share updates.
• Manage an assigned volume of work and a defined book of business, working independently in a focused, heads-down environment.
• Move containers across the supply chain by monitoring milestones, updating data, and identifying nuances or anomalies in movements.
• Pull, manage, and analyze large data sets to monitor data quality, identify trends, and drive process improvements.
• Use data-driven insights to support root cause elimination and continuous improvement initiatives within drayage and cross-border operations.

Essential Skills

• Strong operations or logistics support, ideally in supply chain, transportation, freight, or third-party logistics environments.
• Experience in account management or vendor management, particularly supporting logistics or transportation operations.
• Strong computer literacy with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables and VLOOKUP functions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and track containers or shipments across the supply chain using portals and spreadsheets.
• Proven problem-solving skills and a proactive mindset, with the ability to anticipate issues and take initiative to resolve them.
• Experience supporting logistics accounts, vendor relationships, or customer accounts in a fast-paced operational setting.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to clearly and professionally communicate via chat tools, email, and conference bridges.
• Strong verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide concise status updates and reports to stakeholders.
• Experience pulling and analyzing large data sets, with a focus on data management and data quality control.
• Demonstrated experience using data to drive root cause analysis, root cause elimination, and process improvement.
• Ability to work independently in a focused, heads-down environment while managing an assigned workload and book of business.
• High level of comfort working with technology, portals, and collaboration tools to monitor and manage freight operations.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in logistics, transportation, supply chain, freight, or distribution environments.
• Experience in customer service within manufacturing, transportation, or distribution settings.
• Experience handling customer or account management responsibilities, even outside of logistics, with a focus on managing ongoing relationships and performance.
• Vendor management experience, particularly coordinating with carriers or third-party logistics providers.
• Expertise in Microsoft Access and SQL is a strong plus for more advanced data analysis and reporting.
• Experience working with third-party logistics providers and coordinating multi-party freight movements.
• A strong interest in data, with an enthusiasm for spotting trends, patterns, and anomalies in operational metrics.
• Self-starter mindset with the ability to take ownership of issues, follow through on actions, and continuously look for ways to improve processes.
• Desire to build a career in logistics and supply chain with opportunities for growth in a global logistics environment.

Work Environment

Training takes place on-site Monday through Friday, with full in-office attendance required during the training period to ensure hands-on learning and close support. After training, the standard schedule runs from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the option to work remotely on Tuesdays while working in the office on other weekdays. The environment is fast-paced and data-driven, with frequent use of Excel, portals, and collaboration tools such as Chime, Slack, and email. You will work in a professional office setting focused on cross-border logistics, drayage operations, and continuous process improvement, with strong emphasis on accuracy, communication, and teamwork.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Tempe, AZ.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $22.00 - $22.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job
classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be
subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision

• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital

• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available

• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)

• Short and long-term disability

• Health Spending Account (HSA)

• Transportation benefits

• Employee Assistance Program

• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Tempe,AZ.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jun 25, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® double diamond winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.