Reports to – Director of Transportation
Job Summary: The Outbound Freight Supervisor is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing outbound freight shipments that move outside NEFCO’s normal private-fleet delivery network. This role evaluates shipment requirements, selects the most effective and economical transportation method, coordinates brokered carriers, ensures freight is properly prepared and documented, and works cross-functionally to provide reliable, cost-conscious service to NEFCO customers and Orangefield locations.
Job Duties:
- Review outbound shipment demand and determine the appropriate shipping method based on destination, shipment size, product type, urgency, service requirements, and cost.
- Evaluate when freight should move through an Orangefield/service-center shuttle, parcel carrier, or brokered carrier and coordinate the selected method.
- Analyze outbound and picking queues to identify freight requiring next-day or time-sensitive transportation and schedule carriers proactively.
- Coordinate brokered transportation, including flatbeds, box trucks, sprinter vans, and other appropriate equipment based on the freight being shipped.
- Select the most economical transportation option that meets customer and operational requirements and identify opportunities to reduce outbound freight cost.
- Adjust carrier plans, stop sequence, or equipment requirements when shipment volume or customer needs change after the original transportation plan is created.
- Partner with Shipping and warehouse leadership to ensure outbound freight is completely picked, consolidated, wrapped, labeled, weighed, measured, staged, and ready when the carrier arrives.
- Ensure outbound shipments are accurately matched to ship tickets, manifests, Bills of Lading (BOLs), and other required shipping documentation.
- Create or coordinate Best Way manifests and ensure freight cost, carrier information, shipment photos, BOLs, and related documentation are captured and retained in the appropriate NEFCO systems.
- Communicate transportation cost to the appropriate stakeholders and escalate shipments when transportation cost is disproportionate to the value of the product or requires business approval.
- Maintain clear pickup and staging visibility so warehouse teams and carriers can quickly identify freight, stop sequence, carrier, and shipment status.
- Coordinate carrier arrival, loading, signed BOLs, PRO numbers, and completion of outbound freight documentation.
- Work closely with Sales, Customer Service, Shipping, Inventory, Transportation, and carrier partners to resolve outbound freight issues and protect the customer experience.
- Prepare freight quotes for Sales and Purchasing by evaluating carrier options, service requirements, shipment characteristics, and transportation cost.
- Respond to daily freight-quote requests with timely, accurate transportation-cost estimates to support customer, sales, and purchasing decisions.
- Provide outbound freight planning and transportation support for new and growing Orangefield locations before normal branch delivery capabilities are fully operational.
- Track recurring service, cost, carrier, damage, delay, and documentation issues and recommend process improvements.
- Help develop and maintain standardized outbound freight procedures and best practices across applicable NEFCO locations.
- Support evaluation of third-party providers and technology.
- Support carrier/broker contracting requirements and compliance initiatives.
- Ensure safe work practices are followed during freight staging, carrier interaction, and loading activities.
- Complete all assigned NEFCO training and support company safety, compliance, and continuous-improvement expectations.
Responsible for upholding the Leader’s Safety Six protocol:
- Don’t tolerate unsafe acts
- Identify and fix unsafe conditions
- Report EVERY incident
- Conduct accident investigations
- Communicate with HR about incidents and subsequent investigations
- WALK THE TALK
