Carrier Sales Representative - Drayage & Truckload

Job Description

Job Description

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Carrier Sales Representative to support our growing drayage, intermodal, and truckload operations.

This is a hands-on transportation position for someone who understands how to source capacity, negotiate competitive rates, build strong carrier relationships, and manage shipments from initial booking through final delivery.

Unlike a traditional truckload-only brokerage role, this position will work with both drayage/intermodal moves and over-the-road truckload freight . The ideal candidate understands the additional complexities involved with port and rail shipments, including container availability, appointments, chassis, free time, detention, demurrage, storage, and empty returns.

We are looking for someone who can think independently, communicate proactively, and solve problems before they become customer problems.

What You'll Do

• Source, negotiate with, and secure qualified carriers for drayage, intermodal, and truckload shipments.
• Develop and maintain a strong network of reliable carrier partners and owner-operators.
• Negotiate carrier rates while balancing market conditions, service requirements, and profitability.
• Post, cover, and manage loads using load boards, carrier relationships, and internal resources.
• Develop capacity for regular lanes, high-volume opportunities, difficult markets, and new customer opportunities.
• Manage drayage shipments involving ports and rail ramps, including container availability, appointments, free time, chassis requirements, delivery scheduling, and empty returns.
• Monitor shipments from dispatch through delivery and proactively communicate delays, service issues, and potential problems.
• Track port and rail activity and coordinate with carriers, terminals, customers, and internal operations personnel.
• Understand and manage transportation accessorials including detention, demurrage, storage, chassis charges, layovers, TONU, and other applicable charges.
• Review carrier accessorial requests and supporting documentation before approval.
• Research and develop new carrier relationships through outbound calls, load boards, referrals, and existing industry contacts.
• Assist with carrier qualification and onboarding while ensuring carriers meet applicable insurance, safety, authority, and compliance requirements.
• Maintain accurate shipment, carrier, rate, and communication information within company systems.
• Assist with spot quotes and carrier pricing for new and existing customer opportunities.
• Monitor transportation markets and provide feedback regarding carrier availability and current market rates.
• Work closely with operations and customer-facing personnel to ensure shipments are handled efficiently and customers receive timely information.
• Help develop repeat carrier capacity rather than relying exclusively on transactional spot-market coverage.
  

What We're Looking For

We are looking for someone with actual transportation experience who understands that successfully covering freight involves more than finding the cheapest truck.

The successful candidate should have:

• Previous carrier sales, freight brokerage, dispatch, intermodal, or transportation operations experience.
• Experience sourcing and negotiating with motor carriers.
• Working knowledge of truckload transportation and spot-market pricing.
• Drayage or intermodal experience strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with port and rail operations, container tracking, appointments, chassis, free time, detention, demurrage, storage, and empty-return requirements.
• Experience using load boards, TMS platforms, carrier onboarding/qualification systems, and Microsoft Office.
• Strong negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Ability to manage multiple shipments and changing priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to recognize potential service problems and take action without waiting to be told what to do.
• A strong sense of urgency and personal accountability.
  

The Person We're Looking For

This position is best suited for someone who is comfortable picking up the phone, negotiating with carriers, solving transportation problems, and taking ownership of their freight.

We value people who communicate problems early rather than after something has already gone wrong.

You should be comfortable working independently while also being part of a small team where everyone may need to step outside of a narrowly defined job description when necessary.

We are especially interested in candidates who understand the difference between simply covering today's load and developing dependable carrier capacity that can support long-term customer growth.

Preferred Experience

• 2+ years of transportation, carrier sales, brokerage, dispatch, or logistics experience.
• Drayage/intermodal experience in the Houston market is highly desirable.
• Experience working with Port Houston terminals and/or Houston-area rail ramps is a plus.
• Existing relationships with drayage carriers, owner-operators, or truckload carriers are a plus.
• Experience with both drayage and over-the-road truckload freight is strongly preferred.
  

About the Operation

Our transportation operation provides both asset-supported and non-asset transportation solutions, including drayage, intermodal, truckload, and related logistics services.

We also operate a Houston warehouse and transload facility, giving our team the ability to provide customers with integrated transportation, transloading, cross-dock, and warehousing solutions.

We are a hands-on operation where communication, responsiveness, and execution matter. As the business grows, this position will have the opportunity to help develop our carrier network and transportation capabilities.

Compensation

Competitive base salary based on transportation and drayage experience.

Performance-based bonus or commission opportunities may also be available based on carrier development, profitability, service performance, and overall contribution to the operation.

\nCompany Description

We are a small 3PL. We have a small drayage operation in Houston along with a 70k sq' warehouse and we are looking to move our brokerage operation here from Chicago.

Company Description

We are a small 3PL. We have a small drayage operation in Houston along with a 70k sq' warehouse and we are looking to move our brokerage operation here from Chicago.