Carrier Capacity Specialist - Challenger (Chicago)

Challenger is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and accessible workplace. We welcome applications from women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and all qualified individuals.

If you require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us at and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Is this the next step in your career Find out if you are the right candidate by reading through the complete overview below.

Challenger, part of the Fastfrate Group, is a leading North American transportation and logistics provider, offering Full Truck Load (FTL) services across North America, supported by integrated logistics solutions. With advanced fleet capabilities, modern facilities, and a strong commitment to service excellence, Challenger supports a wide range of industries with safe, reliable, and efficient operations.

Employees at Challenger are part of a performance-driven culture focused on safety, innovation, and continuous improvement. Through advanced technology, ongoing training, and diverse career opportunities across driving, operations, maintenance, logistics, and administration, Challenger provides an environment where motivated individuals can build long-term, rewarding careers.

Why you'll love working here:

• A workplace where you can learn, grow, and build your career
• A culture that encourages new ideas and continuous improvement
• Supportive leaders who provide guidance while giving you autonomy
• A team-focused environment
• A competitive total-rewards package, including group benefits and a company-sponsored retirement savings plan
• Support for professional memberships, training, and certifications

The Opportunity:

This is your chance to join a team where your work truly makes an impact. In this role, you will contribute directly to the success of our customers, our operations, and the Fastfrate Group as a whole. You'll work in a supportive environment that values collaboration, problem-solving, and continuous learning.

Role Summary:

The Carrier Capacity Specialist plays a critical role in driving revenue growth and profitability by identifying, pricing, securing, and converting spot freight opportunities across Canada, Cross-Border, and Intra-US markets. Acting as the organization's frontline freight acquisition expert, this role is responsible for responding to spot-market opportunities, securing carrier capacity, and leveraging market intelligence to maximize gross profit while delivering exceptional customer service.

Working closely with carriers, customers, sales teams, and operations, the Carrier Capacity Specialist combines strategic pricing, carrier procurement, and market knowledge to capitalize on transportation opportunities and support the organization's growth objectives. Success in this role is driven by responsiveness, pricing discipline, profitability, win rates, and the ability to build strong carrier relationships that create long-term value.

Hours of Work:
Monday to Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm

Work Arrangement:
On-site

Position Type:
Non-Union

Employment Status:
Permanent

Compensation:
Base salary + Incentives/Commissions

Work Location & Environment:
311 W. Superior, Suite 110, Chicago IL ; Office environment

Key Accountabilities

Spot Opportunity Management & Revenue Growth

• Monitor customer portals, spot boards, centralized quote inboxes, and other freight opportunity channels to identify and respond to available freight opportunities.
• Evaluate spot freight opportunities across multiple markets and transportation networks, prioritizing opportunities based on profitability, strategic importance, available capacity, and likelihood of award.
• Develop competitive and profitable spot quotes that align with company pricing strategies and margin objectives.
• Capture new freight opportunities while contributing to overall revenue growth and gross profit performance.
• Identify recurring spot opportunities that may develop into longer-term or dedicated business opportunities.

Pricing & Market Intelligence

• Develop and execute pricing strategies using market conditions, historical lane data, carrier feedback, and internal pricing intelligence.
• Analyze freight market trends, capacity conditions, lane-specific dynamics, and transportation costs to support informed decision-making.
• Maintain awareness of changing market conditions and provide valuable insights regarding opportunities, risks, and competitive activity.
• Utilize data-driven decision-making to balance customer competitiveness with profitability goals.
• Contribute to the development and accuracy of organizational pricing intelligence and market knowledge.

Carrier Procurement & Relationship Management

• Source and secure carrier capacity to support customer and business requirements.
• Negotiate competitive carrier pricing while maintaining service expectations and margin discipline.
• Build and strengthen relationships with existing, preferred, strategic, and prospective carrier partners.
• Leverage carrier networks and market knowledge to identify capacity solutions in competitive and changing market environments.
• Collaborate with carriers to ensure service requirements, transit expectations, and customer commitments are met.

Freight Award & Operational Execution

• Coordinate awarded opportunities through carrier assignment and initial dispatch activities.
• Ensure shipment details, customer requirements, pricing information, and carrier commitments are accurately documented and communicated.
• Execute seamless handoffs to Operations Specialists and Track & Trace teams to support successful shipment execution.
• Maintain accountability for data integrity and shipment accuracy prior to operational handoff.
• Support a positive customer experience through effective communication, execution, and issue resolution.

Data Management & Process Excellence

• Record all quoting activities, carrier interactions, and pricing decisions within approved company systems.
• Capture carrier feedback, market conditions, and pricing intelligence to strengthen organizational knowledge and future decision-making.
• Maintain accurate win/loss reporting and supporting rationale for business analysis.
• Ensure documentation accuracy and compliance with company processes and standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, enhance data quality, and strengthen pricing and carrier management processes.

Team Collaboration

• Contribute to a collaborative spot desk environment where opportunities are managed collectively across customers, lanes, and geographic markets.
• Share carrier intelligence, market insights, and pricing knowledge with team members and leadership.
• Support colleagues during peak demand periods, vacation coverage, and workload balancing initiatives.
• Work closely with Operations, Sales, Strategic Account Managers, Track & Trace, Carrier Relations, Finance, and Leadership teams to support company objectives.
• Foster a team-oriented culture focused on profitability, service excellence, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

Experience

• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in transportation, logistics, freight brokerage, carrier procurement, pricing, carrier management, or freight operations.
• Proven success negotiating rates and managing carrier relationships in a fast-paced transportation environment.
• Strong understanding of all North American domestic and Cross border transportation markets.
• Experience supporting spot freight, capacity procurement, pricing strategy, and carrier sourcing activities.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong commercial mindset with exceptional negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to evaluate data and make informed business decisions.
• Ability to prioritize and make decisions quickly in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking capabilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Proficiency in transportation management systems (TMS), pricing platforms, customer portals, CRM tools, and Microsoft Office applications.

How To Apply:

If you're interested in joining our team, please submit your application through our online career portal. We appreciate all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. xhyhwjd

Disclaimer: We use some technology-based tools, which may include artificial intelligence (AI), to support application screening; however, all hiring decisions include human review.