DC (Topton) Dispatcher

At East Penn, our employees are our culture; our employees will always be the heart of the company.  We are a private, family-owned enterprise committed to cultivating an atmosphere that honors the contributions of everyone.  We want our employees to have long-term careers, and many do.  More than 38% of our workforce has over a decade of service.  Our open-door management policy, comprehensive benefits package, employee appreciation and recognition events, and career advancement opportunities are just some of the ways we show our employees how incredibly valued they are.

The Private Fleet Dispatcher is a key role to ensure the successful execution of our private fleet operations, safely delivering high levels of service to our customers, while maintaining expected efficiency levels. This role serves to provide support, guidance and feedback to our drivers, private fleet route planners, fleet operations management and our customers while achieving the lowest landed cost via the fewest miles and highest utilization of fleet driver hours of service and asset utilization across a $70M/year Private Fleet network.

Execute systems solutions to ensure high levels of customer service are attained at the lowest landed costPlan Efficient and service-centric Private Fleet loads and routes within Descartes TMS for one or more shipping locationsMaximize inbound and outbound trailer utilization during planning cyclesBalance weekly drivers Hours of Service regulations with planned loads and routesManage flow, sorting, filtering, and processing of Customer Orders (Shipments) within Descartes Transportation Management system (TMS) and Fulfilment Planning ApplicationContinuous maintenance of TMS configurations, parameters and data fieldsActively participate in Plan vs. Actual gap analysis, root cause investigation and implementation of corrective actions and continuous improvementIdentify potential Common Carrier Loads and LTL shipments within Descartes TMS and plan accordinglyProvide upstream (plannable but unshipped) customer support and ETA calculationsWeigh alternative Transportation options and make decisions based on priority/cost implicationsManage Route/Load/Shipment handoff to DC Operations teamsGuide and support Private Fleet Drivers while they are in process of servicing the customersManage unplanned inbound supply or junk pickups on the fly and assign to drivers as appropriateCoordinate and confirm Drivers have the right equipment (Electric MHE, pallets, cardboard, honeycomb, banding, etc.) to ensure safe, on time deliveryBalance customer expectations versus Driver HOS and DC operations schedule to proactively provide driver route and trip picks/bids times, updating them into the Yard Management systemPerform other duties as required by management

Experience & QualificationsExcellent verbal and written communication skills.Analytical skills.Computer skills including experience with FGMS a plus.Excellent organizational skills.Knowledge of the interactions of the finishing/shipping departments.Flexible working hours.Preferred:East Penn work experience that includes extensive knowledge of EP procedures and practicesKnowledge of Transportation proceduresExperience using Supply Planning /APS/ERP softwareBackground with Hazmat and DOT Hours of Service regulationsEducation/CertificationAssociate or bachelor’s degree in related field, preferred; equivalent work experience will be consideredSkills & CompetenciesStrong critical thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to assess issues and escalate appropriately for resolutionStrong geographical knowledge of North AmericaStrong understanding of DOT HOS regulationsAdvanced written and verbal communication skillsProficient in multi-tasking, prioritizing and managing time effectivelyExcellent attention to detail and accuracyOpen to coaching with the ability to apply feedbackExceptional interpersonal skills: a team player with proven ability to work across functional areas and all levels of the organizationWorking knowledge of Microsoft suite (Excel, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint)Ability to adapt in a dynamic, systems-based working environment