Intermodal Port Dispatcher
Position Summary
Tri Star Freight System, Inc. (TSFS) is seeking an experienced Intermodal Port Dispatcher with extensive knowledge of the Southern California port and drayage environment.
The Dispatcher will plan, schedule, coordinate, and monitor containerized freight moving through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (LA/LB). This position requires a minimum of five (5) years of hands-on intermodal dispatch experience involving LA/LB port operations.
The successful candidate must be able to independently manage multiple port and intermodal moves, anticipate operational issues, and coordinate drivers, owner-operators, customers, marine terminals, rail facilities, steamship lines, warehouses, and transportation partners.
This is not a general trucking-dispatch position. Candidates without substantial, verifiable LA/LB port drayage experience will not meet the minimum qualifications.
Reporting Relationship
Reports directly to the Director of Terminal Operations and indirectly to the CEO.
Required Qualifications & Experience
- High School Diploma or equivalent required.
- Minimum 5 years of professional intermodal/drayage dispatch experience.
- Minimum 5 years of hands-on container dispatch experience through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
- Minimum 5 years of practical LA/LB marine terminal knowledge.
- Experience dispatching company drivers and/or owner-operators.
- Strong knowledge of import, export, empty, street-turn, dual-transaction, rail, and intermodal moves.
- Experience working with steamship lines, marine terminals, railroads, warehouses, customers, and drivers.
- Ability to manage multiple trucks and containers in a high-volume port environment.
- Experience resolving holds, appointment issues, congestion, chassis/equipment shortages, customs issues, rail delays, and LFD concerns.
- Valid Driver's License.
LA/LB Port Experience is Required. General local trucking, LTL, OTR, or non-port dispatch experience alone does not satisfy the requirements.
LA/LB Port & Terminal Knowledge
Candidates must have practical knowledge of terminal-specific procedures, gate operations, appointments, receiving schedules, equipment requirements, cargo availability, and exception handling.
Port of Los Angeles
Knowledge of the major container terminals, including:
- APM Terminals Pacific (APMT) – Pier 400 / Berths 401–406
- Fenix Marine Services (FMS) – Pier 300 / Berths 302–305
- TraPac – Berths 136–147
- Yusen Terminals (YTI) – Berths 212–225
- Everport Terminal Services (ETS) – Berths 226–236
- West Basin Container Terminal (WBCT) – China Shipping / LA TIL facilities
Working knowledge should also include on-dock, near-dock, and off-dock rail operations, including:
- APMT, Fenix, and WBCT on-dock rail
- TICTF serving Everport and Yusen
- ICTF
- Alameda Corridor operations and routing
Port of Long Beach
Knowledge of the major container facilities, including:
- SSA Terminals – Pier A
- SSA/Matson – Pier C
- Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT) – Pier E / Middle Harbor
- International Transportation Service (ITS) – Pier G
- Pacific Container Terminal (PCT) – Pier J
- Total Terminals International (TTI) – Pier T
Must understand terminal geography and efficient routing between terminals, rail facilities, warehouses, transload facilities, and container yards.
Rail & Intermodal Operations
Strong knowledge of Southern California rail operations is required, including BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad (UP/UPRR).
Experience should include:
- BNSF and UP container movements
- On-dock, near-dock, and off-dock rail
- Rail ingates/outgates
- Rail availability and cutoffs
- Train and container status
- Rail holds and exceptions
- Coordinating port-to-rail and rail-to-port moves
- Determining whether containers should move to a marine terminal or rail facility
- Alameda Corridor operations
- Monitoring rail conditions that may affect driver dispatch and service commitments
Terminal & Port Operations
The Dispatcher must understand and actively manage:
- Import releases and export bookings
- Vessel schedules and receiving cutoffs
- Last Free Day (LFD)
- Demurrage, detention, and per diem
- Terminal appointments and availability
- Empty releases, returns, and pickup locations
- Street turns and dual transactions
- Chassis availability, splits, rentals, and bare chassis moves
- Grounded vs. wheeled operations
- Customs, USDA, inspection, freight, steamship-line, and terminal holds
- Reefer requirements
- Overweight/OOG considerations
- Driver check-in and gate procedures
- Terminal closures and schedule changes
- Weekend/extended gate operations
- Port congestion and traffic conditions
- Container damage and equipment issues
- Trouble tickets and terminal exceptions
- PODs, bills of lading, work orders, and dispatch sheets
- Customer delivery requirements
The Dispatcher must verify current terminal and operational information before dispatching drivers, recognizing that procedures can vary by facility.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Dispatch & Daily Operations
- Plan, schedule, and dispatch LA/LB container movements.
- Dispatch company drivers and owner-operators efficiently.
- Coordinate import, export, empty, rail, warehouse, and transload moves.
- Locate available containers, chassis, equipment, and loads.
- Verify container release and availability before dispatch.
- Schedule terminal and customer appointments.
- Prepare accurate work orders and driver instructions.
- Monitor loads from pickup through delivery.
- Identify potential service failures and take corrective action.
- Maintain accurate updates in dispatch, terminal, rail, customer, and company systems.
- Monitor emails, dispatch platforms, terminal systems, and customer communications.
- Prepare daily dispatch, drop, equipment, and exception reports.
- Prioritize and coordinate multiple drivers and loads simultaneously.
Port & Equipment Management
- Monitor terminal availability, gate hours, closures, appointments, cutoffs, and operational changes.
- Manage LFDs and proactively address containers approaching demurrage.
- Coordinate empty returns and verify approved return locations.
- Coordinate chassis rentals, swaps, splits, swing orders, and other equipment transactions.
- Communicate with terminals regarding holds, damaged equipment, appointment issues, and operational exceptions.
- Maintain current knowledge of LA/LB terminal procedures.
Driver & Owner-Operator Support
- Provide clear and accurate dispatch instructions.
- Maintain professional working relationships with drivers and owner-operators.
- Respond promptly to driver calls and operational issues.
- Troubleshoot equipment, chassis, tire, container, terminal, appointment, and routing problems.
- Provide directions/maps when necessary.
- Monitor driver progress and communicate delays.
- Coordinate fuel advances, ComChecks, or other approved driver support when required.
- Ensure drivers have accurate information before arriving at terminals or rail facilities.
Customer Service
- Maintain regular communication with customers regarding shipment status.
- Coordinate pickup and delivery appointments.
- Provide PODs, container status, and delivery updates.
- Immediately communicate delays, terminal issues, equipment problems, or service exceptions.
- Monitor customer commitments and promised delivery dates.
- Resolve customer complaints promptly and professionally.
- Maintain positive relationships with customers, vendors, drivers, terminals, railroads, warehouses, and coworkers.
Billing & Administrative Responsibilities
- Process driver settlements accurately and on time.
- Process demurrage, detention, per diem, and approved assessorial charges.
- Review tire bills and equipment-related charges.
- Maintain accurate dispatch and operational records.
- Complete and submit required paperwork.
- Maintain confidentiality of company and customer information.
- Prepare required daily, monthly, safety, and operational reports.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Industry Systems & Technology
Must be comfortable working with multiple systems and web-based platforms simultaneously.
Experience with the following is strongly preferred:
- Terminal Operating Systems (TOS)
- Port appointment systems
- Steamship-line portals
- Rail and container tracking systems
- Transportation Management Systems (TMS)
- Electronic dispatch and driver communication platforms
- Customer portals
- Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and Word
Experience with major steamship lines such as Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM/APL, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, Evergreen, COSCO, Yang Ming, and ZIM is a strong advantage.
Ability to quickly learn new systems and terminal platforms is required.
Required Skills & Abilities
The successful candidate must:
- Have excellent verbal and written English communication skills.
- Demonstrate strong intermodal/drayage knowledge.
- Possess excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
- Have strong problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making abilities.
- Be highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities.
- Demonstrate a strong sense of urgency.
- Work effectively under pressure in a high-volume environment.
- Make sound operational decisions independently.
- Understand bills of lading, work orders, dispatch instructions, schedules, and reports.
- Communicate effectively with customers, drivers, owner-operators, terminals, railroads, warehouses, and vendors.
- Perform basic calculations involving rates, charges, time, quantities, and equipment.
- Be reliable, punctual, professional, and adaptable.
- Identify and correct errors before they impact customers or operations.
- Work independently while contributing effectively to a team.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is an experienced LA/LB port dispatcher who understands the operation from both the driver's and dispatch office perspectives.
They should be able to quickly evaluate the day's workload and determine:
- Which containers are available and ready to move.
- Which containers have approaching LFDs.
- Which appointments must be secured.
- Which terminals or rail facilities require priority.
- Which drivers have the appropriate equipment.
- Where chassis are available.
- Which empties can be returned and where.
- Which moves can be combined or efficiently coordinated.
- Which rail moves require immediate attention.
- Which customer deliveries are at risk.
- Which operational issues require immediate escalation.
Candidates must be able to demonstrate actual hands-on LA/LB port drayage knowledge during the interview.
Work Schedule & Availability
- Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
- Overtime may be required based on business needs.
- Occasional Saturdays may be required.
- Must be available to respond to time-sensitive operational issues.
- Reliable attendance and punctuality are essential.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to sit for extended periods while using a computer and telephone.
- Ability to periodically stand and walk.
- Ability to bend, squat, reach, twist, grasp, and perform normal office/computer functions.
- Ability to communicate effectively and hear/respond to telephone and in-person communications.
- Ability to maintain eye-hand coordination while using computer equipment.
- Ability to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made where appropriate.
Work Environment
- Primarily an indoor, climate-controlled, smoke-free office.
- Moderate noise level.
- Fast-paced transportation and logistics environment.
- Frequent telephone, email, computer, and driver/radio communication.
- Requires focus while managing interruptions and changing operational priorities.
Benefits Package
Medical & Supplemental Coverage
- Aetna Medical Health Coverage – employee and employer contribution.
- MetLife Supplemental Plans, including:
- Dental PPO – employee paid
- Vision PPO – employee paid
- Accident Insurance – employee paid
- Cancer Insurance – employee paid
- Critical Illness Insurance – employee paid
- Hospital Indemnity – employee paid
- Short-Term Disability – employee paid
- Voluntary Term Life Insurance – employee paid
Employer-Paid Benefits
- $25,000 Basic Term Life Insurance – 100% company paid
- $25,000 AD&D Insurance – 100% company paid
- Long-Term Disability (LTD) – 100% company paid
- Profit Sharing – eligible after one year of service
- Employee Discounts
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Paid Time Off & Holidays
- 8 Paid Holidays
- Paid Birthday PTO
- 10 days of PTO after one year of continuous service
Pay: $60,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Referral program
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
