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OTR Dispatcher Trainee

CR Express, Inc.
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CR Express is hiring an OTR Dispatcher Trainee for our over-the-road trucking division. This is an entry-level role for someone who is sharp, reliable, coachable, and interested in learning trucking operations from the ground up.

No logistics experience is required. We will train the right person.

This role is best for someone who wants a fast-moving job with real responsibility. You will learn how OTR trucking works, how drivers are dispatched, how loads are tracked, how service issues are handled, and how dispatch decisions affect drivers, customers, equipment utilization, and profitability.

This is not a slow or repetitive desk job. Freight moves early, late, overnight, and on weekends. The right person must be comfortable communicating with drivers, solving problems quickly, following through on urgent issues, and staying organized when multiple things are happening at once.

What You’ll Do

  • Learn the day-to-day OTR dispatch process
  • Communicate with drivers regarding load status, pickup and delivery details, delays, paperwork, and operational issues
  • Track active shipments and update load status accurately
  • Assist with appointment confirmations, check calls, POD/BOL follow-up, and broker/customer updates
  • Learn how to evaluate driver hours, appointment times, equipment availability, and service requirements
  • Support dispatchers with load planning, issue resolution, and daily operational reporting
  • Help maintain dispatch notes, checklists, SOPs, and escalation processes
  • Identify problems early and escalate issues before they become service failures
  • Assist with tracking dispatcher performance, load updates, driver communication, and paperwork follow-up
  • Learn how offshore dispatch support is managed, reviewed, and held accountable

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for someone who is smart, competitive, organized, and comfortable working in a high-pressure operations environment. The right person does not need trucking experience, but they must have strong judgment, communication skills, follow-through, and the ability to learn quickly.

Strong candidates may come from engineering, supply chain, business analytics, operations, mathematics, communications, athletics, military/ROTC, restaurant management, retail leadership, customer service leadership, or other fast-paced environments where urgency and accountability matter.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business Analytics, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field preferred
  • Equivalent high-performance experience will also be considered, including athletics, military/ROTC, restaurant or retail leadership, customer service supervision, warehouse leadership, field operations, or inside sales
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Strong problem-solving ability
  • Comfortable making phone calls and communicating with drivers
  • Able to stay organized while handling multiple moving parts
  • Comfortable with urgency, accountability, and changing priorities
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office, Excel, Outlook, and general computer systems
  • Willing to learn trucking, dispatch, driver communication, ELD/HOS basics, and transportation operations
  • Comfortable being contacted outside normal business hours when urgent active-load issues require support

Requirements

  • Must be local to the Chicagoland area or able to reliably commute to the office
  • Must be authorized to work in the United States
  • Must be comfortable working in a hybrid/in-office training environment
  • Must be willing to learn from the ground up
  • Must be able to communicate professionally with drivers, internal teams, brokers, and customers
  • Must be detail-oriented with paperwork, shipment notes, updates, and follow-through

What You’ll Learn

  • OTR asset dispatching
  • Driver communication
  • Load tracking and check calls
  • Broker and customer updates
  • Appointment management
  • POD/BOL paperwork follow-up
  • ELD and HOS basics
  • Service issue escalation
  • Dispatch reporting
  • Dispatch SOPs and checklists
  • Offshore dispatcher support and review
  • Transportation KPIs and scorecards
  • Fleet utilization and service performance

Growth Path

This is an entry-level dispatcher trainee role, but it has room to grow. For the right person, there is a realistic path over the next few years into a lead dispatcher, dispatch supervisor, or operations role as they learn the business, prove they can handle responsibility, and help improve the department.

Compensation

Starting compensation is expected to be $50,000 - $55,000 per year depending on experience, aptitude, and fit. Performance reviews will be conducted at 90 days and 6 months, with compensation growth available as responsibilities increase.

CR Express is an Equal Opportunity Employer.