Build Your Career with Ashley Furniture!

Planning Coordinator Internship

Location: Mesquite, TX

Internship Schedule: May - August

Build Your Career with Ashley Furniture

Are you looking to gain real-world experience in logistics and operations? As a Planning Coordinator Intern, you’ll be at the center of our transportation and distribution network. This internship will give you hands-on exposure to freight planning, scheduling, and operational coordination skills that are critical to keeping goods moving efficiently and customers satisfied.

 

What You’ll Do

Support Freight and Capacity Planning: Assist with scheduling inbound trucks and outbound freight, helping to balance equipment productivity, driver availability, and customer needs. Learn Trailer and Asset Management: Track trailer usage and customer trailer pools while identifying opportunities to reduce inactive assets. Monitor Performance Metrics: Help track delivery schedules, on-time performance, and other transportation KPIs. Collaborate with Teams: Partner with Customer Service, Sales, and Area Managers to understand how freight volumes align with network commitments. Assist with Documentation: Maintain accurate records in transportation systems, ensuring billing, routing, and compliance data are correct. Problem-Solve in Real Time: Learn how to identify and troubleshoot transportation challenges as they arise. Process Improvement Exposure: Contribute fresh ideas to improve efficiency in routing, freight management, and coordination.

 

Why This Internship Matters

 This internship gives you a front-row seat to the fast-paced world of logistics and transportation planning. By working alongside experienced professionals, you’ll gain insight into how planning decisions impact efficiency, profitability, and customer service across a national network.

 

What You’ll Need

Education: Actively pursuing a degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Operations, or a related field. Analytical Skills: Ability to review data and spot trends in performance, cost, and efficiency. Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication for working with multiple teams and stakeholders. Organization: Ability to manage tasks, prioritize deadlines, and maintain attention to detail. Tech-Savvy: Familiarity with Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, Word); exposure to ERP or Transportation Management Systems (TMS) is a plus. Mindset: Curious, proactive, and eager to learn in a fast-moving environment.

 

Possible Projects. 

Trailer Utilization Study

Analyze trailer pool usage across customer sites. Identify underutilized trailers and propose recommendations to improve asset efficiency. Deliverable: A utilization report with suggested actions to reduce inactive trailer assets.

 On-Time Performance Analysis

Track and analyze delivery performance across a set period (e.g., 6–8 weeks). Identify root causes for late deliveries (routing, capacity constraints, scheduling issues). Deliverable: A presentation with data trends and process improvement recommendations.

 Routing Optimization Pilot

Review current routing strategies and compare them with alternative routing scenarios. Use available data (miles, costs, delivery windows) to evaluate potential savings. Deliverable: A cost/efficiency comparison with recommendations for route adjustments.

 Freight Demand vs. Capacity Alignment

Compare weekly freight commitments with actual capacity utilization. Identify mismatches that cause inefficiencies (e.g., declined freight, underloaded trucks). Deliverable: A dashboard or report highlighting improvement opportunities in load planning.

 Process Documentation & Training Aid

Document planning and scheduling workflows. Create a reference guide or standard operating procedure (SOP) for future team members. Deliverable: A polished SOP and quick reference tool to improve onboarding/training.