Freight Brokering is the profession of bringing Shippers together with Carriers in order to move the Shipper's "loads" or cargo contents to a particular destination or "drop point".
The freight broker/brokering agent is the liaison between manufacturer's and/or warehouse's, the shipping manager and the trucking companies that haul the payload to the receiving parties (i.e., warehouses, stores, venues, etc.) that have ordered cargo from the Shipper.
They use their Sales, problem solving, mathematics and honed social/business relationship building skills to determine the rates approved, act in trust and on behalf of the Shipper concerning the cargo and keep daily communication with both the Shipper and the Carrier alike until the cargo has been delivered to which afterward they receive a commission for every successful move.
Largely unheard of until a few years ago, Freight Brokering is already a billion dollar industry that allows the broker/agent to be self-employed and work freely either from home or on location with minimal overhead that has actually been around just about since the beginning of continental transportation itself.
Though training is mandatory, the method of training however remains quite flexible as agents may either build a brokering agency themselves or work under an existing agency's banner without being trained by that particular agency; this also means that if one was so inclined, that one could in fact train one's self.
WHAT WOULD I NEED TO START?
Nowadays, an agent's required tools are incredibly streamlined utilizing as little as a decent computer/laptop and the relative software resources, an internet connection, a phone and a nearby scanner/printer.
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| Don't bother going nuts with equipment; you won't need much. |
However in order to legally secure and be tendered loads from Shippers, the most important of all tools is their brokering authority which comes in the form of a file packet including a(n) broker/agent's credentials, proof of licensing from the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration), surety bonding, cargo insurance plus a W9 tax form; this packet is mandatory to secure any cargo to ever be moved anywhere.
Either way, there will most certainly be a gap of time between one step and the next, so until either you finish your quest for self-brokerage solo or until that agency calls with good news, aspiring brokers/agents owe it to themselves to learn everything concerning their field as possible in order to be ready for any and all relevant Sales and/or logistics opportunities and/or issues that may arise when on the job.
CRUCIAL TOOLS/RESOURCES
Here are some of the leading "industry-standard" digital resources to help you train and to help optimize your cache with to include Freight Brokering in your wheelhouse of profitable skillsets:
NOTE: Both open and bookmark each link inside a labeled digital folder for quick recall while working in the field.
GLOSSARIES/TERMINOLOGY
Learn to speak the language by tapping the book and using the search results inside.
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| Tap the book! |
LOAD BOARDS
These are the online platforms used by brokers/agents to present Shipper's tendered loads/opportunities to Carriers and the additional tools to help them determine the appropriate rates to be negotiated.
TMS (TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE)
The following software helps determine rates, conditions and logistics details in order to properly manage the successful transport of tendered loads.
The following is our video playlist on the subject/industry, which includes tutorials from the likes of Dennis Brown of Freighbrokerbootcamp, Brandon Scott, Brandon "The Mentor" Manney, Bumble Bee Dispatch, Logistics Dynamics and many more with insights on what you need to know about both beginning and thriving in today's Freight Brokering industry!
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