Becoming a Freight Broker Agent
A freight broker is an individual who serves as a third-party intermediary between a company and a forwarding firm. He is responsible for coordinating the transfer of cargo from one location to another. For shippers, employing the services of one helps them avoid the added cost of employing a full time staff for this particular purpose. If you are interested in this line of work, written below are some steps you might take to become one.
First you need to get some initial work experience in the cargo industry. Shop around for jobs in a shipping firm or a trucking company. After about a year or two, you can then get work as an independent contractor agent in a freight brokerage.
Try to develop an extensive list of contacts. For example, you can ask truckers for references for suitable partner trucking companies. Establish an ongoing business relationship with shippers by maintaining constant contact with them. Create a solid reputation, too, and gain expertise by focusing your freight broker business on a specific segment. Specialisations could include oversized loads, livestock, agricultural products as well as refrigerated or perishable items. Or you can also peruse locations to find a particular city, state or regional area to focus in.
Once you have your freight brokerage service narrowed down and organised, you can commence taking orders from companies. Find out what items they need to transport, the pick up and delivery time and place, and the truck type. If a shipper decides to place an order, take it immediately. Settle on your commission rate and once that has been agreed upon, you can then check loading boards on the Internet every morning. Seek out reputable trucking companies that are suitable for the load that needs to be transported.
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