Freight Broker Schools – Your New Career Starts Here
Get on the path to becoming a Freight Broker or Agent
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What Does a Freight Broker Do?
In your search for a new career, you have a lot of factors to consider: salary, job opportunities, required training and education, flexibility and the ability to work at home, and others. If you’re looking for a job that will allow you to work from home if you choose to, that can provide a good income and that doesn’t require a degree or years at school, consider becoming a freight broker. This is an interesting career that involves helping to match shipping agencies with the carriers that will transport their goods.
The Duties of a Freight Broker and a Typical Day on the Job
The number one job of a freight broker is to successfully match a shipping company with the ground transportation or carrier that will move its goods. This means doing research, contacting carriers, making negotiations to get everyone the best deal and spending a lot of time communicating back and forth. A typical day for a freight broker might look like this:
- Contacting carriers to find one available to move a load of goods
- Negotiating prices between the carrier and shipping company to ensure the carrier will make a profit
- Organizing all aspects of a movement of goods, from when a truck picks them up to when and where they arrive at the other end
- Troubleshooting any problems that arise during transportation, such as lost items or damaged goods
- Tracking shipments and making sure goods arrive on time and in good shape
- Sending and following up on bills to clients
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Where Freight Brokers Work
As a freight broker, you will have a lot of options for where and how you want to work. Many brokers work for a brokerage, a company that hires brokers and agents to organize and negotiate transportation. This could be a large company that operates worldwide and has hundreds of employees or it could be a much smaller company with one or two offices. Working for a brokerage has the advantage of stability and a more regular income.
Another option is to work as a self-employed broker. You may choose to work alone, taking on jobs as needed, or you may want to start your own brokerage company, hiring other brokers and agents to work for you. Becoming a self-employed freight broker is a good option if you want a flexible career and the ability to choose your working hours, how much you work and how much you earn.
Important Skills for Freight Brokers
With a career as a freight broker, you will have a great opportunity to be successful and to earn as much as you want. But, this isn’t a job that is right for everyone. There are some important skills you will need to be able to do the job well, to keep customers happy and to earn a good income:
- Self-motivation is crucial, as you will need to reach out to and find new carriers and take the time to make the best deals in order to maximize profits.
- Organizational skills are also important to ensure all jobs go smoothly and that mistakes are minimized. Multi-tasking while staying organized is essential in this busy job.
- You also need to have good communication and people skills. A big part of this job is working with other people to get prices set and make mutually beneficial matches.
- Negotiation tactics can be learned, but if you are naturally good at making deals it will benefit you in this job.
A career as a freight broker is a good choice if you have these kinds of skills and traits. And, if you want a job that allows you to earn a solid income and that has stability, consider this career. Freight broker jobs are growing at 10 percent, and average salaries are well over $40,000 per year. To become a freight broker, look into online training programs or certificate programs at local community colleges. You don’t have to earn a degree or certificate, but the right education can give you a leg up and contribute to your success in this industry.