How to Become a Freight Broker in New Mexico

Being a freight broker in New Mexico gives you an excellent opportunity to engage with people and provide a necessary service to your customers. While freight agents communicate between brokers and clients, freight brokers are licensed professionals who work to get the best arrangement possible between shippers and customers by dealing with the shippers directly. This requires confidence and knowledge: as a freight broker, you are responsible for ensuring that your customers’ goods can arrive quickly and safely at their destinations. Your customers will rely on you to make the right decisions.

Requirements for Becoming a Freight Broker in New Mexico

Becoming a freight broker requires a high school diploma or an equivalent level of education. Beyond this, no specific training is needed; however, completing a training program helps your clients know that you can be trusted with their shipments. These programs, offered online and through various schools or universities, can vary in length from a single day to a full year.

You may also choose to take the more in-depth Certified Transportation Broker course, with exams administered by the Transportation Intermediaries Association. CTB courses are entirely optional but are a great asset to freight brokers.

Search Freight Broker/Agent Training Programs

Get information on Freight Broker/Agent Training programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

Sponsored Listings

Freight Broker Classes and ducational Programs

In-person freight brokerage courses are difficult to find in New Mexico, but online courses are readily available. Options include:

  • LearnFreight. Currently costing $299.00, the full broker course offers 10 detailed training modules and 4.5 hours of narrated content. The basic course, currently $199.00, gives students access to the first five modules of the full course. LearnFreight also gives students the option of monthly payment plans. At this time, these are $60.00 per month for the full training and $40.00 for the basic training.
  • Ed2Go. Ed2Go offers online courses from Texas-based Brooke Transportation School. The benefit of these courses is that they are self-paced. Students complete 180 hours of home study over six months, with the support of instructors experienced in the trade. This course currently costs $1,895.00.
  • Freight Movers School. This basic, 60-day course currently costs $900.00. It differs from other online programs in that it uses recorded webinars for part of the training, with students completing the remainder of the training through more traditional home study methods.

Licensing for Freight Brokers in New Mexico

There is no specific licensing required by New Mexico for freight brokers; however, brokers across the country are required to obtain both cargo and liability insurance, hold a $75,000 surety bond and be licensed with the US Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These licenses must be renewed yearly, but there is no continuing education required in order to do this.

Career Outlook and Salary xpectations

Breaking into the New Mexico freight brokerage industry may be difficult, as the projected growth in the industry from 2016 to 2026 is only 1.8 percent; however, some people may consider this to be offset by the pay. As of 2017, the average hourly wage for freight brokers was $21.52, almost three times the state’s 2017 minimum wage of $7.50. In the same year, freight brokers’ yearly salaries averaged $45,600.

Working as a Freight Broker in New Mexico

New Mexico is an open market for ntrepreneurs looking to start their own brokerage. Newly-graduated freight brokers will be looking for well-rated employers who can provide advancement opportunities, so starting early and getting a good foothold in the market will stand you in good stead.

Those who prefer to find a position with a well-established company can find brokerages across the state. Many of these brokerages are located in Albuquerque, but there are many more spread out in cities like Las Cruces, Roswell, Clovis and Hobbs. With a good attitude and a strong work ethic, freight brokerage can be a solid career in New Mexico.