How Learning To Become A Freight Broker Can Help Truckload

I want to share a tip that could prove to start your 2013 in an awesome direction!  One thing I notice about being in the trenches is that a lot of truckload shippers really do not have a good idea of how truckload carriers and brokers operate, earn money or find available trucks.

I’ve also noticed that employees who have background working for motor carriers or freight brokers, have the business intelligence to make very smart money saving decisions on behalf of the companies they work for.  More importantly, they also know how to NOT make costly mistakes.  Since freight is a huge cost center for most of the people reading this, I thought that would be insightful information.

So if you’re in the hiring process, it is good to look for folks who have a background working for a motor carrier or freight broker.  But there is another alternative that is not nearly as expensive as hiring an industry bigwig.

***This is an awesome tip so please turn down the music and lean into your computer screen a little bit further so you don’t miss it.***

Its called…enroll yourself, your shipping person or staff into a freight broker course.  I know this sounds weird but just let the logic sink in.

There are a ton of really great regional programs or e-courses out there that teach people how to start their own freight broker businesses.  Some of these courses are incredible because reveal all the industry secrets; like how to use a load board, understanding invoice factoring, the importance of being bonded & licensed, how to negotiate & find carriers, learn about double brokering, how to track a gypsy carrier, understand rates by lane and negotiating strategies.

The beautiful part for your company is you or your employees can be trained as much as the broker you work with in a short period of time.  Plus out of pocket expense to your company can be as low as a few hundred bucks for this kind of training.  I guarantee if your company is shipping more than a few truckloads a week, your ROI will be paid in a few days or even with one load.

There are a ton of great freight broker courses through local community colleges or on the internet.  There are also a lot of shotty ones too.  To help weed out this process, there is a great one called FreightBrokerBootCamp.com that provides training and a ton of resources for less than $100.  You can enroll just Click Here!.

To sum it up, I’m not saying you need start a freight broker business on the side by any means.  But having employees that have inside intelligence to the freight world, your company can save boatloads of money.  You can either hire these folks or train them yourself.  Either way, if freight is a top cost center for your company your employees need to fully comprehend how truckload companies and brokers operate, otherwise you are leaving money on the table.

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Things you must know before enrolling into Freight Broker Training

A freight broker provides the communication link between an authorized freight carrier and the person or company that needs freight moved from one place to another. Many institutions provide training in freight brokerage, but it is not mandatory to have an educational background to broker freight. People who have worked for a licensed motor carrier can use the experience learned during their career to start brokering freight on their own.

Starting Out

To begin brokering freight, a few key elements are necessary to succeed. The most important step is to apply for licensing through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This license can be acquired by filling out a form on the FMCSA website. It can take up to six weeks to obtain the proper licensing and a motor carrier number, which will be used to identify the freight brokering company within the industry.

Carriers

After obtaining a motor carrier number and the license to broker freight, a list of trusted carriers should be compiled to physically move the freight. The Internet is the best way to find licensed motor carriers and gather price quotes. Customers will want to know the game plan before they choose to move freight with a broker. Therefore, it is important to establish relationships and concrete rates with motor carriers in the areas where freight will be picked up and delivered before making any sales calls to prospective customers. The idea is to lock down pricing with motor carriers on multiple lanes in order to quickly supply customers with rates.

Terminology

There are many freight brokerage and trucking companies to compete with, so it is important to know the terminology. When a company or individual needs freight to be moved, or when there is a move available, brokers will often bid on the move. Bidding is where several companies supply the rate to the customer and the customer decides which broker will move the freight. Additionally, moves are often referred to as “lanes”. Customers often ship to and from the same locations repeatedly. These recurring moves present the perfect opportunity to sign contracts with customers and turn the lanes into “dedicated lanes”. A dedicated lane is a contracted, agreed upon, rate between the freight broker and the customer and can sometimes develop into a long-term relationship with the shippers and receivers, who may ship products of their own. Shippers and receivers will want timely pick-ups and deliveries and will trust a broker with their freight if they know everything will be on time and affordable. They will also be more apt to sign a contract with a freight broker firm if they know that their parent company regularly trusts them to move their freight.

http://freightbrokerscourse.com

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Freight brokers coping with Fuel-Price hike | Freight Broker Training

Skyrocketing fuel prices and the weak U.S. dollar are creating unanticipated new opportunities and challenges for local freight brokers and forwarders.

Since the cost of diesel fuel has risen 135 percent in the past year, these shipping intermediaries are watching customer loyalty erode as local manufacturers and importers struggle to find cheaper transportation for their goods.

“Because of the escalating fuel prices, manufacturers and shippers are breaking out of their routine because they’re being forced to look for more competitive pricing,” says Mel Eardley, owner of America Transport Systems (ATS), a San Antonio freight forwarding company with 14 employees. “Some of the loyalties built on customer relations are bending a little. We’re also getting calls from completely new customers, too.”

Freight forwarders are third-party logistics companies, also known as “3PLs,” that negotiate shipping arrangements and prices. They are the middlemen between two types of customers: those shipping goods and those who own and operate road, marine or air vehicles.

For example, if a local business needs to ship products to Buffalo, N.Y., a freight broker shops huge international databases for trucks and airlines that frequent that San Antonio-to-Buffalo “lane” for the best price and then coordinates the pickup and delivery of the goods.

In addition, the freight broker arranges for these same trucking and airline companies to refill their vehicles with cargo for the return trip.

Forwarders charge their customers a percentage of the cost of the total transaction, which is based on existing fuel prices and a variety of other factors, including the type of transportation, distance and delivery complexity.

So when fuel prices rise, these forwarders pass the cost on to their customers in the form of carrier fuel surcharges, calculated by using fuel indexes. These flat-fee surcharges have risen 11.5 percentage points in the last six months from 18.5 percent in November to about 30 percent today.

So, a $10,000 shipment in November that yielded a $1,850 surcharge would now have $3,000 tacked on to the price. Customers are not happy, but freight forwarders hands’ are tied.

“We’re in a very competitive business, and it is very difficult to retain customer loyalty when prices are an issue,” says Oscar Garcia, president and CEO of Global Highways Inc., a San Antonio freight-forwarding company with five employees. “On the flip side, we’re getting calls from customers who have never contacted us before. They’re shopping around now purely for price.”

Pamela Grzonka, a San Antonio branch manager for the four-employee broker and freight-forwarder Pioneer International — Texas, concurs.

“I can’t say people are happy about it (the surcharge). I get a lot of complaining about it.

“But if they’ve got to move their freight, they’ve got to move their freight,” she says. “I feel bad. But the price of fuel gets passed on to everyone. I’ve got to feed a family, too.”

Exports flourishing

While these fuel surcharges are most burdensome to companies shipping domestically and local importers, they are not affecting exporters. Thanks to the weakened U.S. dollar, exports are soaring.

“The dollar is so low that exports are booming,” Grzonka says. “Europe is paying for the freight because they’re getting more for their dollar.

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Importance Of Becoming A Freight Broker Agent

Managing a large-scale of business is extremely crucial, especially if you want to make certain that all the needed materials and products are delivered safely towards the right place on period.

It is a renowned proven fact that Logistics business is the billion dollar industry. A huge value associated with commodities is technically shipped or transferred in one place to another inside a particular given time as well as place. And the freight broker shall result in any movement of the actual consignment as liaison broker.

People may not see the benefit of being a freight broker agent but this kind of role assists shippers to locate reliable or dependable carriers which are somehow difficult to find. Consequently, sufficient commissions are usually earned from their great efforts associated with helping with both parties (consignor and also the consignee) wherein these types of agents support in filling up their trucks and obtaining money for conveying a variety variety of things.

Significance:

The importance of being among the key players of this industry would be to effectively provide the right movement of the particular business resources as well as supplies. When we say motion, both should coordinate accordingly well or the company will certainly fail.

If you are enthusiastic and you need to pursue yourself in this particular field of industry, you need first to become considered as a certified freight broker agent. There are several colleges and/or online learning websites which may be the foundation of potential freight brokers, which caters most in-depth personal training programs available on the market. Moreover, whenever you have completed working out, some institutions will also provide a chance to those eligible contenders to become a part and help you discover prospective firms in the commercial.

There are several explanations why one should consider employed in the Freight Industry:

• Work from home all over the world

• Freedom to save money time with your loved ones

• Legitimate full-time company

• Affordable to begin

• Training available from comfort of your house

• Proven strong Business with growth

• Lucrative to 6 figure income for devoted and motivated individuals

• Respected Industry

At some level associated with career opportunities, you can proudly say how the job is worth satisfying. By embracing the business with sincerity, respect and dignity, you see the good vision and mission that you're not only earning on your own but also helping and answering the needs of the folks every day, just right from the screen of the computer. Furthermore, there is an attractive compensation that many agents will definitely generate up from 50%-60% or even above, depending on the arrangements produced by the brokering firm and also the quality and experience from the agent.

That is why this sort of work is worth motivating and motivating, due to the sense that you could get more earnings as well as the drive of encouragement that you'll require, to always provide high quality work, for you to get the necessary compensation. You can assess exactly how your services are and the other possible ways. You can still enhance it in order to get more clients and accomplish your goals. You can be a reliable freight broker agent with the knowledge adapted in the training or through encounter. Your achievement is an excellent reflection of their achievement.

How to Become Become a Freight Broker Agent

Each time a company intends to transportation goods by truck then 3rd party intermediary coordination is needed. This third party intermediary is actually a freight broker agent: a middleman who's liaising for goods created and transported by 1 company to other transport companies. However, this individual is not contained in person to oversee the completion of transportation in a secure manner. Instead, the primary job of such one is to negotiate with companies planning to transport goods with respect to the manufacturer. Moreover, this person is accountable for making suggestions in regards to what transportation means can supply and how product security and timing deadlines could be met.

It should be mentioned that almost all companies around the world require the transportation of goods either available or for purchasing uncooked material. These companies always seek means through which they can prevent their own huge goods transportation costs from exceeding tolerable amounts. Other transportation companies might be shipping lines or truck companies which presents ample scope for a freight broker to possess a very prosperous career of their own.

To become effective with this role, a person must enroll with this subject at a school which has offered it. The broker would be very knowledgeable of numerous transportation facilities with their associated advantages and disadvantages that could hamper or help the ultimate transportation of goods through seller to buyer. The broker is not just well-versed in domestic as well as local transportation scenarios, but also has a great understanding of how worldwide transportation functions.

An effective freight agent agent would also possess a strong connection with the companies active in the transportation of goods and become well-reputed for providing dependable services to customers. The broker must have the ability to solve problems quickly, which would add in order to his reliability.

To be more good at his profession, a freight broker agent must keep up with the customer's list by himself. This can be carried out by emailing, telephoning or using other way to talk to a delivery yard's owners, product manufacturers and truck companies. It must be considered that a person with this role would seek two types of client. The first are shippers who plan to receive products, so equipment or other materials ought to be shipped to them. The second type of client is really a carrier who accounts for the movement and transport of goods or items in one location to another.

A freight broker agent should be persuasive and persistent since it would considerably enhance his expertise and increase his usefulness. The agent must always make sure that he has linked the best carrier to the right shipper since it would help them each in understanding the other peoples terms and would avoid any liabilities that could cost him his fee. If he is efficient, he will be created a resident agent through the client, which is a mark of success since the agent would now continuously receive orders and would look after all transactions by exactly the same client, which would ease the whole process.

How to Become a Atex Freight Broker Training Or One-On-One?

Lots of people jump into this business since the concept is so easy: you first find clients; second, you find trucks, and third, you collect a fee. It all sounds very easy. Well, not so fast. It gets a a bit more complicated.

This apparent simplicity is actually deceiving.

As a truck broker you're the middle man involving the customer and a company. So, you need to learn to deal effectively with each sides. There are many procedures that have to be done and they have to be done in proper purchase - or everything drops apart.

For example, with the shipper, you need to first get them to "good for their money". This may be challenging in a class simply by itself. Then you need to understand how they operate - the number of loads they give, what type of trucks they require, where they pick upward, where they deliver in order to, what type of freight are they shipping, what special requirements do they require. This is only the start.

For the carrier, you need to make certain they have their correct authority. You need to ask them to sign your broker-carrier agreement which will spell out your working arrangement together. You need to examine their safety record. This, too, is only the starting.

So, the question is "How Does an individual Learn All This? "

There are many individuals who grab whatever free or even low-cost training material that's available. This is good. This is a begin.

But you are probably mistaken if you feel you can learn how to be something just by reading books or hearing CDs or watching movies. It might be carried out - but it's not likely. Most people need the mentor, a coach, someone who is really centered on training - detailed, step-by-step, one-on-one instruction.

The best way to understand freight brokering is to possess someone "hold your hand" either employed in a brokerage (greater than a week or two) or using a mentor you can trust over the telephone as well as Internet.

Plus, you need someone readily available for months, not just during a couple weeks of training. Most of your good questions might not arise until you happen to be working for several several weeks or longer.

Getting into this business is really a big step for most of us. Some people mull this over for months as well as years. This is understandable in some instances.

But if you mull it over too much time, you could lose your own opportunity. For those who require time, they should seek away reading materials or other products which have real content. You don't always would like to get hit with a sales hype.

Constrain your search to pay attention to reliable, useful and objective information and be prepared to pay a few bucks if it's not free.

The Important Role of a Air Freight Broker Agent

A freight broker agent is really a person employed by companies which are actively engaged in the actual transportation of cargo. This transportation may end up being either local or international as it's a huge business nowadays in order to import and export commodities in bulk in one place to another. Such a person is a 3rd party agent who is accountable for managing the whole procedure for the carriage of products, but this does not imply that this individual has to really be present when transportation is happening, whether for import or even export. The person in this role accounts for the proper transportation of goods in one location to another but he also offers to bear other aspects in your mind.

In most businesses, deadlines are really important and there isn't any room for relaxation whatsoever, or a high percentage is going to be deducted from the sender's balance in addition to his potential business potential customers. Therefore, a freight broker broker is highly-important nowadays to companies on both shipment and carriage side from the deal. This role is vital as it dictates the actual terms for efficient as well as timely transportation of products from exporter to importer. The other activities that follow all rely on the decisions of this particular person, so he can make or break the whole deal of timely freight delivery. The terms and problems are set and examined by this agent, which are included within the final contract for the actual efficient transportation of products.

The freight broker agent can also be employed by companies because he's good knowledge of the factors that may influence the business associated with cargo transportation. Aspects like weather, taxation department delays, etc. are all reviewed as well as analyzed by this individual before he gives their estimate on what will be the proper time and date for delivery from the trucks. Someone performing this part is therefore not only reliable when it comes to estimating the time necessary for transport but also has got the responsibility of complying along with safety conditions for climate, following routes that aren't in conflict zones, reserve trucks or way of transport, etc.

The importance of this role is ideal for companies involved in day-to-day dealings and transportation of products, in the case associated with either imports or exports. These companies find this very messy and difficult sometimes to manage the whole transportation facet of things with the non-professional and unacknowledged employees they have. Therefore, if they pay a tiny bit of their transportation charges like a commission to a freight agent then it's not a costly affair on their behalf and would save the companies from the majority of the tensions of transportation. Shipping lines or trucks can both be used.

A freight broker agent is important as he's knowledgeable of taxation laws and regulations, easy and quick paths for trading goods, etc. because he has studied these subjects in a school offering a level or other course on becoming effective with this position. Moreover the strengths and weaknesses of numerous transportation facilities would be recognized to this agent who is actually responsible then to innovatively as well as smartly solve the problem in the perfect way. This is the major reason why businesses rely so heavily about the person carrying out these types of tasks and sometimes make sure they are a permanent part of the company as they tend to be imperative for transporting the products made with so much effort to the target clients.