Freight Broker

A freight broker is the liaison between the shipper and carriers to secure the transport of goods.  They are one of the most crucial middlemen between freight transportation services and any business needing to move freight from one location to another.  They must plan and coordinate the pickup and delivery schedules working with various shippers and carriers to meet the shippers’ requirements.  While freight brokers are not expected to own any equipment, their role requires honesty, integrity, and consistent “as promised” delivery performance.

The other major function of a freight broker is to secure customers.  In the early part of a freight broker’s career, much time will be spent prospecting shippers and securing new accounts.  Getting a “foot in the door” and being able to move a load for a shipper successfully, meaning on time and with no problems, is key to being able to do more and more of a shipper’s load requirements.

Unique with Transport Express is that from a customer’s standpoint, there is only one point of contact because the broker is directly involved in all phases of the transaction from start to finish, with support from the dispatcher.  This contrasts with many other brokers as different departments may handle different aspects of the transaction, making it difficult for customers to get a problem resolved as they get transferred from department to department.  Although this requires our brokers to be skilled in a number of areas, this is viewed as a significant competitive advantage.

Job responsibilities include:

• Develop sales pipeline of steady customers, providing for their shipping needs.
• Establish relationships with multiple reputable carriers to move loads for your customers.
• Provide quotes to customers.
• Negotiate and book orders with reputable carriers.
• Turn load over to dispatcher
• If any problems, re-book as required, then turn re-booked load over to dispatcher.
• If any invoicing issues, resolve with customer/carrier as required, including A/R collections.

Skill requirements include:

• Excellent communications abilities, both verbal and written
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Honesty
• Ability to deliver what is promised – regardless of the circumstances
• Ability to negotiate
• Flexibility – able to “think on your feet”
• Ability to multi-task
• Basic math skills
• Ability to work with computers
• Self-motivated
• Ability to self-manage

Specific experience required:
The ideal candidate will be an experienced broker that has an established book of business.

• High school diploma, GED, or suitable equivalent
• Established book of business preferred
• At least two years in the freight service industry
• Experience with 3PL or equivalent
• Proficient with MS Office (Word, Excel)
• Demonstrated ability to meet sales targets