Almost every productyou see in a store has been transported there by truck. The largest industry in the world is the transportation of goods. One-third of the Gross Domestic Product in industrialized nations is made up of the transportation of goods. Each year almost 700 billion dollars in goods is moved by truck.  The trucking industry is a 250 billion dollar industry. If trucking were to stop for 72 hours, almost everything else would also stop.

The trucking industry in the U.S. employees around 9 million people, and of that number, 3.5 million are truckers. Two million tractor trailer trucks regularly operate on U.S. highways. These trucks are usually one of three categories: “flatbed,” “dry van” or a “refrigerated unit (reefers). It is estimated there are over 500,000 trucking companies. 

In 2008, there were about 45,000 people working as cargo and freight agents. In this decade, this figure is expected to increase by about 25%, which will be over 10,000 agents.  This is far greater growth than the average for other occupations.

Freight that is being shipped from Point A to Point B needs a person who is known as a “freight agent” to arrange and coordinate the transportation of the freight.

 

THE DUTIES OF FREIGHT AGENTS ARE TO:   

•   Expedite and route movement of incoming and outgoing cargo and freight shipments in airline, train, and truck.    

•   Arrange transportation for cargo by air, rail and ships.    

•   Take orders from customers and arrange pickup of freight and cargo for delivery to a loading platform.    

•   Prepare and examine bills of lading to determine shipping and tariff charges.    

•   Negotiate and arrange transportation of goods with shipping or freight companies.

•   Notify consignees, passengers, or customers of the arrival of freight or baggage, and arrange for delivery.    

•   Advise clients on transportation and payment methods.    

•   Determine method of shipment and prepare bills of lading, invoices, and other shipping documents.    

•   Estimate freight or postal rates and record shipment costs and weights.    

•   Enter shipping information into a computer by hand or by a hand-held scanner that reads bar codes on goods.    

•   Retrieve stored items and trace lost shipments as necessary.    

•   Work under the supervision of a freight broker or firm, but for themselves.

 

 

FREIGHT AGENTS:

•   Are not required by the Federal Government to have any special training or education.    

•   Often work at home making contacts by telephone and following up with data on a computer that has internet connection.    

•   Usually receive their training from either a freight broker or by attending a special freight agent training program.    

•   Make a “commission” on every load they successfully arrange transportation for and arrives safely at its destination.    

•   Must be people of integrity, reliable, service-oriented, and efficient who can move cargo as economically as possible.    

•   Can make from $40,000 to $200,000 a year, depending on their abilities and how much time they are willing to spend growing their business.

•   Are responsible for making contact with shippers who have cargo to  ship, as well as  maintaining a continuing relationship.    

•   Negotiate with the shipper, the carrier and with the broker.    

•   Work directly with the shipper by handling all the details of their shipment so their shipment arrives safely at its destination.

•   Match the right trucker with the right load.    

•   Must compile information concerning all loads as well as where it is to be shipped.    

•   Are relied on by shippers to make all the arrangement with a trucker to transport the shipment to its destination.    

•   Work with both independent drivers (owner operators) who own their own trucks, as well as small and large trucking companies who hire their own drivers to drive their trucks.    

•   Understand that shippers must ship their products within the parameters of a certain cost.    

•   Understand “supply and demand” can determine how much a trucker is able to make on a load.    

•   Understand that as they “break into the business,” they will probably need to spend  most of their time on the phone (or in person) searching for shippers to work with.    

•   Understand that they may need to spend time on the phone searching for the right truckers to work with.

 

WHEN FREIGHT AGENTS ARE EXPERIENCED, THEY WILL HAVE LEARNED HOW TO:    

•   Put together shippers and carriers, often with minimal effort.    

•   Work with shippers so they are the ones who provide loads.    

•   Work with motor carriers who are ready to transport the loads.    

•   Work with shippers and carriers so they will rely on freight agents to take care of their transportation needs.