Excellent Freight Brokers and Freight Agents

What makes a good freight broker? Wait, let’s not strive for good. Good is simply average. Let’s ask the question what makes an excellent freight broker or freight agent?

Glance over the advertisements from freight brokering companies trying to recruit experienced brokers/agents. They advertise intangibles ranging from experience, values, to wanting motivated individuals with a strong work ethic and a good credit history. The freight broker want ads are full of offers for honest, hard working professionals. Many companies seek one year’s worth of experience, a solid customer base and truck following. Is it experience and time on the job that makes for an excellent broker? Is it work ethic or honesty? So again, what makes an excellent freight broker? After review, there are several freight broker articles on how to be a successful freight broker. The intent here is not to rework those articles, but to touch on some key fundamentals of "excellent" freight brokers/agents. The next several blog posts will focus on selected fundamentals of "excellent" freight brokers and freight agents.

An excellent freight broker understands how to deal effectively with others. One of the most important factors for success in the transportation business and really in any business is how effectively you deal with people. An excellent freight broker knows how to deal with people. Somerset’s "excellent" brokers understand that they have two customers on any shipment; the customer who pays them (shipper) and the customer who they partner with to move the freight (carrier/truck). How you treat these people greatly affects whether you are considered excellent or just an average freight broker. Though many would think that the customer who pays you is the most important, it really starts with your other partner. Of course shippers are important, but the best brokers understand they could not be in business without the trucker or carrier. Treating carriers fairly and with respect is important. Having carriers who seek out your loads because they have been treated properly puts the excellent broker above the rest. Building this reputation requires time and effort. It can also be ruined overnight. Building a solid reputation starts with the "Golden Rule." Basically it comes down to treating others like you would want to be treated. An excellent broker understands how to deal with people. They treat all customers with fairly and with respect. Check our next blog post as we continue our discussion on what it takes to be an excellent freight broker/agent.

If you have questions on how to become an excellent freight broker/agent please contact Somerset Logistics at www.somersetlogistics.com. We challenge you to come and be a part of our Team of "Excellent Freight Brokers and Independent Freight Agents."