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May 01 2007

How to Start a Freight Brokerage Business

Posted by: Leo in SME 1,360 Views

The article below was lifted from entrepreneur.com, and is intended only to give you a general idea how Freight Brokerage works and operates. Though it’s setting is for the US market, the system and idea can also be adapted here in the Philippines.

Take a look around your home or office. It’s highly unlikely you have much–if anything at all–that didn’t reach you either entirely or partially by truck. The size and scope of the motor freight industry is almost overwhelming. The good news is, there’s still plenty of room for you to start and grow a profitable business serving the industry as a freight broker.

What exactly is a freight broker? Very simply, it’s an individual or a company that brings together a shipper that needs to transport goods with an authorized motor carrier that wants to provide the service.

A freight broker falls into the category of transportation intermediary, which is a company that is neither a shipper nor an asset-owning carrier, but plays a role in the movement of cargo. “Transportation intermediaries leverage their knowledge, investment in technology and people resources to help both the shipper and carrier succeed,” says Robert A. Voltmann, executive director and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association.

Brokers provide an important and valuable service to both motor carriers and shippers. They help carriers fill the trucks and earn a commission for their efforts. They help shippers find reliable motor carriers that they (the shippers) might not have otherwise known about. In fact, some companies use brokers as their traffic department, allowing the broker to coordinate all their shipping needs. Brokers aren’t new to the trucking industry; they’ve been around since the industry itself began in the early part of the 20th century. Prior to the 1970s, however, regulations governing brokers were so restrictive that few firms were willing to even try to gain entry into the industry. But with dramatic changes in federal transportation policy during the 1970s, regulatory restrictions have eased, creating new entrepreneurial opportunities in the third-party logistics arena.

The Players

An industry so huge and diverse requires a wide range of participants to thrive. Some of these participants’ titles may be a bit confusing, and some of their responsibilities may overlap. But to keep things as clear and simple as possible, let’s look at who the key players are and what they do.

  • Freight broker. A freight broker is the middleman who connects shippers and carriers.
  • Shipper. A shipper is an individual or business that has products or goods to transport.
  • Motor carrier. A motor carrier is a company that provides truck transportation. There are two types of motor carriers: private (a company that provides truck transportation of its own cargo) and for hire (a company that is paid to provide truck transportation of cargo belonging to others).
  • Freight forwarder. Often confused with freight brokers, freight forwarders are significantly different. Forwarders typically take possession of the goods, consolidate numerous smaller shipments into one large shipment, then arrange for transport of that larger shipment using various shipping methods, including land, air and water carriers.
  • Import-export broker. These people are facilitators for importers and exporters. Import-export brokers interface with U.S. Customs, other government agencies, international carriers, and other companies and organizations that are involved in international freight transportation.
  • Agricultural truck broker. Generally small and operating in one area of the country, unregulated agricultural truck brokers arrange motor carrier service for exempt agricultural products.
  • Shipper’s associations. Shipper’s associations are exempt, nonprofit, cooperative organizations formed by shippers to reduce transportation costs by pooling shipments. Shipper’s associations operate in a manner very similar to that of freight forwarders, but their service is limited to their members and is not available to the general public.

In a perfect world, of course, each entity in the industry would handle its traditional role and that’s all. However, the transportation industry is changing so rapidly that once-distinctive lines are blurring. Also, it’s quite common for a successful freight broker to expand his or her business by creating subsidiaries or additional companies that offer other freight services.
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photo from ltl400.com


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