How do I get a broker agent job with no experience

Discussion in 'Freight Broker Forum' started by indspirit, Oct 21, 2014.

  1. indspirit

    indspirit Light Load Member

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    I'm hanging up my trucking keys for good. I was entertaining the idea of working as a broker agent and trying to find out some info on being able to get started. I was looking around on the internet and it seems that most people want to sell you a training program of some kind anywhere from $1,000 - $2,500. Most of the programs seem to be geared towards showing you how to set up your own business as a broker. I'm not interested in starting my own business (been there done that) what I was hoping for was to work as an agent only and not having to set up my own. So I start looking around for broker agent jobs and most want you have 2 yrs experience and some of your own clients. So I'm wondering is this like all the driver scams out there nowadays in this industry. You pay us thousands of dollars for training that may or may not help you and when you get done you may or may not have a job or make money. Is there a way to work as an agent only? Can it be done with no broker experience with some sort of training provided? I'm willing to take a lower commission rate to start out while training but that doesn't even seem to be an option.
     
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  3. astanbrough

    astanbrough Light Load Member

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    Sep 19, 2014
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    Its not impossible to find an agent job like this. From what I've discovered, the easiest way to get a job as an agent without prior experience or clients is to seek out a Brokerage that doesn't own any of its own equipment and strictly brokers loads rather than an operation that also has its own fleet. From my experience, the trucking companies that also have brokerage functions are much less flexible on hiring as they don't dedicate all their resources to the brokerage and they cant afford to lose money and productivity while training you from the start. Non-asset 3PL services are more concerned with hiring a friendly, persistant, and professional person who can keep carriers on board and expand carrier or shipper bases (not that asset-based brokerages don't care about this, they're just not as efficient at doing so since they have their own trucks to worry about as well). In other words, non-asset 3PLs could care less about specific broker training as they typically want to train you on how they do things. The right company will pay more attention to how you are as a person: attitude, ethics, and results are most important to the brokerages that keep their customers happy.
     
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  4. Skate-Board

    Skate-Board Road Train Member

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    You already have the experience. Your the perfect person to be an agent as an ex trucker!!!!!!!!
     
  5. indspirit

    indspirit Light Load Member

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    Aug 17, 2013
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    Thanks for the info gives me a good place to start looking. I've got one more run to Bean Town and back then can put in more time researching companies.
     
  6. skateboardman

    skateboardman Road Train Member

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    from his post, maybe not. I don't think he was paying attention for 38 years
     
    Lucar and rollin coal Thank this.
  7. eds1444

    eds1444 Bobtail Member

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    Sep 4, 2013
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    What about someone with no driving experience, but sales experience and a large contact base of manufacturing companies and other shippers?
     
  8. eds1444

    eds1444 Bobtail Member

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    Sep 4, 2013
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    Any input would help!
     
  9. Skate-Board

    Skate-Board Road Train Member

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    You really need to be an ex trucker or learning from a more senior person for 6 months to a year. Unless you have the experience you really don't know the questions to ask like.

    When pickup
    What time
    When deliver
    What time
    Tarp?
    Checking miles. Miles are posted as the crows fly, not a truck
    Dimensions
    Weight
    Rates for going into bad areas
    Going to Vale, CO.....Holy crap!
    Special conditions on rate conformation
    Tons of other questions depending on van, refer, flatbed, and specialty hauling
     
  10. astanbrough

    astanbrough Light Load Member

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    If your contact base actually contains real possibilities for future business than that could definitely help you get in the door somewhere, but if you just have a list of manufacturers that you've never spoke to and know little about then it won't help you out very much. Maybe 2 or 3 out of 100 companies will consider letting you broker their loads if you're just cold calling with no prior contact or specific knowledge of what they need. Also, some brokerages would be much more interested in a carrier base rather than another shipper to get loads from. Capacity is something every brokerage is looking to expand- you can have all the loads in the world but without enough trucks you're still no better off. Knowing the trucking industry is huge, but by no means do you need driving experience, you just need to be able to effectively communicate with drivers and satisfy their needs as well as the customers. It all comes down to who is interviewing you and what they are looking for though, so really you just need to find a good fit for yourself.
     
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