Being a freight broker as a side job

Every once in a while I help out with receiving at the warehouse when the runs aren't available, so I occasionally hear disgruntled owner operators, which is usually over the $300 lumper fee these guys in red t-shirts charge. For some reason they don't allow us company workers to be lumpers anymore.

This leads me to wonder why there aren't drivers/warehousemen who are also freight brokers? If you worked as a freight broker, wouldn't you then get better contacts down the road as an owner operator? Can I myself be a part time freight broker making contacts for the grocery warehouse I work for? If so, then how would I mark the "office hours" into my log book?

I wouldn't be in it entirely for the money, I just want an insider look in the freight industry. If I can make a 150-200 a week I'm content. Would I need to take a few courses in logistics at the local tech college?

 

So then you would need to take out a loan for about 150,000 to get it started? Seems to be out of my league. I thought having 15,000 on hand would be enough. I don't know how ordinary people can be brokers if they have to pay the carrier without receiving payment from the shipper for 40-90 days, all of which for a measly 7-10 percent. You'd be better off just putting the money into a CD if you had 150,000 laying around.