freight broker schools

Coachman1 · Dec 25, 2017

boredsocial said: ↑

He's got no idea what he's talking about. I'm not saying that freight brokerage isn't changing every year, and in some areas declining... But it's expanding rapidly in other areas. It's a massive fully mature industry.

You can make a lot of money in the transportation game, but if what you're looking for is easy money look elsewhere. It's not sexy, it's not easy, and the failure rate is significantly above 90% for people who start the right way. It's probably less than a 1 in 1000 survival rate for those who don't start the right way.

So yeah there are always people around the industry who will tell you that it's in decline. This is because they are in decline... Because it's brutally competitive and people who are up today will probably be down at least somewhat at some point in the future.

How about you tell us why you want to be a freight broker and what your background is so we can give you some career advice?
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well I hope I haven't make you fill bitter with my question I am 54 been company driver for 20 years and I know that in maybe 5 to 6 years I would not want to be driving any longer so I think if I start getting to practice being a freight broker from now I can built something on that. any advice is good thank you.

Coachman1 · Dec 25, 2017

PPDCT said: ↑

A mark in this context, is an easy target for a thief, swindler, etc. By attending these schools, and using that as part of your resume to get hired, you're identifying yourself to any worthwhile brokerage that you're a mark. That makes you more of a risky hire, because this industry is rife with liars on all ends of the spectrum and falling for ######## costs money and hurts your business.

To answer question number two- easy enough. I had no experience in the transportation industry at all when I started. What I did have going for me was a varied job history, and background in call center work. Knowing how to talk to someone on the phone is one of the most important facets of this job. I can teach you everything else- I can't teach you to be personable.
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thanks for your explanation

Coachman1 · Dec 25, 2017

boredsocial said: ↑

+1 to being good on the phone being unteachable. I'd add to that that if you aren't a VERY responsible person (always on time, never say #### it when something comes up, always pick up the phone no matter what or when, put your job first) you absolutely will not make it.

Also agreed about how attending a freight broker school would probably stop you from getting a freight brokerage job at a real brokerage. Those schools are offering to teach you a complex skill set that takes years to develop in very short time windows. At best they are going over the basic legalities, which is something you could get off the internet for free. At worst they are teaching you a bunch of nonsense stuff that puts you in a deep hole that you have to dig out of to be where other people starting from scratch would be.

So given all of that they are pretty obvious scams. People try to scam me three to four times a week. So far since 2014 I've been scammed once for ~1200 bucks. Someone who fell for a freight brokerage school would probably be getting hit once a month... And maybe more once the scammers start passing your information around. Being easy to scam is to freight brokerage what being 5'5" is to playing college or NBA level hoops.
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thanks for the advice I been a company driver for 20 years probably going to keep driving for a few more years but would like to get in to something like this I'm 54 and I need to find me something else to help my income.

Coachman1 · Dec 25, 2017

NHS said: ↑

I will admit when I started out on my own,I paid a nominal fee, from what I recall, for some sort of online course. However to be honest at the time I had been running my own trucks through brokers for a couple years so I had an idea of what I needed to do. I just paid for the course to basically confirm what I already knew. Most of the information in the course can be found for free online with little effort. The only thing that was kind of worth the price was I got a file of shipper leads (which could have probably been found for free elsewhere) that I didn’t have to put together on my own. I definitely would not spend much on any kind of broker school course, certainly no more than a couple hundred dollars at the very very most, if any money at all. I’m glad I didn’t spend any more than that.

As mentioned go work for another brokerage or agent, and have them show you the ropes for free or even get paid to get trained. Look up an broker/agent recruiter on social media (there are many of them and are easy to find). If they won’t take you on as agent, they should at least try to refer you to one that will employ you (assuming you are remotely qualified).

As others have mentioned, this side of the business (similar to the trucking side) is a grind. It may be easy to put “broker” next to your job title, but it is certainly not easy to be a highly successful one. I’ve been at it for several years and have only recently become mildly successful. If you don’t have a solid base salary when you start, you’ll need to be able to support yourself for 3-6 months minimum. The pressure to build a reasonable income (through commissions) in such a short amount of time, I believe, is certainly why most don’t make it long.
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hey thanks for your valuable advice

Coachman1 · Dec 25, 2017

boredsocial said: ↑

And the fact that many of them attempt to start their own brokerage with their own MC number. They don't have the know-how to convince a real freight brokerage to take them on as an agent (they all want you to have an active book of business already basically), so they try to go it alone. The problem with this is that a freight brokerage is DEFINITELY a business that has a minimum viable size...

Truckers are under the mistaken impression that freight brokerage isn't a capital intensive business. They miss the fact that freight brokers are floating massive amounts of receivables. I did 2.xM this year in revenue and I probably averaged 600k out from early April to last week. I'm making a good living, but the ratio of capital to income isn't THAT different from running trucks. You definitely do have more fixed expenses... Although you'd be surprised how fast a freight brokerage can get too heavy and sink.

At the end of the day I see what I do, being a really solid freight agent, as being separate from running a freight brokerage. Running a freight brokerage is handling the billing, fighting claims, collecting money, handling the software stuff and being the absolute last person to get paid. I'm grateful that the people I'm in business with are incredible at all of this. Sincerely this last year they are basically the thing I'm most thankful for. They've earned every penny of their cut.

On the flip side I'm probably looking at terminating my relationship with the large 3PL I've been running LTL through for the last year and change. They are just way way way too garbage to be believed. I'd tell all of you the name of the company but I'd be publicly shamed for it and I think I'll pass lol.
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thanks for your valuable info

Coachman1 · Dec 25, 2017

lockNload said: ↑

I have been in manufacturing management now for almost 30 years and I have been researching the broker/broker agent business for several months now and I have paid for Scott Woods course and reviewed many videos from Dennis. I will not say it is garbage, but it is not a course in my opinion. You are provided downloadable reading content and a few videos along with a forum to ask questions that cover most of the legal issues and how to get your bond, some source to get freight, etc. You pay for a service, but you do not learn to be a broker. You can get all of what you purchase from looking at free youtube videos.

I would 2nd what PPDCT recommended, become an agent for a broker. You will get the experience and hands-on training required without you upfronting money. If you can't sell yourself to getting hired as an agent with no experience, you will not be able to sell broker service to shippers/carriers. In a lot of cases, a great agent can make several hundred thousand dollars doing this business without the hassle of the backroom work of billing and paying. You can focus on matching loads with carriers and building relationships. If it doesn't work out for you, you haven't lost anything. As for the CH Robinson and XPO giants, those types are in every business such as Google, Microsoft, etc. Does that represent what you will make NO! That easy road to riches is what sells the courses and schools. This is a multibillion-dollar industry with the potential to make a great living, but it takes hard work and you have to work it!
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hey thanks for your honest valuable info, what's the average time you spend on a daily base contacting new potential clients about how many calls, and can I do this part-time and have a driver job at the same time until I can totally support myself doing this what do you think.

boredsocial · Dec 25, 2017

I think it's tough for full time guys much less part timers. I think driving a truck is brutally hard work already. Are you an owner op or a company driver?

Coachman1 · Dec 26, 2017

At this moment I'm company, but I was thinking on doing a L/P and finding my own loads if the freight broker agent is not possible now.

boredsocial · Dec 26, 2017

Coachman1 said: ↑

At this moment I'm company, but I was thinking on doing a L/P and finding my own loads if the freight broker agent is not possible now.
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Don't do a L/P. Ever. Honestly dude it sounds like you're unhappy with your company job. What kind of work do you do? This might be a better thread for @Chinatown than anything.

Coachman1 · Dec 26, 2017

boredsocial said: ↑

Don't do a L/P. Ever. Honestly dude it sounds like you're unhappy with your company job. What kind of work do you do? This might be a better thread for @Chinatown than anything.
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thanks for your advice I will look in to it I'm working for first fleet in Orlando, I been with them for 4 years now it is a good company but the pay is real bad and it's getting worst every year that pass by

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