how do i become a freight broker
 

sorry if this in wrong spot but i was wondering how to become a freight broker so i can broker my own loads for my trucks and do freight brokers call companys to get freight or do the companys call them thanks for the help :D

Re: how do i become a freight broker
 

You may want to look here.

http://loadtraining.com/

In order to broker freight, you will need broker authority. To be approved, you will need to post a $10,000 bond. Authority costs $300. You don't need authority to book loads for your own trucks, only those loads which you broker to other carriers. You can go to the Federal website for all requirements and forms. You should be able to handle everything on line. This will not show you how to be a successful broker, only give you authority. There are some schools that are supposed to train you how to be a broker, but it would be easier if you went to work for another broker to learn first hand.

Getting some training is a good idea. You can train yourself through hard knocks, but it could be costly. I have been a broker for 10 years now, I have only had 3 claims, 2 produce loads, 1 shifted dry load. Carriers insurance covered the dry load. I had to eat the 2 produce loads ( lettuce and cabbage). If you are already loading your trucks, brokering will be fairly easy once you get the ball rolling. It can be slow in the beginning especially if you just rely on calls from the load boards. Also, dont be a loadboard lurker posting behind the cheap ash shipper who posts on all the load boards for cheap then the broker posts the same load for $200 less and some poor trucker takes it because he can get an advance from the broker. Well.....maybe you should post behind the shipper. I prefer not to, but you will and should offer advances, that is another carrot to getting trucks. Go for it and Good Luck. I like brokers that also run trucks!!

I drive and will have my broker authority soon. Scary thought :shock:
My wife will take over, she will be good at it. She is very well organized and has a backround in office management and shipping/receiving. She will broker some loads to me, and a few to outside carriers. Not looking to make a killing, just a couple extra dollars. I promise I will not post cheap crap. I just can't sleep at night if I do that. I will only take the most premium paying loads to offer. That way the guy taking the load is getting a decent rate. If I was a school tought broker I would be taught to suck the load dry and offer it for peanuts to make the most for my boss. Sorry, I won't do that. I'll make less money for myself and be happy about it. Which by the way will be more then some parent broker would care to pay me.

You know a lot has been written about hauling cheap, excessive supply of trucks etc but it seems to me if this is true (which I don't know enough to deny yet) then brokers would just be sitting back and collecting. But from my conversations with brokers, few as they have been, they seem as eager to get trucks as the trucks are to get work. I don't understand this.

A driver (myself included at one point in life) would load for a broker that offered an advance over one that didnt. If you see 7 brokers hustling the same load which one has the advantage of getting your truck if they all have good credit and the rates are very close to the same? The one offering the most money for the smallest fee. Some brokers dont offer advances for many reasons, some wont advance if they havent done business with you before. Some are strapped for cash and cant afford to advance. A buddy took a broker load from WA to OH about 3 months ago and they sent the advance through Western Union (that had to be costly). Then they wouldnt honor the quick pay after receiving clean bills unless he picked up another load for them. He picked it up then took it back to the shipper the next day only to find out the load was TRIPLE brokered. Not a good situation for our industry. When I look at my records, not of my advances are on loads of 1000 miles or more. Some O/Os believe that getting the advance is better than hauling for free..ie not getting paid. On that note, I say you shouldnt be loading for a broker that you feel may not pay. However, Ive had truckers load, get the advance and then start threatening this or that. I just remain cool and let the cross state lines then I threaten an interstate crime which is a felony. The load always gets delivered and the trucker always gets paid. I wont use him again though.

Of course they do! If they wouldn't getting trucks, they would loose their shippers.
The smart one's paying reasonable rates, and trying to establish a good relationship with good reliable truckers. This is a good business, where everybody is happy, and those guys in here for a long run!

But the same as in trucking end, the market is overloaded with cheap azz non professionals, who want it all, and now! They wouldn't be in this business for long, but there is plenty more, were they came from! It's like a plague! :sad:

So true, it seems like every week there is a new broker calling with GREEEAT loads, they dont know that crap has been around for years, but they are so green, they think the shipper just started using brokers when they called the shipper. HAHAHA!

I have a young broker call not long ago, all excited telling me he had this great paying load for me. From his voice I could tell that he was young. I asked him what he was trying to move the load for and he said something like $1.20/mile. This was a load coming out of Georgia, as I recall. I about blew his mind when I told him what we have been getting for our trucks. These new people need to do some research to find what the market is paying. Of course, he might have found a new carrier who would haul his freight. I believe it was PT Barnum who said that "There is a sucker born every minute." A good broker is going to get good rates and keep his word. A good carrier will do what he has to to get the load picked up and delivered as agreed. I think that unless the broker can offer a load at a fair rate and still make a profit then he should not take the load.