First let me start with the fact that the job of a freight broker in Canada is virtually the same as freight brokers in the U.S.  Both the U.S. and Canadian freight brokers and freight agents act as the middleman between shippers and motor carriers helping to match shipper loads with available truck capacity.  Freight brokers, also known as load brokers, logistics brokers, shipping brokers, truck brokers, transportation brokers and property brokers have become an integral part of today’s supply chain.  Brokers can offer an array of services including full truckload, less than truckload, rail, and even air/ocean. Click the following links to learn “What is a freight broker?” and “How much freight brokers or freight agents can earn?”

If you are located in Canada and are interested in how to get your freight broker license here are the basic requirements as stated by the National Transportation Brokers Association.  www.ntba-brokers.com

The list of provinces below regulate freight brokerage operations:

ONTARIO: Effective January 1, 2006, Ontario Regulation 556/92 to the Truck Transportation Act and the Act itself are repealed.

One part of 556/92 has been retained in legislation and transferred to the Highway Traffic Act (HTA). Where the previous 556/92 required an application to obtain a Load Brokerage Certificate, the new addition to the HTA requires no such application or certificate, and will universally apply to all companies who broker freight “over-the-road” including motor carriers, warehousemen, customs brokers, freight forwarders, 3PLs and freight brokers.  556/92 of the HTA speaks mainly to the requirement that all parties who broker freight must maintain a trust account to hold monies payable to the carrier.

QUEBEC: Presently, the Commission des transports du Québec Section 332 requires that a “transport service intermediary” (any person who finds a carrier for the account of his client) register with the CTQ. Person can be a freight forwarder, a forwarding agent, a broker and so on, and corresponds to one of the following situations:
(1) concludes a contract in Québec
(2) has a place of business, an office or a business address in Québec, a post office box or a telephone number
(3) has a representative or an agent with a proxy to transact on her behalf in Québec
(4) generally, acts in Québec for gain in the scope of professional or commercial activities

The provinces and territories listed below do not currently regulate freight brokerage:

ALBERTA
BRITISH COLUMBIA
MANITOBA
NEW BRUNSWICK
NEWFOUNDLAND
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
NOVA SCOTIA
NUNAVIT
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
SASKATCHEWAN
YUKON

If you are located in Canada, learning to become a freight broker or freight agent is virtually the same as in the United States so any reputable freight broker training program should be able to teach you how to effectively broker freight.  Online training has proven to be a very effective way for people to learn from a distance.  So if you are interested in learning how to save over $1,000 by attending an online freight broker training program versus a school or classroom setting check out www.FreightBrokerBootcamp.com

P.S. I hope you found this article useful, if so tell Google by click the g +1 logo in the top left hand corner of this article to help other people find it online!

Regards,

Dennis Brown
Owner, www.FreightBrokerBootcamp.com

Legal Disclaimer: The information in this article has been compiled as accurately as possible. However, FreightBrokerBootcamp.com and the National Transportation Brokers Association, its Director, Officers and/or Shareholders assume no liability whatsoever for its accuracy.  This information should not be misconstrued as legal advice and readers should verify any information contained on this page before making any business decision.

Today I wanted to share with you my experience including tips and suggestion on how to setup your home office as a freight broker, truck broker, logistics broker or freight agent.

1. It’s important to have a dedicated work space, so find an area of your house/apartment where you can be comfortable working.  The key is to have easy and quick access to all the critical tools and resources you will need throughout the day.

2. Define the critical technical resources you need in your homes office.  As a freight broker/agent here are a few things you might consider for your home office:

• unlimited phone service with 1 but preferably 2 available lines
• high speed internet access
• a newer computer with sufficient speed and storage
• quality monitor or dual monitors if possible
• email service
• all in one printer/fax/scanning machine
• load board access to post load and search for trucks
• business software like Microsoft Office or equivalent
• freight broker software (optional to start but a must once you get rolling)

3. Organize your office so you have an outside view or in an area with natural light when possible.  Trust me sunlight can really help your energy and enthusiasm of which both affect your results.

4. Organize your office so you have both room to function and room for storage of files, documents and related paperwork as needed.  Having quick, easy access to tools and resources is critical when multitasking.

5. Invest in a quality desk with sufficient work space and a nice chair.  If possible don’t skimp on these items, don’t forget you will be sitting in and at them for 8,10, 12 hours a day running your business.  Look for a used desk and/or chair on craiglist.com, many time you can get high quality items without breaking the bank.

6. Set office hours and let your friends and family know that you will be at work.  This is critical for two reason; 1) it gets you into a routine and 2) it helps to prevent unnecessary and unwanted calls and visits while you are working.  Yes flexibility is a great benefit to being an entrepreneur but success requires a certain amount of structure in order to be effective.

I started my first business back in 1994 and during my career I have worked out my home for a total of 4 years.  During that time I have learned a thing or two and the biggest lesson I learned about working from home was that you need to be DISCIPLINED and treat everyday like your going to and office. The fact of the matter is, you are going to the office but now it just so happens to be in your home!

You will realize quickly that working from home has many distractions that you typically won’t run into in an office setting including family, television, refrigerator, home phone, friends/neighbors, mail man, home projects, laundry and many more.  In order to be a successful home based freight broker or freight agent it is important to limit outside distractions that steal your time and energy, causing you to get off course.

Best of luck in setting up your home office.  If you need any assistance with learning how to become a freight broker or freight agent read my blog and check out my online freight broker training program. 

P.S. If you liked this article please make sure to click the Google +1 logo at the top left of this article to help others find it online.

Regards,

Dennis Brown
Owner, www.FreightBrokerBootcamp.com

Check out another popular post Who are a freight brokers customers? 

As you may or may not know I have owned and operated my own logistics company for the past 9 years.  I am a real life example of someone that started a business with no experience and with a lot of hard work, sweat, tears and a little luck my company is now recognized as a leader in the industry.

Some say I was lucky but I think Thomas Jefferson said it best, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”  Honestly, I don’t mine the naysayers, I saw the opportunity and jumped on it and now my team and I wrestle it into submission every day.  That’s how it works, grab a grape off the vine and squeeze every bit of juice out of it you can all day long.  Did you do your best?  Did you go after it 100%?  Only you will know but either way all you can do is throw away that empty grape and be prepared to pick another one tomorrow.

Quick story, the other day I got an email from one of my past students who asked me if he could do a testimonial for my online freight broker training program and after several emails, come to find out he took my training and is now earning a great living on his own terms.  As a matter of fact he told he did over $60,000 in business just last month.  That’s what it’s all about people, he saw the opportunity and jumped on it and that is what it takes to be successful in anything.

I am sharing these things with you to open your mind to the possibilities of starting, owning and operating your own freight brokerage or freight agency.  The video above is the real deal and the numbers are all 100% true.  Is it easy?  No!  Can it be done?  Absolutely, I am living proof, just watch the video and see for yourself.

Like anything new that you want to learn, the first step to becoming a freight broker or freight agent is to first become a sponge.  Yes a sponge…how?  By attending online training programs, participating in webinars, reading books, researching online, finding a mentor, networking within the industry but most of all never stop asking questions and never stop learning.  The way to be successful is to become a student and learn everything you can about becoming a freight broker or freight agent and never stop learning.

If you like this post please make sure to click the Google +1 logo at the top left of the video.  I would greatly appreciate it and it will allow others users to find it easier through while searching.  Click here to watch on Youtube.com and let others know you “like” it!

Sorry but gotta run for now, hope you enjoyed the video, stay tuned for more to come!

P.S. If you are interested in learning more about freight broker software check out “Top 10 Freight Broker Software Programs”

Regards,

Dennis Brown
Owner, www.FreightBrokerBootcamp.com

If you like this post check out another article I wrote called, “How much can a freight broker or freight agent earn?”

1. Do I need freight broker software to run my business?

Answer: The short answer is YES.  If you plan on being successful you will definitely need some sort of program to manage your freight brokerage business.  That doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy a $5,000 software program today or ever for that matter. Most people that are successful at launching their freight brokerage realize very early on the value of having an easy to use system for effectively managing their customer’s freight,  invoicing customers and paying carriers.

2. What is the best freight broker software to use?

Answer: That depends upon your specific needs and budget?  From day one of my brokerage we built our own transportation management software so while dozens of companies have tried to sell me their systems over the years I do not currently use any of them so I leave that decision to you.

The fact of the matter is, freight broker software is way better today than it was when I got started back in 2003.  Today there are literally dozens of options for freight brokers to choose from when it comes to selecting a Transportation Management Software (TMS) that can streamline their operations and improve the overall management of their business.

Most freight brokerage software is designed to allow freight brokers to easily enter loads, source/qualify carriers, dispatch drivers, invoice customers and pay carriers. Like any software, some companies do this better than others and some charge more than others.   My goal in this blog post is to share with you some of the leading providers in the industry based upon my experience over the past 9 years.

Top 10 freight broker software programs! (No particular order)

1. Load Pilot www.loadpilot.com
2. Strategy Live www.strategysystems.com
3. Aljex Software www.aljex.com
4. ITS Dispatch by Internet Truckstop www.its-dispatch.com
5. Arc Freight by Arcline www.arcline2000.com
6. Keypoint by Transcore www.transcorebrokertms.com
7. BrokerWare by 3PL Systems www.3plsystems.com
8. Broker Pro/Plus/Lite by Infinity Software Solutions
9. Tailwind Systems www.tailwindsys.com/freight-brokerage-software.php
10. PowerBroker by McLeod Software

As you can see there are a lot of software choices available to you and with each the features and price will vary.  I strongly recommend that you walk before you run when purchasing any type of software, particularly for people that are just getting started in the business.  You can always upgrade your software later to meet the growing needs of your business.  

If you found this article useful please click the Google +1 link at the top left side of this article right above where it says “If I had a nickel”.  This will help others find the information online.

Thanks for visiting and stay tuned for more to come!

Regards,

Dennis Brown
Click here to learn How To Become A Freight Broker in 30 Days or Less!

The first step

If you know anything about me personally, you know that back in 2003 when I got started I had absolutely no experience in logistics or trucking.  At that time I invested over $10,000 to fly a well respected freight broker trainer to Buffalo, NY to teach me what he knew about being a freight broker.  Only after I knew the basics of how to broker freight and had confidence in my business plan did I file for my freight broker license. Why?  Because learning from other peoples mistakes is the best way to prevent them from happening to you!

There are many options these days on how, when and where you can get trained as a freight broker or agent as well as dozens of others that offer classroom training.

The second step in getting your freight broker license is to complete and submit your application to become a freight broker also known by FMCSA as a property broker.

The third step is to obtain a $10,000 freight broker surety bond or trust because the FMCSA will require you to show proof of your bond or trust  before you can start doing business a freight broker

The fourth and final step is to secure a process agent in each state you will be doing business in and file your Designation of Process otherwise known as a BOC-3 from with the FMCSA.

Once you have completed all the following step it typically takes 3-4 weeks before you are notified that your license has now been deemed active.

Please note that while many people choose to become a licensed freight broker, many others are working under a licensed freight broker as freight agents.

Click the following link to read one of my past blog posts where I share, “What is the difference between a freight broker and a freight agent?”

Another article I wrote that you might be interested in is “How much can a freight broker or freight agent earn

If you found this article useful please click the Google +1 link at the top of this article right above where it says “The first step”.  Thanks for visiting and come back soon!

P.S. All members of the www.FreightBrokerBootcamp.com online training program are provided detailed information about each step of the way including forms and videos to assist with getting your license.

Regards,

Dennis Brown
Affordable Online Freight Broker Training

If you told me back in 2003 when I started my freight brokerage that there would be a reality television show centered around truck drivers shipping unusual items across the country I would have laughed in your face. Well guess what?

“Shipping Wars” is here, for how long no one knows but for now the show airs at 9pm EST on Tuesday evenings.  At first I was skeptical but intrigued about the idea when commercials for it first aired and now that I have watched it I have to admit I enjoyed it.  I think it gives an interesting and somewhat realistic view into what can happen behind the scenes in the transportation industry.

The fact of the matter, whether you’re a truck driver or even a freight broker, managing transportation can be a challenging job for a variety of reasons including bad weather, mechanical breakdowns, sick drivers, DOT inspections, damaged freight and high fuel costs just to name a few.

After all, being a truck driver is simple right?  All you have to do is pickup and deliver the customer’s freight on-time, in good condition with no problems!  I guess that’s one of the main reasons why I like Shipping Wars is the fact that it’s educating people on what really happens behind the scenes and what it takes to be successful in the transportation industry.

The reality is, the transportation industry employs millions of people in our country and the need for good truck drivers, freight brokers, truck brokers and/or logistics brokers will continue long into the future.  That is barring any “Beam me up Scotty” Star Trek type technology which I don’t foresee anytime soon!

So check out Shipping Wars on A&E, Tuesdays at 9pm EST or you can go online to watch past episodes and be your own judge!

Click the following link to learn more about “How To Become A Freight Broker or Freight Agent In 30 Days or Less.”

Regards,

Dennis Brown

Owner, www.FreightBrokerBootcamp.com

Online Freight Broker Training By A Real Freight Broker

One of the questions I get regularly is, “what is the difference between a freight broker and a freight agent”, so today I hope to clarify the difference between the two.

A freight broker, also known as a property broker, is someone that is licensed by the FMCSA that acts as a middleman to arrange the transport of goods by matching available trucks with shipper loads.  Freight brokers can range from a simple one man operation to larger multinational companies with billions in revenues; the fact of the matter is the role they play is virtually the same. Brokers are responsible to make sure that they only hire motor carriers that meet the FMCSA guidelines including authority, insurance and safety standards and that payments due to motor carriers are not unreasonably withheld.  Last but not least freight brokers assume the risk of granting credit to customers so its critical to check and monitor a customer’s credit.

A freight agent is someone that typically works under the direction and authority of a licensed freight broker helping to coordinate shipments. Freight agents regularly interact with both shipping customers and motor carriers in an effort to insure their customer’s freight pickups on time, in good condition with no problems.  Most of a freight agent’s day consists of providing their customers freight rates, sourcing carriers, negotiating with shippers/carriers, dispatching trucks, scheduling pickup/delivers and solving problems that could potentially delay or damage a shipment. Freight agents operate under the authority/license of an FMCSA approve freight broker so they have little or no liability but are able to earn a significant income based upon profit their customer’s generate.  It is not uncommon to see agents receive between 50-65% commission on the gross profit generate from a load.  Freight agents can either be an employee or independent contractor, with a large number of them working from home.  See commission example below…

Here is an example of how agent commissions work

$1,500 is billed to shipper for moving a load from point A to point B while $1,300 paid to the motor carrier to haul the load leaving $200 in gross profit. If the agent is paid 60% of profit he would earn $120 for just that one load.  Good freight agents regularly move 2-5 loads per day with top agents moving 10 or more.

Many people that have taken my online freight broker training program have went on to become licensed freight brokers but even more have taken the knowledge they gained and started their own freight agency working under an established freight broker. Regardless if they chose to become a broker or agent the proper training will save both time, money and stress when getting started in the freight business.

To hear my story on how I started as a freight broker with no experience and paid a consultant over $10,000 to help me get started back in 2003 CLICK HERE.

To your success,

Dennis Brown
Owner, www.FreightBrokerBootcamp.com

Don’t be fooled by the ever growing list of freight broker training programs online that are run by unsuccessful freight brokers! Ask them to prove how much business they do?  Click here for my proof!

First let me start out by saying that becoming a freight broker or freight agent is not some pie in the sky instant path to riches!  Yes there are a lot of opportunities and good freight brokers and agents are in high demand but it is not some get rich quick scheme, I see it as more of a get rich slow opportunity!  Like any business, success or failure is going to be in direct correlation to the skills, planning, resources and hard work of the people running it.

To get started I thought I might share how much the top 5 freight brokers did in revenue for 2010 based upon Transport Topics Top 25 Freight Brokerages rankings.

CH Robinson: $6,000,000,000+ (Yes that is $6 billion in revenue!)
Hub Group: $1.3 billion
Transplace: $990 million
Landstar: $824 million
Excel Transportation: $717 million

First please let me state for the record that these are the top freight brokers in the U.S. and are not the norm or average.  The fact is, the freight brokerage business is very fragmented with thousands of brokers; the majority of which do less than $5 million per year in sales.

As you will learn very quickly in business, revenue is great but profit is the key.  I estimated that most freight brokers operate in the realm of 12-20% gross margins. That means on $5 million in revenue the gross margin contribution would fall between $600,000 and $1 million.  To determine actual pre-tax profit you then need to subtract all your expenses including office expenses, utilities, marketing, salaries, commissions, travel, entertainment, etc at which point your pre-tax profit on $5 million would like fall somewhere between 5 -10% of revenue which would equal $250,000 to $500,000 in before tax profit.

WATCH QUICK 4 MINUTE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE ACTUAL PROOF OF HOW MUCH FREIGHT BROKERS AND FREIGHT AGENTS CAN EARN!

As for freight broker agents, of which I have met hundreds of during my career, the earnings once again are based heavily on their skills, planning, resources and work ethic. Small freight agents that are new to the industry conservatively earn $30,000 to $50,000 per year in commissions working from home while more experienced freight agents that I know earn $100,000 to $300,000 or more per year.  As you saw in the video above, top freight broker agents can earn as much as $50,000+ per month in commissions depending upon the size of their customer base and the amount of freight they move daily.

Bottom line, becoming a freight broker or freight agent can be very lucrative but like I said at the beginning, this is not a get rich scheme but with the proper training, a good plan and  hard work there is a wealth of opportunity available.

For more details on why now is the best time to become a freight broker or freight agent check out my previous at titled, Timing is everything, why become a freight broker today?

If you enjoyed this post or have questions reply below with your comments I always enjoy your feedback!

To your success,

Dennis Brown
Owner, www.FreightBrokerBootcamp.com

Any successful entrepreneur will tell you that finding your motivation is one of the the most critical components to success.  I was fortunate from an early age to have mentors that taught me the value of goal setting and dreaming big as well as the importance of a good work ethic.

Let me share with you a quick personal story about motivation.  I got married to my beautiful wife Danielle on September 27, 2003 and just 6 days later I started my freight brokerage. While I have never been the type of person to lack motivation, the fact that I was now married and my wife wanted to soon have children became the fuel that helped me to weather the early days of my freight brokerage startup!

Then in the spring of 2003 my wife walked in my office and said she was pregnant with our first child.  Prior to that day I always considered myself a very focused and motivated person but at that moment and from that point forward it was multiplied 10 fold.  Since then the business has grown exponentially and is now recognized as one of the fastest growing logistics providers in the U.S. by Inc. Magazine.

So what motivates you?  Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years I am sure you have all experienced Youtube.com so I thought it might be interesting from time to time to share with you videos that motivate and inspire me.

So here is a video about dreaming big and how to deal with failure and adversity!

So regardless if you decide to become a freight broker or a freight agent understand that adversity and failure are a prerequisites to success.  How you deal with each will determine the outcome!

To your success,

Dennis Brown
Owner, FreightBrokerBootcamp.com

Comprehensive & Affordable Freight Broker Training Online

Let’s start with the basics, a freight broker is a middlemen that basically matches “Shipper” loads with “Carrier” truck capacity.  For more detailed information visit my previous post titled “What is a freight broker?”

A freight broker’s customers are typically referred to as “Shippers” and include companies that manufacture, produce, distribute, import or export goods that require transport.  My definition lends itself to cover a wide range of companies including a relatively small group of larger well known companies like US Steel, Coca Cola, Walmart and Home Depot right down to what I estimate to be over 1 million + small to medium sized companies that need to utilize freight brokers and motor carriers daily to move their goods as a part of their normal buying or selling process.

Several times a month someone will email me the question, “Can you tell me a load board where I can find shipper loads?”

My answer is always the same, load boards are designed predominately for freight brokers and motor carriers to share and communicate available loads and available trucks in an effort to make a match.  The only loads you will see on most load boards will be other freight brokers and those will do you little or no good because they are not looking for another broker, they want to connect directly with motor carriers that have equipment ready and willing to haul the load.  See “What is a load board?” for more details.

The best way for freight brokers or freight agents to acquire shippers is to visit them face to face or call them on the phone and explain the value they can bring to the shipper.  This takes skill, perseverance and most of all knowledge about the industry and how it works in order to be effective.  That is one of the reasons why I strongly recommend taking some sort of freight broker training program before trying to become a freight broker or freight agent.

Please note, I had over 11 years of sales/entrepreneurial experience before I started my freight brokerage and I still invested over $10,000 in freight broker training in advance of making my first sales call to a prospective customer.

To hear my story on how I got started with no experience and now do over $30 million a year in sales CLICK HERE!

If you are curious how much money a freight broker or freight agent can earn check out this quick 3 minute video by CLICKING HERE!

To your success,

Dennis Brown
Owner, www.FreightBrokerBootcamp.com