Freight Broker Business Startup 2021-2022

Book Preface

“A small business is an amazing way to serve and leave an impact on the world you live in.”
Nicole Snow

Every morning, we wake up to the news of entrepreneurs making huge strides in the world of business. As much as their success can be attributed to their efforts, have you ever wondered how all these businesses come to thrive?Beyond the technical or professional aspects of their operations, almost all businesses depend on some deliveries. Look at companies like Amazon that have revolutionized the transport and logistics industry. They ship almost anything you can think of under the sun. In a world as interconnected as ours, freight transport and logistics are among the most crucial business entities in the world, responsible for the success stories you read about in the news. Unfortunately, they never get the acclamations.

Take a moment and think of a world without the freight industry. Imagine the challenges we would go through, struggling to get cargo from one point to the other. It’s unfathomable. The freight transport industry is vast, and there is enough space for you in it, too. Starting and running a freight brokerage business is not an easy task. For someone new to the industry, it might sound like an insurmountable task. Even those who have worked in the industry for years might not be able to wrap their heads around taking that leap of faith and starting their own brokerage business. This guide will help you to start and run a freight brokerage business.

Regardless of your experience in the industry, the requirements, rules and legal obligations in the industry are clear. Using this book, you are well on your way to learning how to prepare yourself for the business, drawing up a business plan, researching the market and even carving out a niche for yourself.

The job prospects and outlook for freight brokers is exciting today. It is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the transport industry. Online shopping has made it easier for people to purchase virtually anything they want regardless of where it is located and that is one of the reasons for the steady growth in the freight industry. This points to one thing—there is a demand for freight brokers.

Shippers need carriers to move cargo from one point to the next. However, it is difficult for most shippers to coordinate with carriers. This is where you come in. You are the liaison between the shipper and carrier, and in the process, you earn a tidy sum for your effort. Freight brokerage offers you a lot of flexibility and independence such that you can become your own person. You can run the business on your own and bring one or a few more people to assist as your business grows .

You don’t even need a physical office to start. Many freight brokers leverage their businesses by working from home and, using some of the best software in the market, coordinate cargo movement with carriers to the shipper’s destination. If you are the kind of person who doesn’t like someone breathing down their neck, this is something you should think about.

The freight industry has so much potential for growth. I have seen many young entrepreneurs start from scratch and, in a few years, grow their brokerage businesses into large companies, hiring agents to work under them.

The door to personal and business success opens to anyone who is bold enough to pursue their dreams. You have to be passionate about what you set your mind to. By all means, I have enjoyed all manner of success because I took a chance and invested in my financial future. When you don’t come from generational wealth, you have to put in the work, at times harder than everyone else. That is the grit that helped me to succeed in life.

Freight brokerage is an incredible business opportunity. One of the reasons I love this particular venture is the kind of people you meet all the time. With all manner of cargo passing through your hands, you rub shoulders with companies and individuals you might never have imagined meeting, but that’s beside the point.

My vision while writing this book was to give you the best introduction to the freight brokerage business. I realize that you might be at a different point in life than the next individual, so the challenge was getting everyone on the same page. Whether or not you have experience in the freight industry, you will find this book useful. You will learn, among other things, how to find shippers and carriers, instructions on the brokerage license, marketing techniques to make your brand visible, and how to choose the right business structure within which you will operate the business.

This book is organized so that you can use it as a guide in every step of your brokerage business. You will learn not only how to start the business but also how to find clients. Speaking of clients, one of the common fears I have come across in the freight brokerage industry is that the market is saturated, making it difficult for them to set out on their own. This is nothing but fear of the unknown, which happens to the best of us, and is normal in business. As much as the freight industry is saturated, new customers are coming into the market every other day. The industry has grown over the years, and with growth comes the need for specialization, diversification and other disruptive approaches. You can be a part of this new dynamic. I included an industry forecast to show you how good the prospects are, which is why you need to overcome the defeatist mentality that the market is saturated.

For most entrepreneurs, just getting into the business and facing the reality of writing a business plan is another stumbling block. I realized that many people had never written a business plan, and that is also okay. I mean, you probably never imagined you’d find yourself building a business from scratch, right? You will learn how to write a business plan and the importance of one .

The freight business is a relationship business. You need connections to make it in this industry. Even if you don’t know anyone, let your business acumen do the talking for you. Network, join discussion forums, talk to former colleagues, do everything you can to get your business name on people’s lips. Build relationships with carriers and shippers, and more importantly, be efficient, and you will run a successful freight brokerage business.

From my experience in this industry, freight brokerage is not for the weak. You must be a passionate, result-driven fellow to cut it in this industry. Your attitude and motivation will be key to your success in freight brokerage.