What You Need To Know About the Truck Broker Business

Ask a kid-any kid-what they want to be when they grow up. You'll hear the usual suspects. Doctors, engineers, artists, a movie star, etc. You can bet you'll never hear the words "truck broker" even once. We must admit that the line of work isn't very popular with the kids. But now that you're an adult and all grown up, look around your office. Is there anything in there that couldn't be transported by truck?

The Freight Brokerage Industry

Thing is freight truck brokerage is currently a $400 billion dollar industry and still growing! Think about it. Every piece of furniture in your home and office needed to be delivered by truck. Simply put, the demand for freight brokers is quite overwhelming. One could start a business in the industry as a truck broker and expect to see tangible results right away.

First and foremost, truck brokers are usually categorized as transport intermediaries, meaning they don't belong to either the asset-owning carrier or the shipper, but they assist in the process of moving the cargo. A freight broker uses his or her knowledge of the trade to contribute to the process, instead of having to invest on machinery worth millions of dollars.

A Brief History

Another thing to note about truck brokers is that these breed of entrepreneurs aren't particularly new to the industry. In fact, they've been around since the early part of the 20th century, give or take a few years. But prior to the 70s, there were very few firms that took on the demanding role of freight brokerage due to the restrictive regulations governing them.

Significant changes in the industry, though, brought new ope back to the fledgling industry and new players began gaining traction. Nowadays, as mentioned earlier, freight brokerage is a multi-million dollar industry in the US alone.

Experience and Education in the World of Freight Brokerage

But do not just assume that an investment of any sort isn't necessary in order to become a successful truck broker. Far from it. You see, while freight brokers are not in the business of transporting the cargo themselves, to succeed as one, you need to be adept and particularly skilled regarding the ins and outs of the business. Experience and education is key.

For instance, most freight brokerage firms are only looking forward to hiring applicants with at least some formal education to back him or her up. Some firms prefer applicants with extensive freight brokerage experience, but they are willing to compromise given your knowledge of the trade more than makes up for the lack of it.

You could also get started on trying to learn the industry yourself. Read up on books and online content about truck brokers and freight brokerage in general to prepare yourself before trying to get into the business. It's easy, and you'll be successful in it, certainly, as long as you know what you're doing as an aspiring truck broker.