Freight Brokerage Business. The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.

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СКАЧАТЬ what a freight broker was. Today, this is no longer the case. Not only do all shippers know about freight brokers, most shippers now rely heavily on them,” added Roach.

      As in any industry, technology is changing the way people do business. While there are many technology-based tools that can be used by freight brokerage businesses to automate some aspects of their work, Roach does not see technology replacing the need for freight brokers any time soon.

      “Over the next three to five years, I think there will be new software and technologies introduced that will handle more of the tasks and decision making that’s currently done by freight brokers. So it’s important for people entering this field to understand how to use technology and to stay up-to-date on these latest advancements. Technology will help with efficiencies and asset utilizations, plus make it possible to make decisions faster,” said Roach.

      Many freight brokerage businesses operate throughout the United States, and there’s a lot of existing competition in this field. However, Roach strongly believes that tremendous opportunities still exist for people first breaking into this field.

      “There has never been a better opportunity than there is right now for freight brokerage businesses. If you look at transportation stocks, for example, they’re hitting an all-time high. With the new Republican-led U.S. government, starting in early 2017, there is going to be a huge infrastructure building program within the United States. I think we are at the beginning of a renaissance period as far as it being the best time ever, in the history of the world, for transportation companies, transportation services, brokers, and agents,” explained Roach. “Companies in many industries, and of all sizes, are investing heavily in transportation and logistics. I see tremendous opportunities existing and growing in many areas of the ground transportation industry.”

      When asked to describe the ideal student for one of Brooke Transportation Training Solutions’s programs, Roach responded, “Everyone needs to enter this field with realistic expectations. This is not a career path for someone who does not like to work. This is a career for people who like to wake up early and spend their entire day solving problems and developing creative solutions for evolving problems. It never stops. You make a living in this business by solving problems.

      “When operating a freight brokerage business, there is no such thing as running it on autopilot. You have to be the kind of person who loves to solve problems. Each and every day, you are going to be solving problems for shippers and carriers. Thus, you have to enter this industry with the right expectations and the right attitude. It’s not for the faint of heart.

      “There are many different personality types that do well working in this industry, but you need to understand that you’re literally going to be sitting in front of a computer and on the phone every day, from morning to night. You’re going to be continuously communicating with shippers, traffic managers, dispatchers, drivers, and other logistics companies, for example. Again, this career is for people who love to work hard and solve problems.

      “In terms of core skills and prior education, I have seen plenty of people with little formal education succeed once they’ve acquired the proper training to operate a freight brokerage business or become an agent. I have also seen people with college degrees succeed. This industry is open to everyone, as long as they’re willing to work hard and do what they say they’re going to do. The last thing I am going to do is put restraints on people by telling them they’re not an ideal candidate for this industry,” said Roach.

      After years of being an instructor and training thousands of individuals to operate their own freight brokerage businesses, Roach says that he can look at a new class of students and pick out who will likely become the most successful by pinpointing one certain trait.

      “The person who has overcome the most adversity in their life and did not quit will be the person who is the most successful working in this field. This is a business that takes that type of character—someone who is not going to quit when things get difficult or stressful. This is a job where you are putting out fires and solving problems. It never stops. You can’t be the type of person who gives up easily. You need to be the type of person who gets knocked down and who gets right back up again.

      “Someone who has encountered great setbacks in their life and has overcome them will typically do much better in this type of work than someone who has had everything handed to them. There is nothing easy about this career path. If anyone says working in a freight brokerage business, or operating one, is easy work, they are lying to you,” added Roach.

      For people who have no previous experience working in the freight, shipping, or ground transportation industry, Roach believes that the very best way to get started is to invest the required 40 to 80 hours in order to obtain training.

      “You will learn what works and what doesn’t work. Operating a freight brokerage business, or working as an agent, is not the type of job that requires you to pass a test, get a license, and then get started. There are a lot of excellent courses out there. Participate in one,” said Roach.

      “I am 100 percent sure that what’s covered within our courses is the most accurate, most timely, and most necessary information someone needs. We help people break into this industry with the knowledge they need to become successful.

      “Before you spend any money to obtain a freight brokerage license and acquire a surety bond that could cost thousands of dollars, obtain the right training, determine the best path for you to personally follow, and then decide how to proceed next in terms of in what capacity you’ll enter this industry. It might make financial sense for you to first become an agent, as opposed to launching your own freight brokerage business. Make intelligent decisions based on knowledge and coaching,” explained Roach.

      Not everyone chooses to open their own freight brokerage business and wants to take on that added financial responsibility. Roach stated, “If you choose to become an agent first, upon completing one of our training programs, we will personally introduce you to established freight brokers looking to hire agents immediately, so after participating in a 40- or 80-hour course, you could land a really good job working for a broker, for example. Start with good training, and then choose a career path in this industry based on your risk tolerance and financial situation.”

      In terms of choosing between an online-based or live training program, Roach explained that everyone learns best in a different way. “If you want to work at your own pace, and learn every little detail about everything, an online course may be best suited for you. However, if you want to take a more hands-on approach to your training, participate in a live course, where you’re sitting in front of your instructors. Our online course is interactive, and offers everything you could possibly want to know about this business. It’s one of the highest rated programs offered by Education To Go (www.ed2go.com), and it’s available through 2,000 colleges and universities in multiple languages. For people who can’t travel, the online course is perfect,” said Roach.

      According to Roach, the live classes are extremely hands-on in terms of their approach. Not only do the live classes explain how to make sales calls to potential shippers, but during the class, students actually make the calls, and then get critiqued on their performance. He said, “People come to our live course because they want hands-on experience, not just textbook knowledge.”

      For those students with the most time, financial resources, and schedule flexibility, in order to obtain the maximum level of training, Roach recommends completing the online course offered by Brooke Transportation Training Solutions and then participating in the two week (80-hour) live training program. For someone looking to set up and operate their own brokerage, this is the best solution for acquiring the comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience you will need to be successful. “Hands-on, live training is not something СКАЧАТЬ