How to Start a Freight Brokerage Business by Valentino Banks

Do you possess the spirit of a hustler? Do you have intention of starting a freight brokerage business but you don’t know how to go about it? Do you need a sample freight brokerage business plan or feasibility study? Then read on as I provide you a detailed guide on how to start a freight brokerage business.

If you have the logistic and business management skills, as well as an entrepreneurial spirit, you may just be fit to learn how to start a freight brokerage business.

As a freight brokerage company, it is your duty to act as a mediator between shippers and client companies who need their services and facilities. Their tasks also involve clearing your goods from the ports, paying up your duties and taxes, transporting your consignment to your desired destination, etc. Sometimes, freight brokers are referred to as clearing and forwarding agents.

Now from a preliminary look at this industry, I can boldly attest to the fact that there’s much money to be made as a clearing and forwarding agent. The sweetest part is that this business can be done anywhere, in any country; as long as international trade still exists and your country is a partaker, you are in business.

So whether you are in China, Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, Canada, U.K, India, etc; you can do this business and earn lucrative income based on commissions for every successful deal and transaction. If you are still interested in learning how to start a freight forwarding business, then keep reading.

How to Start a Freight Brokerage Business and Make Money

• Make the decision

Yes, no one wakes up and jump into an industry without due diligence and some personal assessment. The freight brokerage industry is a tough one, so you need to really decide if this business is for you.

Can you handle deadlines and pressure from clients? Are you prepared to bargain hard with clients, companies, trucking or haulage companies and custom agents alike? Are you prepared to learn what it takes to be in the freight forwarding business? These are a few questions you must answer.

• Gain the necessary experience

Knowledge and skills in both logistics and business management are essential when considering starting a freight brokerage business because there are a lot of protocols to be observed before a transaction can be completed. You have to deal with clients, custom agents, shipping companies, competition, etc.

Moreover, you also need to expose yourself to learn how the freight brokerage business works. You can do so by researching or gaining experience from a reputable company first. This way, you get to learn the ropes as well as the ins and outs in the industry, which will absolutely come in handy when putting your own company.