With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, the demand for goods and services is steadily growing. Although the trucking industry if facing a freight crunch, shippers are busy importing and exporting products from overseas. As a shipper, finding sufficient capacity solutions is one way to ensure timely load delivery and on budget. That’s why many shippers have resorted freight brokerage.
A freight broker is a business that simply matches cargos with carriers. It helps both businesses and individuals transport their loads using the most convenient motor carrier. When it comes to finding the right freight broker to assist with your transportation needs, the process can be overwhelming if you don’t know what to look for and where to start. Perhaps you’ve been approached by various freight brokers with the interest of moving your freight. You have considered all of them but still you are not sure if they are the best fit. Whether it’s you are a first time shipper or a seasoned one, the following factors can help you make an informed decision about the right transportation broker.
Broker Capacity
The first thing to consider when searching for a freight broker is their capacity to handle your freight. Depending on the freight you’re shipping, you want a broker that can secure a more reliable and convenient carrier. You also want to ensure that the freight broker is financial stable to avoid any legal issue with the carrier should the broker fail goes under or fails to pay. Verify their financial viability by checking their years of experience, brokerage authority and get to know what kind of insurance cover they have.
Capacity, on the other hand, can mean the ability of a freight broker to offer you with effective transport management solutions that match your transportation needs. And one simple way to ensure that is by the use of broker systems. These systems help the broker to monitor spot markets, manage carriers, and easily find an ideal load board for cargo.
Broker Reputation
Reputation is an important element when looking for a freight broker because it determines reliability. They may have the best broker systems trucking industry can offer, but if they are not reliable in terms of their services, you’d want to consider more options. Check to see if the broker is a registered and an active member of a reputable trading association such as the Transportation Intermediaries Organization.
Type of shipment
Since there are different shipping options to use, you want to find a broker that specializes in the carrier of your choice. There are those that a good at handling LTL shipment while others fully into truckload shipping. However, there are some freight brokers who’ve specialized in multiple shipping services where there use different teams in the shipment process. In addition to finding a specialized broker, determine the type of freight you’re shipping because the rates you’ll get depend on it.
Understanding these few factors will help you determine the right freight broker for your shipment. A good broker will offer you a good freight experience at the best rates possible. With their experience in handling different kinds of freights and the connections they have with reliable shippers, you’re guaranteed of quality service. The use of broker systems has also made the shipping process more flexible and less frustrating trying to keep track of your load.