A freight broker is an important factor is the success of both the shipper and the carrier. For carriers, freight brokers help fill their trucks and in return, they’ll earn a commission. For shippers, freight brokers help find the most reliable carriers that shippers might not have found otherwise.
But freight brokers do so much more for shippers than just find great carriers. That’s why it’s important for you as a shipper to work with a high-quality freight broker. Some freight brokers even serve as a company’s traffic department and manage all shipping and transportation services.
If you’re not already convinced that a freight broker is a necessity for your company, then you’ll want to continue reading. Below are 5 reasons why you need a freight broker.
1. One-Stop Service
If your company has shipments in multiple cities, you’ll need to rely on multiple carriers for transportation. With a freight broker, however, one-stop service is provided. This means that you’ll only have to work with one single source.
You won’t have to find multiple carriers to work with. This is because a good freight broker operates in multiple markets, providing you with everything you need in one place. Your freight broker will provide you with an account manager.
This account manager acts as a single point of contact for you. He or she will work with multiple brokers in other locations to find you the best services when you’re in need of them. This saves you quite a bit of hassle.
2. Major Savings
Without a freight broker, you would need to invest in buildings, computer systems, and equipment all needed for handling shipments. When totaled together, this becomes quite expensive. Keep in mind that you’ll also need to prepare for the cost of audits, invoices, and training.
When using a freight broker, you have all the necessities of a shipping department without the cost of one. And because freight brokers have experience and years of building relationships with other companies, they’ll most likely be able to get you a lower shipping rate. This is due to lower rates being locked in for the freight brokers.
In the end, you’ll not only save money, but you’ll save time and resources as well.
3. Business Relationships
When working with a freight broker, you now have the opportunities to receive those same discounts and lower rates that are available to them. You’re their customer so it’s their job to provide you with these services. If you know that a freight broker has more contacts and better rates, then why not work with them and take advantage of these benefits?
A freight broker might also have access to an internal shipping department that you do not have access to. Once you hire a freight broker, they work for you and a partnership begins. Your success is their success so helping you succeed is their main goal.
Any benefits that they have, they’ll pass them down to you. This opens the doors to so many more opportunities.
4. Specialized Needs
There might also be some specialized needs that your company has. Luckily, working with a freight broker takes care of these needs. A freight broker offering full-service will have experience in many specialties.
Some freight brokers even have team members who are specialized in specific fields. For the best freight broker, work with a firm who specializes in multiple areas. So your research and collect an LTL Shipping Quote before making your final decision.
Look for a broker that offers complementary services such as account management and bill administration. Both are important to a properly functioning shipping company. Account management ensures that only the best carriers and trucks are used to fit your needs.
Bill administration is great for ensuring that no mistakes or overpayments are made on your end. Your freight broker will do everything to ensure your company runs smoothly.
5. Proactive Approach
As a shipper, it might be common for you to not put much thought into the cost of shipping until the time to ship approaches. This can put unnecessary stress on you and your company. However, a broker thinks about these costs each and every day.
In doing so, a freight broker will keep you up-to-date with the most current shipping rates, opportunities, and market trends. Because of this, working with a freight broker means changing your approach to a proactive one. Don’t sit around waiting for the cost of shipping to surprise you.
Hire a freight broker and constantly stay on top of things, which ultimately creates a more effective strategy,
Is Working With a Freight Broker Right For You?
You might not have been sure if working with a freight broker was the right option for you when you started reading. Considering any type of service for your company is always worth contemplating and researching. You don’t want to be stuck paying for something you don’t need.
However, after reading these 5 reasons why your company does need a freight broker, your decision should much a much easier one. From a service that’ll provide you with all your needs in one place to saving you major bucks and time, you have everything to gain from working with a freight broker and very little to lose.
If this post was helpful to you, then you’ll want to check out some of our other posts as well. Keeping checking back with our website regularly for posts on outreach/marketing, financial topics, and much more!
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
