Get Freight Broker Training in Georgia
The logistics industry in Georgia represents 18 per cent of the State’s economy, according to the Governor’s Task Force on Freight & Logistics and is one of the United States’ most important freight hubs. Freight brokers pay a key role in the transportation industry, connecting freight loads with motor carriers. If you want to get started in this exciting and dynamic career, maybe even building out your own brokerage business and work from home, read on. You’ll find information here on freight broker schools and training, license requirements and career prospects.
The logistics business in Georgia
Almost 80% of the U.S market is within a two-day truck drive of Georgia, and 85% of the world’s top third-party logistics companies (3PL’s) operate in the state. This makes Georgia the transportation hub of the Southeast. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest, and its three cargo complexes have more than 2 million square feet of warehousing and the only USDA-approved On-Terminal Perishables Complex in the region.
Freight brokers/agents connect shippers with carriers to the get their loads to their destinations at the right time. The more loads they can handle, the more they can make. Brokers build client lists among shippers, and develop databases of carriers, which may be multinational trucking companies or single-truck owner operators. They use online tools such as load boards freight needing moved and to find the right empty truck with the right characteristics. For example, perishable goods such as foodstuffs warehoused at Atlanta International Airport will need a “reefer” – a refrigerated truck – to transport it.
Freight agents perform much the same work as freight brokers, but the freight agent is not required to be licensed.
For more information on the role of Cargo and Freight Agents, see O*Net Online.
How to Get a Freight Broker License in Georgia
Georgia has no training or education requirements for freight brokers and does not license them. Freight brokers are licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Authority (FMCSA). In terms of education, their only requirement is that you hold a high school diploma or similar. To obtain a freight broking license, your registered limited liability corporation needs to obtain a U.S. Department of Transport number. Then you should submit your application. The cost of the license application is $300, and it takes from four to six weeks to process. Before you are issued with the license to operate a freight broker, you will need to demonstrate that you have general liability and cargo insurance and that you have a $75,000 surety bond. You will also need to submit the names of designated freight agents in each of the states in which you wish to broker freight.
Which are the Best Freight Broker Schools in Georgia?
Brooke Transportation Training Solutions and ed2go have created a six-month, instructor-led, self-paced freight broker/agent training program that is available at over 2,000 centers across the U.S., that include some of the best-known community and technical colleges in Georgia. These include Atlanta Technical College, American International University and Gwinnett College in Atlanta, Central Georgia Technical College in Macon, Columbus Technical College and Georgia Southwestern State University.
To find one of these programs near you, enter your zip code in the box below.
Other schools you might want to consider include Shippers Carriers, which has been training freight brokers and agents since 2000, which other than training, offers all the services you need to become a freight broker, set up your own freight brokerage or start work as an agent. You might also want to consider Freight Movers School, which apart from being an online freight broker school, offers classroom-based programs in Atlanta, GA and Texas. Check freight broker training options for Florida here.
There any many options for online freight broker training including Load Training.
Top freight broker/agent courses will teach students transportation law, how load deals are transacted between shippers and carriers, how to set up and run your own brokerage, record-keeping and accounting, financial control, sales and marketing.
Certification for Brokers
For advanced students, the Transportation Intermediaries Association offers a certification program that will help you stand out from the crowd and demonstrate to your clients your commitment to quality business. The Certified Transportation Broker (CTB) study program and exam package costs $1,050 for TIA Members, and $1,325 for Non-Members. Both the study course and exam can be purchased separately.
How much to Freight Brokers make in Georgia?
According to Indeed.com, freight brokers as employees make, $76,448 per year in Atlanta, GA, 32% more than the national average, as of January 2020. According to the same sources, these same employees would also average an additional $28,400 in commissions for freight brokered.
The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics says that, as of May 2018, Georgia cargo and freight agents made entry-level salaries of $25,220 per year, and the highest earners made $64,450. The average was $44,560. Commissions earned will be additional to these numbers.
Most offers for freight brokering jobs in the state are for employment in the Atlanta area.
Freight brokers who set up their own freight brokerage can expect to earn significantly more than these amounts, with experienced brokers making significant six-figure annual earnings.
Freight agents can make anywhere between a 30 and 70 per cent commission share on the load. The percentage will vary depending on their experience and the terms they can agree with the broker.
Organizations you should know
With over 1,800 member companies, freight brokers, agents and other third-party logistics providers are represented collectively by the Transportation Intermediaries Association, which provides education, frameworks and a mandatory code of ethics.
Motor Carriers in Georgia are represented by the Georgia Motor Trucking Association.
You can also find freight broker training in Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina.