As important as backhaul trucking is to carriers, it can still sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Or, backhauls may simply be hard to come by within your lanes. No matter what the reason is, bulk freight brokers are here to help.

How freight brokers can help you find backhaul trucking loads

A major strength of a freight broker lies in the expansiveness of its carrier network, which includes carriers just like you, servicing lanes across the country. Its shipper network – or customer roster – can be just as expansive. And both can work in your favor. The broker serves its shipping customers by matching loads with carriers nationwide. As such, it knows where its shippers are looking to move goods from and to – and when. With one call to a freight broker, you can see if current shipper loads align with where your trucks will be. If so, that same freight broker can handle all the details of the load, taking much of the booking burden off your shoulders. Furthermore, freight brokers often have insight into the full supply chain of shippers. For instance, a shipper may create a basic chemical powder, which then needs to be shipped to a manufacturer to make a final product – which then itself needs to ship to a final destination(s). So, for this one shipper, the freight broker has insight into three different dry bulk shipments: product coming into the shipper, product moving from shipper to manufacturer, and final product moving out from manufacturer. One call to a freight broker can align your needs with these three opportunities.

From working with a carrier directly to using online load boards, there are more options than ever to help shippers put their freight in motion. Yet, the advantages of using one of the most tried and true of these options, the freight broker, may be largely unknown to some shippers. So, to set the record straight, we sat down with a real-life freight broker – Bulk Connection’s own Truckload Division Manager for 30 years, Scott Wilson – to answer the question: what does a freight broker do to add value for shippers?

What is a freight broker?

A freight broker is a licensed property broker that uses its network of carriers to transport shippers’ freight – and much more. This “much more” includes helping shippers to cut costs, move freight fast, and remove the demands of traffic management and carrier sourcing from its operations. So, in that respect, the term “freight broker” feels a bit antiquated nowadays. We’re third-party logistics providers (3PLs) that perform a lot more on the shippers’ behalf than simply moving product from points A to B. Anything from drayage and arrangement of customs details to manufacturing logistics and just-in-time delivery can be included in our services. Not to mention the human component of communication and negotiation for cost savings.

In our ongoing feature, we will periodically profile the men and women who make Bulk Connection a trusted freight partner. In this article, Charles Kilzer, Director of Business Development, talks about Bulk Connection’s freight agents and how they add value for our customers.

What is the role of the freight sales agent at Bulk Connection?

It’s simple: identify an opportunity, establish a relationship, get the business started and keep your arms around the business. Bulk Connection is somewhat unique in this regard in that the agent’s primary responsibilities end once the job is quoted and operations are ready to get underway. Once you connect us with your customer, we receive each load request, book the freight, do the paperwork, monitor the shipment and handle any hiccups. We do the work; agents get a commission. Simple as that. With other logistics companies, agents may have more responsibilities that extend into day-to-day operations, but at Bulk Connection the agents’ focus is on selling and scaling up their book of business.