What Does a Remote Freight Agent Do?

 

Freight agents monitor schedules and manage shipments on behalf of their clients. Most shippers do not have the time to find and monitor hauling companies, so freight agents manage this work on their behalf. Instead of working in a typical office, freight agents complete their job duties remotely, either from home or another location outside of the office with internet connectivity. 

 

As a freight agent, you arrange appointments with transportation agents, help negotiate shipping rates, and follow the progress of the shipment. You keep your clients informed of where the load is and the estimated time of delivery so that they know when to expect their goods.

 

Excellent negotiating skills are profitable in this role; a freight agent tries to generate a spread, which is the difference between what the client is willing to pay for shipping the product and the actual negotiated cost of shipping. Remote freight agents often get to keep a bigger spread because of the extremely low overhead.