A forwarding agent coordinates freight shipments, determining the most effective shipping method and handling issues such as customs documentation and shipping delays. No special education is needed, but people skills and knowledge of shipping routes and fees are required. Jobs are available with leading shipping and freight brokerage companies.
A forwarding agent is someone who coordinates freight shipments. Forwarding agents may work under the supervision of a broker or freight forwarding company, or they may be employed on a freelance basis, applying their skills as needed to various shipping situations. No special training or education is needed to become a freight forwarder, with most people learning on the job, although short courses covering basic topics are available, and people interested in becoming a freight forwarder may want to consider getting business degrees so that you can run freight business successfully.
When a forwarding agent is approached and asked to handle a load, the agent obtains information about the load and determines which shipping method would be most effective. Some agents specialize in specific types of transportation, such as train, truck, or boat shipments. The forwarding agent makes arrangements for transportation, including special arrangements such as refrigeration or storage in a completely dry environment, if necessary.
Forwarding agents collect shipping fees and also handle issues such as customs documentation and proper licensing. They can provide real-time information on the progress of a shipment to their clients, and some have provided clients with online interfaces that can be used to monitor progress without speaking directly to the agent or broker. Freight forwarders also deal with issues such as shipping delays, transferring goods to different carriers, arranging container loads, and dispatching freight items to ensure they arrive on time.
This job requires a lot of people skills as freight forwarders need to be able to successfully talk to customers and negotiate the best terms with carriers. A forwarding agent may also travel extensively to inspect warehouses and processing facilities, to find critical numbers at a shipping company, and to personally oversee complicated material loads. This job also requires an encyclopedic knowledge of shipping routes, shipping options, standard rates and fees, and specialized shipping services.
Forwarding agent jobs with leading shipping and freight brokerage companies are regularly open to people interested in careers as a freight forwarding agent. Some training programs also offer guaranteed placement for their graduates, and graduates of these programs can also negotiate a higher salary when they start work. When considering a career as a freight forwarder, people may think of specialist jobs such as air freight forwarders, agents specializing in transporting fine art, or agents handling the movement of very large shipments.
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