Truck brokers search for shippers who need to transport their cargo from point A to point B. The broker then searches for a truck to move the cargo. The truck broker, then, puts the two together and acts as a middle-man, collecting a commission for his or her matching-making skills. There are a multitude of details and procedures that truck brokers follow. These procedures and details involve a great deal of coordination with both the shipper and the carrier.

Understand the Needs and Desires 

One of the biggest items of importance for shippers is cost. Big companies employ entire logistics departments to find the most cost-effective route and method to move their cargo. Some large shippers use their own trucks some use truck brokers and some allow their customer to arrange for the transportation. Smaller shippers rely more upon truck brokers to move their cargo. But both large and small shippers have cost at the top, or close to the top, of their priorities.

Carriers Also Place a Priority on Cost

The current situation with high fuel costs and other high operating expenses have taken a toll on the availability of trucks. This availability, commonly known as capacity, has been dwindling for several years. While shipper rates have increased, it's unlikely that rates have kept pace with a trucker's ongoing costs. The bottom line is, the truck needs to cover not only the actual costs but he or she needs to generate a profit on top of the costs.

Pay Attention

There are many successful truck brokers. Some have been around for quite awhile; others are just getting a good start. Of these successful brokers, each and every one, most likely, has relied upon sound business fundamentals. In fact, that's probably the very reason for their success. It takes more than just brokering to be successful. It takes a person to purpose to pay attention to marketing, cash management, planning and creating an operating blueprint.

One of the biggest fears for beginning truck brokers is how and where to find shippers. It's not as difficult to find shippers as one might think. However, it is difficult to find good paying shippers who also have loads that are relatively easy to cover. One of the most effective methods is to search the internet using unique keywords. There are plenty of various shipper directories available but then you've got thousands of other brokers calling the same shippers as you are.

Gather Information

Sometimes the shipper is using you to gather information on how to price his load. Other times the shipper will throw your quote into a large pool of other quotes and there it stays with the shipper having no intention of actually giving you the load. Get set up with as many carriers as you can regardless of whether or not you have a load for them.