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How to hire a transportation broker

Transportation broker hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring transportation brokers in the United States:

  • There are currently 10,292 transportation brokers in the US, as well as 9,784 job openings.
  • Transportation brokers are in the highest demand in Scottsdale, AZ, with 3 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire a transportation broker is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new transportation broker to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a transportation broker, step by step

To hire a transportation broker, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a transportation broker, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step transportation broker hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a transportation broker job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new transportation broker
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the transportation broker you need to hire. Certain transportation broker roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a transportation broker to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a transportation broker that fits the bill.

    The following list breaks down different types of transportation brokers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Transportation BrokerDescriptionHourly rate
    Transportation Broker$16-35
    Freight AgentFreight agents are independent contractors who help shippers to connect with carriers willing to haul the freight. They work with a freight broker and play a role in the movement of freight, and have to find available carriers to ship a client's freight... Show more$11-23
    Cargo AgentA cargo agent is primarily in charge of facilitating cargo shipments, ensuring the cargo gets to their destination timely and accurately. They are responsible for preparing and processing the necessary documents and fees, routing shipments and arranging the shipping methods, weighing the parcels, and coordinating the logistics and transportation details... Show more$12-21
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Customer Service
    • Delivery Appointments
    • Logistics
    • Shippers
    • Customer Accounts
    • LTL
    • DOT
    • TMS
    • AS400
    • Freight Carriers
    • Freight Brokerage
    • Cold Calls
    • Customer Relations
    • Outbound Calls
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Utilize TMS to actively manage on-time performance and automation objectives
    • Bid jobs for full truck load plus LTL freight.
    • Oversee full truck load and LTL shipments across the nation.
    • Negotiate cost of hire details with hundreds of logistics carriers daily ranging from small logistics companies to global supply chain organizations.
    • Support comprehensive business development and company growth to ensure continuous bottom line success for this transportation and logistics management company.
    • Verify insurance benefits/Medicaid eligibility on refer patients.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your transportation broker job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A transportation broker salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, transportation brokers' average salary in nebraska is 39% less than in california.
    • Seniority. Entry-level transportation brokers earn 54% less than senior-level transportation brokers.
    • Certifications. A transportation broker with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a transportation broker's salary.

    Average transportation broker salary

    $51,127yearly

    $24.58 hourly rate

    Entry-level transportation broker salary
    $34,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 31, 2026
  4. Writing a transportation broker job description

    A transportation broker job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a transportation broker job description:

    Transportation broker job description example

    Job DescriptionSalary: $14.00 - $25.00 per hour commensurate on experience and abilities

    JOB TITLE: Transportation Broker


    PROGRAM: Expedited Trucking / Priority Transportation Services


    EXEMPT/NON-EXEMPT: Exempt


    SUPERVISED BY: Operations Manager


    COMPENSATION: $14.00 - $35.00 per hour payable biweekly commensurate on experience.


    WORK SCHEDULE: Monday – Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.


    ANTICIPATED TRAVEL: 15% of the time. There is no additional compensation for travel.


    SUMMARY OF POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES: The Inside Sales Representative is responsible for selling Expedited Trucking freight transportation services through the achievement of opportunity-based sales quotas. The inside sales representative will reach business targets through telephone sales and communication skills. This individual will also grow logistics sales for Expedited by following up on sales leads, dormant customers, prospect lists, and ongoing rapport with existing and potential customers.


    Responsibilities and Competencies


    • WARM leads, follow up call to prospects
    • Upsell Current Customers additional services
    • Cold-Call prospects generated by external lead sources
    • Overcome objections of prospective customers.
    • Emphasize Expedited service features, advantages, and benefits to customers & prospects.
    • Generate and organize sales leads. Provide status reports as requested
    • Enter new customer data and update changes to existing accounts in the sales database using Salesforce.
    • Maintain daily customer relationships to assigned accounts, acting as primary contact and re-directing to other departments as needed
    • Perform other duties as assigned.


    Skills

    • Meet and exceed daily/weekly/monthly sales goals
    • Excellent negotiation, communication, problem-solving, and networking skills
    • Demonstrated ability to convert prospects and maintain established sales quotas.
    • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
    • Experience with Salesforce or similar customer relationship management software.
    • Solid experience in lead qualification, pre-call planning, call control, account development, and time management.
    • Self -motivated and a strong work ethic.


    LEVEL OF EDUCATION/TRAINING/QUALIFICATIONS:


    • Associates degree or related work/military experience.
    • 2+ years of direct work experience in inside sales
    • Experience in the transportation/logistics industry strongly preferred


    REQUIRED CERTIFICATION/LICENSE:

    • It is preferred that the candidate possess a transportation broker certification or sales certification


    PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Regularly walk, stand or stoop; occasionally lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects weighing up to 25 pounds; and regularly drives a motor vehicle.


    WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is performed in an office or in the community; Work exposes incumbent to contagious or infectious diseases; Work may expose incumbent to dangerous and volatile situations; which could result in bodily injury.


    DISCLOSURES: The specific statements shown in each section of this job description are not intended to be all inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria considered necessary to perform the job successfully. The job’s responsibilities/tasks may be modified and/or expanded over time. Company will inform the personnel member when changes in the respective job description are made.


    STAFF ACCEPTANCE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

    I have read and understand the duties / physical requirements indicated in this contracted job description and acknowledge that I am able to perform these duties with or without reasonable accommodation. I understand that failure to adhere to these responsibilities could be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination of service contract.

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find transportation brokers for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your transportation broker job on Zippia to find and recruit transportation broker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit transportation brokers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new transportation broker

    Once you've found the transportation broker candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new transportation broker. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a transportation broker?

There are different types of costs for hiring transportation brokers. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new transportation broker employee.

You can expect to pay around $51,127 per year for a transportation broker, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for transportation brokers in the US typically range between $16 and $35 an hour.

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