How to become A Cargo and Freight Agent

• Documentation Clerk
• Drop Shipment Clerk
• Freight Broker
• Load Planner
• Logistics Coordinator
• Logistics Service Representative

What do Cargo and Freight Agents do?

A Cargo and Freight Agent would typically need to:

• Coordinate and route incoming and outgoing cargo and freight shipments for the transportation industries in the airline, train, and trucking terminals, and shipping docks; facilitate the transport of raw materials and products between destinations
• Discuss with clients the transportation option best suited to their needs, whether expedited or economical, and the delivery timeline; calculate the costs to deliver freight domestically and/or internationally; provide tracking options to ensure meeting deadlines and expectations
• Negotiate between the service provider and client to establish shipping fees, responsibility for insurance payment
• Define the travel routes for the cargo from pick-up to delivery; finalise modes of transportation; plan for temporary storage if needed and determine responsibility for loading and unloading the shipment
• Take customers’ orders and arrange to pick up their freight and cargo and deliver it to loading platforms; prepare and check bills of lading to determine shipping charges and tariffs
• Prepare insurance forms, cargo descriptions in terms of its amount, type, weight, and dimensions, bills, invoices, liability waivers, and other documents for customers to review and sign before shipment
• Arrange customs clearance for imports and exports; fill out the documentation required, including custom forms
• Help clients select protective packaging to match the dimensions and nature of the items to ship to ensure safe delivery; receive and send the items to packaging and warehouse teams with shipping instructions; prepare the items to be shipped and check them pre-shipment
• Retrieve stored items; work with freight managers and shipping department personnel to track down lost, misplaced or delayed deliveries; arrange for the transport of shipments ready for delivery; ensure their correct delivery at the destination post-shipment
• Collaborate with logistics companies and other parties in the shipping industry; keep them updated about shipments; provide price quotes and other information requested
• Monitor daily shipment inventories and logs; verify timely pick-up of items and accuracy of route info; use tracking software to follow the progress of the cargo and freight; confirm receipt and inform clients of delivery completion
• Follow the protocol to retrieve, process and record paperwork and payment for delivery packages

Cargo and Freight Agents normally work at shipping and receiving centres, warehouses, and stockrooms, which may or may not be temperature-controlled. You may also work on outdoor loading platforms and will need to travel to worksites.

While Cargo and Freight Agents have a normal work week with 35 to 40 work hours, a large shipment may need you to work in the evenings and weekends. When large freight forwarders provide round-the-clock services, you may be required to put in shift work. Flexible working is another possibility to help fulfil clients’ needs.

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Cargo and Freight Agents can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies. Generally, third-party logistics (3PL) firms handle freight rather than logistics departments in individual companies.

You may find job openings in the classified section of daily newspapers, employment journals and online portals. Candidates can also directly contact transportation companies for jobs.

Cargo and Freight Agents are generally employed by:

• Courier Agencies
• Cargo Shipping Companies
• Local Companies
• National Companies
• International Companies

Professional associations and organisations, such as Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), are crucial for Cargo and Freight Agents interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

• Competition amongst service providers
• The need for attention to detail as any error in filling out a form or filling out a wrong form can delay shipment
• Physically strenuous work that involves standing for extended periods and lifting items, since not all agents have access to automated equipment; exposure to extreme temperatures in cold storage rooms or on outdoor loading platforms
• Stress that arises from factors beyond control, such as delays caused by weather
• Making sure that last-minute changes and decisions resulting in potential delays in shipment are communicated to stakeholders
• Rising fuel costs; the need to find new ways to streamline the shipping process, optimise travel routes, and limit fuel costs
• Collaborating with several global shipping partners, which can compromise customer service as messages may be incompletely or inaccurately conveyed through translation; the need for sharing timely and accurate information to ensure transparency to customers
• Shortage of truck drivers to move cargo between intermodal points
• Difficulties of incorporating the latest technology into a standardized process
• Tackling government and international regulations; keeping up to date with current shipping practices, local rules, laws, and fees in destination countries
• Impact of the global economy; taking precautions to counter impacts such as inflation and trade wars while ensuring reliable service
• Lower demand for services due to restricted global economic activity caused by the pandemic and lockdowns; providing guaranteed and secure space following recovery from the setback
• Communicating demurrage and detention issues to supply chain partners and customers; recognise that the charges can increase over time and try to avoid them or have a realistic expectation
• Managing the volatility of ocean freight rate, caused by one or a mix of various factors, such as service charges, peak season surcharges, geopolitical crises, pandemics, innovation, bunker and container capacities, and foreign exchange rates

Employers prefer previous work-related skills, knowledge, or experience. That said, you can approach the job even without direct experience in freight forwarding as long as you have worked in other relevant areas and acquired skills in customer service, IT, planning, or general office work. Part-time or casual work or even shadowing in relevant companies can help you build such skills and work experience. On-the-job training under the supervision of experienced employees, lasting up to a year, will teach you what it takes to carry out your duties. The training may take the form of a recognised apprenticeship program.

A high school diploma is typically sufficient to qualify for the role of a Cargo and Freight Agent since on-the-job training teaches recruits the ropes of their work. Useful courses to take in high school would be mathematics, geography, English, modern languages, computer applications, and office procedures. Mathematical abilities will help you in calculating weights, volumes and shipping costs and mapping optimal shipping routes. After graduating from high school, you can take courses in airline operations, business practices and a modern language. Computer courses help enable you to input and retrieve cargo shipping information.

You may enrol in professional certificate programs offered to aspiring Cargo and Freight agents by some colleges and universities that specialise in aviation studies. These programs train you in cargo operations by teaching you about flight operations, hazardous materials and customer service.

A degree may serve as the pathway into higher-level jobs or graduate training schemes that larger employers may offer. Useful subjects include accounting or finance, business or management, or business with languages. Subjects such as economics, geography, modern foreign languages are also handy. Directly related to your work are supply chain management, transport, distribution, or logistics. Even though majoring in logistics and transport may not be easily available options, you can opt for other majors, such as business studies and economics, often incorporating modules relating to various aspects of supply chain management.

Certification demonstrates a Cargo and Freight Agent’s competence in a skill set, typically through work experience, training, and passing an examination.

Certification from an objective and reputed organisation can help you stand out in a competitive job market, carry a significant salary premium of up to 18 per cent, increase your chances of advancement, and allow you to become an independent consultant. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.

Some Cargo and Freight Agents may need a license, depending on the type of cargo to ship and the business operations. Individual government entities conduct the licensing process. It typically requires the passage of an examination in addition to the fulfilment of eligibility requirements, such as a minimum level of education, work experience, training, or the completion of an internship, residency, or apprenticeship.

Although there are limited opportunities for Cargo and Freight Agents to advance, their performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional or vocational qualifications, such as in the areas business and logistics, can lead them into supervisory or senior roles, such as Senior Freight Forwarder or Senior Export Administrator, and Export Office Manager or Shipping Manager.

Using the transferability of their skills and hands-on experience, some agents may switch to related clerical occupations. In some large export or import firms with their in-house freight forwarding staff, the small size of the departments limits career progression, and the movement of employees may facilitate it.

General experience as a Cargo and Freight Agent indicates to employers your broad expert knowledge of procedures, including business risk management, customs, insurance services, sales, IT development, quality procedures, road transport management, sales, security, supply chain management, warehouse, and logistics management.

You can choose to continue in transport & logistics, or transition to the entertainment and sports industry where you could handle the transportation of film and concert sets, racing cars and sports equipment. You could also work for heavy industries, including aerospace, power generation, ship components manufacture, and automotive industries. Another option is to find work in trading companies that import and export various goods from and to particular countries or regions.

You can enrich your job prospects by acquiring computer skills and being adept at filing, bookkeeping and other clerical tasks. Taking certificate programs that teach prospective Cargo and Freight Agents about cargo operations, flight operations, hazardous materials, and customer service may also increase employability.

Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Cargo and Freight Agent build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. It allows you to upskill continually, regardless of your age, job, or level of knowledge.

Demurrage and detention are charges placed on the shipper to use a carrier or shipping line’s containers beyond the allowed free days and are typically calculated per day.

Drayage is a term used in logistics and refers to the shipping of goods a short distance via ground freight.

Intermodal transportation refers to the process whereby cargo and freight move between two points using several means of transport, such as train, plane, truck and ship.

At any given time, nearly 20 million shipping containers make their way to their destinations over the oceans.

It could be a birthday gift delivered to the doorstep of an eager child or a consignment of raw materials for a factory. As a Cargo and Freight Agent, you are responsible for the safe, timely, and cost-effective passage of shipments via different kinds of transport from and to different geographical locations, irrespective of the distance between them. Crucial to the logistics process, you represent your company to clients, presenting options and soothing concerns. From sharpening your customer service skills to honing your data management abilities, your work will literally and figuratively keep you on your toes.

Look for feedback from your clients and make use of it to understand the outcomes of your delivery services. If reviews by clients report damaged or missing goods, try to pinpoint packaging errors and fix them.