Just as a flood of small carriers entered the trucking industry in recent years, the freight brokerage sector has been gaining momentum — and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.
“The sheer number of non-asset brokers out there is phenomenal,” Brian AuBuchon, vice president of logistics at Artur Express, said. “In the last few years, it’s swelled exponentially.”
The numbers agree. According to FrieghtWaves’ 10-year model, traditional freight brokerage gross revenue is predicted to climb from $61.4 billion in 2018 to $89 billion by 2028. The net revenue compound annual growth rate estimate is 6.9% over the 10-year forecast.
As revenue grows, and the perception remains that becoming a freight broker agent has a low barrier to entry, becoming a freight broker agent is increasingly becoming an attractive idea for prospective business owners.
However, the popularity of the sector has both mounted competition and has made it more challenging for shippers to know whom to build a trusted relationship with. Non-asset-based freight agents, who work independently of any one specific carrier, are especially at a disadvantage in today’s marketplace.
Teaming up with an asset-based freight brokerage can give agents a leg up on the competition.
“The perception of the shipper is that if you’ve got trucks, the likelihood of you coming up with the capacity to pull their freight is much greater than those that don’t physically have trucks,” AuBuchon said.
One example of an asset-based freight brokerage is TAB, a wholly owned subsidiary of Artur Express. With nearly 25 years under its belt and a network of more than 750 trucks and nearly 3,000 trailers, the asset division is continuing to grow.
This type of reservoir of resources is unique, allowing agents to tap into a wealth of resources to meet the diverse needs of shippers through both Artur Express’ assets and contracted carriers. This opens up doors that otherwise agents would not have had access to.
“You could open up a brokerage tomorrow out of your house if you really wanted to, but to open up an asset division, no way. That’s going to take years to get that and then also to build not only the drivers but the safety team and everything else that goes along with that. It speaks to the longevity of the company itself, but also as an asset-based logistics company,” AuBuchon said.
Joining TAB allows agents to increase their bottom lines, taking their businesses to the next. Agents can earn up to an 80% split, with one of their biggest agents generating approximately $170,000 per month.
When agents join TAB, they are equipped with a toolkit of resources, a state-of-the-art TMS which offers both a broker module and carrier module, which allows logistics coordinators full load visibility to determine whether a load can be tendered to an Artur Express asset or a contracted carrier.
“The support we have, whether it’s training on the system or back-office training, I would say is exceptional as well,” AuBuchon said.
Agents are provided access to TAB’s carrier database and armed with business operational necessities. With surety bonds, insurance and subscriptions that are paid for, agents experience a reduction in upfront and recurring expenses, allowing them more space to focus on growing their businesses.
Agents receive benefits including:
- One-on-one training.
- A cutting-edge TMS.
- Surety bond.
- Cargo and liability insurance.
- Fast payment to carriers.
- DAT 360 and Internet TruckStop subscriptions.
- Marketing material.
- Business cards.
- Phone system.
With an international presence, agents have a greater opportunity to expand their businesses with hiring opportunities in offices in Europe and Colombia.
“We want to grow, but we want to grow with sustained growth,” AuBuchon said.
All agents need to join is a book of business, a computer, an internet connection and a drive to succeed.
To learn more about becoming a freight brokerage agent with TAB, visit its website.