How Do Freight Brokerages Find Loads?
Freight brokerages connect shippers with a network of carriers and owner-operators. But how do freight brokerages find loads in the first place?
How Do Freight Brokers Find Loads?
Shippers who book their freight shipments with a freight brokerage know how they work: brokers act as an intermediary between shippers and carriers. They have a network of shipping companies specializing in freight that brokers use to get quotes from. They then present them to shippers and assist them in choosing which carrier will deliver their load to its destination.
But how do freight brokerages find loads to ship in the first place? Some may have industry connections, but many must build their customer list from scratch. So, how do brokerages attract customers to use their services?
Go behind the scenes and see how freight brokerages (like FreightCenter!) find their loyal, valued customers to help them ship their freight.
We provide competitive freight shipping prices and an all-inclusive, easy-to-use shipping experience for our customers. Exceeding our customers’ expectations results in thousands of satisfied customer reviews and repeat business. We believe in the power of our customer relationships. Check out FreightCenter reviews from real customers, and learn what they have to say about their freight shipping experience!
- 2021, 2017 & 2016 Food Logistics’ Top Green Providers
- 2021 & 2018 Supply & Demand Chain Executives’ Pros to Know: Matthew Brosious
- 2020 & 2019 Top Food Logistics’ 3PL & Cold Storage Provider Award
- 2020 & 2019 Business Observer’s Top 500 Companies on the Gulf Coast
- 2020 & 2017 SmartWay® Transport Partner
- 2020 & 2017 Food Logistics’ Champions: Rock Stars of the Supply Chain
- 2020 Best of Palm Harbor Awards for Local Businesses
- 2017 Green Supply Chain Award from Supply & Demand Chain Executive
- 2017 Tampa Bay Business Journal Heroes at Work
- 2016, 2015, & 2012 Food Logistics Top 100 Software and Technology Providers
- 2013 Tampa Bay Business 100 by Tampa Bay Business Journal
- 2013 Top 100 Great Supply Chain Partners by SupplyChainBrain
- 2012 TIA Samaritan Award Honorable Mention
- 2012, 2011 & 2010 TBBJ Fast 50 Recipient
- 2013, 2011, & 2010 Diversity Business Top Businesses
Why Choose FreightCenter for Freight Shipping?
Expertise in Freight Shipping: With over 25 years in the logistics industry, FreightCenter is dedicated to guiding you through the entire logistics process, from beginning to end. We aim to make shipping your goods easy to understand and book. Don’t waste time researching and receiving quotes from individual carriers- FreightCenter’s got your back!
Competitive Rates with Tailored Solutions: We prioritize high-quality customer service without breaking your wallet. We utilize our relationships with regional and national carriers to offer you competitive, affordable rates while providing personalized solutions to your needs. Need a liftgate? We got you! Want to expedite your order? Leave it to us! We’ll keep your goods safe and secure!
Personalized Customer Support: FreightCenter is committed to satisfying our customers. Our friendly customer support team is here to help you every step of the way, from initial inquiries to post-shipment concerns. We handle all aspects of logistics, including tracking, paperwork, and communication with carriers, so you can focus on your business while we manage your shipment. Choose us for our reliable service and affordable quotes!
Methods of Reaching New Shippers
To get customers to use their services, freight brokerages must persuade potential clients to try them. This can be difficult since businesses and individuals are ill-informed about the logistics industry. Therefore, it’s up to the brokerages to reach out to potential companies and individuals using various traditional and digital marketing methods.
Cold/Warm Calls
Every caller’s worst nightmare: the cold call. This is when a freight broker calls representatives of a company that may or may not utilize freight shipping and pitches their services. Due to their sudden appearance, this is an old-fashioned tactic to make the caller stand out in the rep’s mind. However, these calls can also be annoying on either side of the call; representatives hate sudden, pushy solicitations, and brokers are uncomfortable making them.
Cold calls are gradually being replaced by warm calls, which are similar but more personalized. A company that is warm-called must show interest in the company beforehand. Brokers take the time to research the company to ensure they are the right fit for their services. When making the call, brokers reference the company’s prior interest before pitching their services.
If a warm call is done effectively, the representative may appreciate the brokerage’s effort to understand their company’s concerns and may be interested in learning more about their services. There is still the risk of coming off as obnoxious, so brokerages try not to do cold or warm calls unless they believe it could work in their favor.
Industry Lists
There are directories online that list major manufacturers and businesses throughout the country. For example, McRae’s BlueBook has the largest online business directory in the United States, providing up-to-date information on relevant businesses. Businesses don’t mind having their information put up on databases since it gives them more visibility with professionals in their industry.
Brokerages can buy or subscribe to these databases to search for companies that probably utilize freight shipping. They can then use that information to create personalized marketing for said company through cold/warm calls, social media marketing, or other ways. This isn’t a direct method of communicating with potential customers; it does, however, help elevate other marketing methods brokerages use.
Targeted Marketing Campaigns
This is also an old standby for freight brokerages. Using physical or digital marketing platforms, freight brokerages present themselves and communicate their services to their chosen audiences. These campaigns can expand the scope of interested parties while ingraining the company in audiences’ minds. There are many different methods a marketing campaign employs, including:
- Direct mailing
- Online ads
- Social media marketing
- Billboards
- Industry magazine ads
Marketing campaigns are great for reaching specific audiences and demonstrating the power of their brand identity. However, a campaign’s effectiveness heavily depends on the execution of marketing content. The company will not be noticed if an ad is bland or generic, and the marketing campaign could stall. Even worse, if an ad is terrible, the company could gain attention for all the wrong reasons. Brokerages are aware of this, so they aim to target specific audiences.
Build Online Presence
There are other ways that brokerages use social media to attract customers. Professional websites like LinkedIn are a perfect way to connect with industry insiders. These experts publish posts and articles related to their industries, which can contain helpful resources or tips. They also interact with their audiences through polls, comments, and video sharing.
By engaging with other companies online, brokerages create a social media presence. If a brokerage writes a comment on a business’s recent post, for example, and the company replies, this establishes a connection that could lead to the business becoming interested in working with the brokerage. Some brokerages can even become industry experts, leading the way with their own articles and posts.
Psst! FreightCenter engages with our audience through our LinkedIn page. We publish informative articles, posts, and trivia polls on a weekly basis. Check us out!
To create value for our customers by delivering customized shipping solutions that meet their unique needs and to fulfill shipping demands from simple to complex with expertise, guidance and ingenuity.
Trust the experts at FreightCenter to give you the best prices and the most comprehensive options for all your LTL freight shipping needs.
We deliver optimized solutions for full or partial truckloads and competitive dry van, flatbed, and refrigerated freight pricing. We can cover your full truckload shipping needs.
Nationwide Expedited Trucking services move your freight securely and rapidly. Your freight requires fast delivery; our freight shipping experts can get your shipment fast, whether in one large box or a full truckload.
The most reliable Specialized Freight Services rates from all the top carriers are just a few steps away. From white glove service to international shipping, we've got you covered.
Load Boards
This one is a little out of left field since load boards are designed to help carriers find loads to fulfill. Usually, brokers act on the shipper’s behalf and post their loads on load boards for carriers to bid. They aren’t generally searching for loads themselves unless their brokerage is a part of a larger transportation company.
However, brokers also use load boards to find new clientele. They, too, can see loads posted by shippers, including all information related to their latest loads. Brokers can private message shippers and sell their services, mentioning that they found them via their latest board post. They may also offer new terms that could help shippers find carriers if they aren’t having luck in the bidding process.
Re-engage Old or Abandoned Accounts
Sometimes, a potential customer may get halfway through the booking process, realize they do not want to continue, and abandon the account they already made with the freight brokerage. Other times, a regular customer may stop using a brokerage’s services for one reason or another, usually because they switched to a different brokerage.
However, freight brokerages may hang on to old customer information and use it for future contact. This is done via email or phone; they emphasize the customer’s value and how they can resume activity with the brokerage. Brokers may even offer special discounts or deals for returning to the brokerage.
However, re-engaging with old accounts is a legal gray area since the company still has access to a customer’s private information. If you are considering switching accounts or have already done so, you may want to consider unsubscribing from your former brokerage’s email chain and contacting them to ask them to remove you from your calling and email lists.
Referrals
If a freight brokerage already has customers, those customers may do the legwork for them to find potential customers. More often than not, people will try a new product if someone they know recommends it or sees positive online reviews. With freight shipping being difficult to understand for people outside the industry, having a recommendation for a brokerage gives businesses a place to start searching for quotes.
Referrals are wonderful for freight brokerages, but not just because they gain new customers through word-of-mouth. If a current customer recommends their brokerage, it is a sign that the customer is satisfied with their level of service and wishes to spread the word. Brokerages can use this to help gauge their current audience on how their service works and what can be improved to increase referrals.
FreightCenter Wants To Help You!
Now that you understand how do freight brokerages find loads, shippers can learn the marketing methods brokerages employ to help find the right place to freight ship. After all, brokers want to help you have the best freight shipping experience possible. By engaging or researching a freight brokerage’s methods for finding loads, shippers can determine their quality, dedication to the customer, and other important factors that may be essential later when forming a relationship with a brokerage.
If you are ready to look for a freight brokerage to help you ship your freight, why not FreightCenter? We have been a third-party logistics provider (3PL) for over 25 years. We are constantly searching for new loads to help ship and have the experience and quality to back it up. Our network of over 50 nationwide carriers are professionals in their field, and we leverage our relationships with them to provide discounted rates you can’t find elsewhere.
Best of all, our free online quote tool allows users to input information about their load and be given several initial quotes from our carriers. You can compare and choose quotes based on price, distance, load size, and other factors to make the right choice for your load. Our friendly agents can help you through the complications of booking freight, including filing paperwork and tracking your shipment. At the same time, our Customer Care team can answer any questions about your shipment before and after it has been sent out.
If you have more questions on how do freight brokerages find loads or want to try shipping your load with FreightCenter, you can use our quote tool to get started or call our team at (800) 716-7608. We are more than ready to help ship your freight!
Guaranteed competitive pricing every time you ship.
FreightCenter is Here To Help You Ship Your Freight
FreightCenter knows how important it is to deliver your freight safely and punctually. With over 25 years in the business, we’re committed to giving our customers the best shipping experience without breaking your budget. We’re partnered with over 50 carriers nationwide, which we leverage to offer discounted rates you can’t find anywhere else. We also provide tailored solutions for your shipping needs, including expedited shipping, white glove services, and specialized freight shipping. And best of all, repeat customers can earn points for special rewards every time they ship with us!
Ready to ship something now? Our agents are prepared to help you get started on shipping right. Get a freight quote using our free online quote tool, or call us at (800) 716-7608.
Frequently Asked Questions on How Do Freight Brokerages Find Loads
Q. How do freight brokerages find loads?
Freight brokerages find loads using different marketing techniques to entice shippers to use their services. This includes traditional marketing methods like ads, billboards, cold calls, and referrals, as well as digital marketing tactics like growing a social media presence and using online industry lists to look for new clients.
Q. What's the difference between a cold and warm call?
A cold call is when a caller contacts a representative from a business and pitches their services without knowing anything about the company aside from trivial information.
A warm call, meanwhile, is where the caller takes time to adequately research the company before calling, or the company is somewhat aware of the caller and has shown interest before. The former can be obnoxious to both sides, while the latter is more well-received.
Q. How do load boards help brokers find loads?
Load boards are usually for carriers looking for loads to bid on, while brokers post the loads on the shipper’s behalf. However, brokers can find new shippers by searching through exciting loads. If they see a down-on-their-luck shipper with no offers on their load or a shipper with a fascinating freight shipping history, they can private message them on the board and offer their services.
Three Advantages of Using FreightCenter for Cold Chain Logistics
25+ Years of Service
We have over 25 years of experience, as evidenced by our large network of professional carriers. Our knowledgeable team of shipping experts is ready to help you optimize your shipping experience.
Customizable Shipping Options
Need a liftgate? No problem! Need to ship your products quickly? We got you covered! Our FreightCenter agents can offer tailored solutions for your specific shipping needs while offering affordable rates you can’t find anywhere else.
Friendly Customer Support
Our customer support team has the answers to many of your shipping questions and concerns. We’re here to help you through every step of the shipping process, from initial inquiries to post-shipment issues.
