What is a freight forwarder?

Freight forwarders liaise with logistics firms and customs authorities to move goods around the world. The role is similar to a travel agent but it deals with the movement of freight rather than people’s travel arrangements! It’s guaranteed to always be fast-paced and varied!

TRS offers skills bootcamps in international freight forwarding for eager individuals to progress to a job where they can expect to be kept on their toes – working with airlines, shipping companies, and haulage firms. The course we offer is new and designed to help you get a great job! You will be trained by specialist TRS trainers AND experts from the British International Freight Association.

You might be an individual looking for a new career, or a firm with employees who we can upskill so they hit the ground running as freight forwarders.

Freight forwarders are in demand

People with skills in freight forwarding are in demand right now and TRS is standing by ready to train  you – FOR FREE!

Signing up for the freight forwarding skill bootcamp guarantees you an interview if you aren’t already employed. It’s worth noting that at the moment, employers are offering great salaries to individuals with the right skills. So with some experience under your belt you could realistically earn up to £40,000 as you progress through the ranks.

Paul Rowden, who oversees freight forwarding training for TRS says:

‘As you build your connections in the industry your career will  take off. Freight forwarding specialists are in high demand and some become self-employed. The freight forwarding role acts as a third party for the sender and the transport companies.  Participants in the bootcamps could end up specialising in haulage by road, shipping or rail. Some roles also offer the opportunity to travel to other countries.’

Is Freight Forwarding For You?

• From deadlines to drivers and customs to customers, the job performs the valuable function of getting goods from A to B

• Your initial point of contact is with the company that wants to ship goods

• Then you liaise with the transportation suppliers – planes, trains and automobiles (normally trucks actually!)

• During the process you will negotiate the rates for moving the freight

• It’s your job to track the movement of the shipments 

And 

• A freight forwarder takes care of a lot of paperwork which can be complex; so you will need to be proficient in IT and able to quickly learn the process to make it plain sailing. You could work at a freight forwarding firm or in the department in a large organisation. 

Freight forwarders often oversee multiple shipments. It becomes complex when a number of shipments need moving from and to different destinations. For example, you will often be working out if it is appropriate for goods to share transport. Can you make sure that a container coming from China to the UK has a full load?  Or that the space is full  in a lorry going to Ireland?

Ambitious people who can be customer-focused, are highly organised and good under pressure are great candidates for a career in freight forwarding.

Find out more about becoming a freight forwarder: leave your details on our contact form.