Every career has its critical skills that are needed to be successful. Doctors need biological understanding, a steady hand and a keen ability to understand the body. Lawyers need the ability to negotiate, argue, sell and litigate successfully. Freight agents are not different, they have a set of skills that set good agents apart from mediocre ones.
Not every career path is the same. Some require intuition, self-motivation, and persistence. Others focus more on technical skills, math or reasoning abilities. Still others focus on the ability to process lots of information consistently without error. Each one is a set that, when combined, produces a sum greater than the individual skills alone. Freight agents have their own specific mix, but not every agent has them completely. The one who stands out provides a great example of when the recipe works, and they show it with repeat successes.
So, What Does Stand Out, Specifically?
The key elements of what makes a great freight agent are, surprisingly, predictable and expected. There’s no magic rocket science or mystical ceremonies involved with a secret fraternity. Instead, it’s just the elements that make an agent an extremely nimble and exceptional individual who can solve ambiguous problems and match resources effectively with needs.
Those skills include the following time and time again:
- Educational background – At a minimum, a high school degree is needed to confirm a basic ability to manage business math, reading, comprehension, a bit of science, an understanding of basic money, and communication skills. While, interestingly, a college degree might be over-qualified, at least a full high school regimen is a basic minimum for agents who show aptitude. From this point, agents are then able to pick up the complexities of their role from experienced tutors and trainers in the same field.
- Computer skills – A solid equivalency and competence in computer productivity tools is a must. Today, that also includes an ability to navigate on the Internet easily and comfortably. Word processing, spreadsheets, minor database management and Windows operating system familiarity all meet daily tasks and needs with IT. The ability to understand how to capture, collect and move data in basic storage is a plus as well since an agent frequently works with distribution courier databases and similar.
- Licensing – In those instances where an agent is working with specific courier types that are regulated, the freight agent will also need licensing consistent with industry standards. That typically involves licensing required by the Department of Motor Carriers Safety Association, especially when dealing with any kind of a U.S. truck carrier-provider.
- People and sales skills – Aside from the above technical skills, a freight agent also needs to be adept at working with people. Much of what an agent does involves translating a need from a client into a resource that can meet it. That involves knowing the different carriers, what they can service, who is available and who is not, and then providing confidence to a client of what can be delivered competently.
- Persistence – Yes, that read right. Being professionally stubborn and not giving up, even when the job gets challenging or an easy success doesn’t seem immediately available, is what brings a good agent through a tough moment. Many others tend to crack; they don’t realize a quick win, or the client gets taken by someone else, and then they quit. Strong agents just don’t stop. They work harder, stay longer, produce more, find more opportunities and just keep going smart. That persistence pays off dividends.
Not everyone is cut out to be a freight agent. Not everyone is cut out to be a doctor. Everyone has a skill situation they are good at. Those who do have the above attributes, however, do far better case after case. And they become standouts that produce big results in the industry for clients and their own careers.
