When you hire a freight shipping service, you’re going to deal with different types of people who play very different roles in the process of getting your freight from point A to point B.
Two of the main roles in that process are the freight broker and the dispatcher.
We’re going to go over what both those roles do, so you know exactly what you’re doing with your freight.
The freight broker is a middleman. They don’t actually ship anything, and they’re not with the company that ultimately ships your freight. Instead, they provide a service that helps you find the right shipping company for your specific needs.
A freight broker can sound like an unnecessary expense, but that’s not the case with this type of middleman.
A freight broker helps you navigate the complex world of freight. It’s not as simple as calling up any freight service and having them pick up your container of goods.
Different companies handle different types of loads, use different transportation methods, and operate in specific areas. Finding the right match for your shipment can be a lot more difficult than it sounds.
In some cases, a freight broker might also save you money. They can offer options from several carriers to help you find the most competitive rate. Keep in mind that the lowest rate isn't always the best; you want to look at the overall value a carrier offers rather than the flat dollar amount it will cost.
Freight brokers do this complex task by becoming deeply engaged with the industry as a whole, extensively networking throughout it, and leveraging the latest technology to make choosing the right carrier efficient and reliable.
None of this is stuff that you can do for yourself in a practical sense. It requires years of experience.
A dispatcher is part of the carrier’s team. If you’re talking to an owner-operator, the dispatcher works for them.
A dispatcher doesn’t actually ship anything either, but they do serve as the primary means of communication between the shipper and the carrier. The freight broker helps you enlist a carrier’s service, and then the dispatcher handles the logistics and communications from there.
A dispatcher typically handles a variety of tasks. Those include assigning loads to different trucks, scheduling, making the planned route as efficient as possible, and communicating directly with drivers as they deliver the shipment.
While this is less relevant to your experience with the company, they also tend to handle the paperwork and the hours different drivers work.
While there are some similarities in handling shipment logistics, dispatchers are not legal mediators. They do work to ensure regulations are followed, but they’re not considered a role that requires a broker’s license. This affects various aspects of the service.
Do You Have to Use a Freight Broker?
When we called freight brokers middlemen, you probably started wondering if you could avoid their services and work directly with the dispatcher for a certain company that you’ve already found on your own.
Well, you absolutely can. In fact, businesses do it all the time. However, there are major drawbacks for you to consider.
A freight broker looks at a broad network of carriers to handle your shipment. A dispatcher works for a carrier or owner-operator. So, they’re not going to point you in the direction of a different company unless they don’t take your type of freight.
Because a freight broker works with a large network of carriers, and you get the ultimate say in who you decide to work with, you can save money while getting top-quality service. You’ll see the available rates and the value you get for each option, so you can pick the one that works best for you.
One of the best benefits is rock-solid communication. Sometimes, when you work directly with a company, they’re not too worried about you as a client. They get their money, and the shipment arrives when it arrives. They might not even talk to you throughout the process.
That can cause you to sit through unexpected delays, unreliable service, and more without any explanation why.
When you work with someone whose entire job is to handle the communications between you and the carrier, you can trust that things are going to be done properly, and if they’re not, you have help solving the problem effectively.
That doesn’t mean that there are no benefits to working directly with the company you’ve chosen on your own. If they’re a low-cost company, you might find some unique savings opportunities. The problem is that you really have to place a lot of trust in the company, and you have to do a lot more research on your own to find them in the first place.
If something does go wrong, you don’t have anyone to help, and that’s a huge risk. Especially when you’re a business owner who relies on a smooth operation to get things done.
No matter how big your company is, you cannot afford to deal with unreliable services or to pay unnecessary fees. You need reliable shipping, top-quality communication, and a freight shipping service you can trust time and time again.
For that, contact Diversified Transportation Services today and let us handle your freight.
Whether you're a company looking to improve one facet of your supply chain, your entire supply chain, or simply looking for a transportation and logistics consultation, we can help.
19829 Hamilton Avenue
Torrance, CA 90502