Becoming a Freight Broker in CA, noobie questions

Wow. Dude... what do you know about Transportation or Logistics?

All that tech background buys you nothing at all if you can't find good freight at decent rates. Sure, computers are a big deal at most brokers, but they aren't THE deal - you are. It takes negotiating and sales skills, and if you really want to focus on ancillary background, you need language and communications skills, organizational skills, a background in business law, some notion of international law if you plan on handling international freight, bookkeeping and accounting skills, a pretty good understanding of tax law...

Jesus, man, you don’t even know whether or not to incorporate, yet! This is an unbelievably bad idea, and you should run away from it. As they say in business; "stick to your core competencies". If you're a good tech, then be a good tech. Don't walk away from what you're good at, to be terrible at something else.

 

Ugh. You are missing the point. If I had meant to redirect you to Google, I would have said that. I have a technical background in software engineering and electronics, too. You well know that any idiot can read online about computer repair, and still fry components and destroy data.

You have learned just enough to make an attempt, and fall on your face - and probably take your brother with you. If you must go from something that you're good at, to something that you aren't, then at least work for an established broker, first, and learn the ropes from someone experienced and successful. Even if you work for an idiot, you'll learn something from watching them screw up. Being a successful computer tech can be as lucrative as any transportation industry job, and you have a lot less of a learning curve to climb, there. Consider leveraging the skills that you already have.

 

Have you tried using the search box above ? Your question has been asked numerous of times. I’m sure you will fine what your looking for if you use the search box.

 

Honestly? Go learn under another company's MC.

It sounds like your brother is selling you a false bill of goods. Being a broker isn't easy. You won't jump in and start making what you make now. You won't touch that for months without some considerable skill and luck.

This isn't a career path to jump into blind. You talk.about freedom- here's the thing. I don't take vacation. I answer my cell phone and email outside of office hours. I spent months making an absolutely soul crushing amount of cold calls to get to where I'm at, and by no means am I the best broker in the world. I'm pretty good, but I work for someone else.

That's the other thing here, too. Even assuming you have your own numbers, you always work for someone else. Two people in any transaction, really, if you're smart. The first person is your paying customer, and the second person is your carrier. I'll leave you to figure out what that looks like.

Bottom line is this. If you're deadset on doing this, I sure as hell can't stop you. But you'd be smart to learn while being paid by someone else.

 

Yeah, at least go be an agent for another brokerage first. You can probably find a reputable one that will bring you on without a book of business if you display a fraction of your enthusiasm and knowledge on other matters you are discussing here.

I got my broker authority while I still owned assets and I was lucky to get out of that situation before it sank me. Like @PPDCT says it will take you months if not longer before you see a significant financial return on your investment of time, no matter what route you go. Even if you think you have solid customer leads, etc. prepare yourself to make a quarter or less of what you project you can bring in (at least at first). Shippers go out of business, the economy changes, carriers you think you can work with find a better deal, etc. Basically imagine the worst case scenario and multiply it by three. If you think you can survive that, then you will probably will be ok. It can take a long time to straighten things out and survive the swings of the industry.