Most freight broker resumes fail because they bury measurable results under generic duties and carrier lists. In today’s ATS screening and rapid recruiter scans, that lack of proof blends in fast. With heavy competition, you lose interviews before anyone sees your value.
A strong resume shows outcomes and scope, not just tools or daily tasks. You should highlight margin improvement, on-time delivery gains, cost per load reductions, and higher tender acceptance. Include shipment volume managed, lanes expanded, claims reduced, and customer retention wins.
Key takeaways
- Quantify freight broker achievements using margin, on-time delivery, claims, and load volume metrics.
- Tailor every experience bullet to match the specific job posting's tools, lanes, and KPIs.
- Use reverse-chronological format for experienced brokers and hybrid format for career changers.
- Lead each role entry with ownership scope, execution approach, and measurable business impact.
- Place skills above experience if you're junior; below experience if you're mid-level or senior.
- Write a three- to four-line summary featuring your freight mode, core tools, and top measurable win.
- Use Enhancv's Bullet Point Generator to turn routine freight tasks into recruiter-ready resume bullets.
How to format a freight broker resume
Recruiters evaluating freight broker resumes prioritize evidence of load volume management, carrier network development, margin performance, and client retention. A clean, well-structured format ensures these signals surface quickly during both ATS parsing and the initial human scan.
I have significant experience in this role—which format should I use?
Use a reverse-chronological format to present your freight brokerage career with clear progression and measurable results. Do:
- Lead each role entry with scope indicators: lane coverage, monthly load counts, book of business size, and team or account oversight responsibilities.
- Highlight proficiency with role-specific tools and platforms such as DAT, Truckstop, McLeod, Tai TMS, and rate negotiation workflows.
- Quantify business impact through metrics like revenue generated, margin percentages, carrier onboarding volume, and client retention rates.
I'm junior or switching into this role—what format works best?
A hybrid format works best because it lets you lead with transferable brokerage, logistics, or sales skills while still showing a concise work history. Do:
- Place a skills section near the top featuring freight-relevant competencies: rate negotiation, carrier sourcing, TMS proficiency, load matching, and customer relationship management.
- Include projects, internships, or transitional experience in logistics, supply chain, or sales that demonstrate your understanding of brokerage operations.
- Connect each action to a clear outcome so recruiters see applied capability, not just listed knowledge.
Why not use a functional resume?
A functional resume strips away the timeline and context recruiters need to evaluate how you built brokerage skills, making it harder to verify where and when you developed load management, negotiation, or carrier relationship capabilities.
- Career changers from sales, dispatching, or supply chain coordination who have directly transferable skills but no formal freight broker title yet.
- Candidates with resume gaps who completed freight broker training, earned a broker authority, or handled independent load board work during that period.
Once your layout and formatting choices are in place, the next step is deciding which sections to include so each one reinforces your qualifications.
What sections should go on a freight broker resume
Recruiters expect you to present freight brokerage results, customer ownership, and carrier network performance in a clean, easy-to-scan resume.
Use this structure for maximum clarity:
- Header
- Summary
- Experience
- Skills
- Projects
- Education
- Certifications
- Optional sections: Awards, Languages, Volunteering
Strong experience bullets should emphasize measurable margin growth, on-time pickup and delivery performance, load volume and lane scope, customer retention, and carrier compliance outcomes.
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Now that your resume’s structure is set, focus on writing the experience section so each role clearly supports the information you included in those core sections.
How to write your freight broker resume experience
The experience section is where you prove you can move freight efficiently—showcasing the loads you've managed, the transportation management systems and negotiation methods you've relied on, and the measurable outcomes you've produced for carriers, shippers, and your brokerage. Hiring managers prioritize demonstrated impact over descriptive task lists, so every line should connect what you did to a result that mattered.
Each entry should include:
- Job title
- Company and location (or remote)
- Dates of employment (month and year)
Three to five concise bullet points showing what you owned, how you executed, and what outcomes you delivered:
- Ownership scope: the freight lanes, carrier networks, customer accounts, load boards, or brokerage teams you were directly accountable for.
- Execution approach: the transportation management systems, load-matching platforms, rate negotiation tactics, or compliance frameworks you used to make routing and pricing decisions.
- Value improved: changes to on-time delivery performance, carrier capacity utilization, freight cost efficiency, claims reduction, or service reliability you drove for shippers and carriers.
- Collaboration context: how you coordinated with shippers, carriers, dispatchers, warehouse teams, customs brokers, or sales departments to keep freight moving and resolve exceptions.
- Impact delivered: outcomes expressed through shipment volume growth, margin improvement, customer retention, or network expansion rather than a list of daily activities.
Experience bullet formula
A freight broker experience example
✅ Right example - modern, quantified, specific.
Freight Broker
BlueRidge Logistics | Charlotte, NC
2022–Present
Asset-based and third-party logistics provider supporting national truckload and less-than-truckload shippers across retail and manufacturing.
- Negotiated truckload and less-than-truckload rates across DAT Freight & Analytics and Truckstop, improving gross margin by 3.8 points while moving 1,200+ loads annually.
- Built a carrier procurement pipeline in Salesforce and Parade, increasing tender acceptance from 82% to 93% and reducing time-to-cover from ninety minutes to forty-five minutes.
- Coordinated end-to-end execution in McLeod and MacroPoint, cutting late pickups by 21% and reducing shipment exception time by 30% through proactive check calls and automated tracking alerts.
- Resolved claims and service failures with shippers, carriers, and warehouse teams, lowering chargebacks by 18% and improving on-time delivery from 94% to 97% across top ten accounts.
- Standardized lane pricing and compliance workflows with operations and finance stakeholders, reducing invoice discrepancies by 25% and accelerating billing cycle time by two days using EDI and standardized accessorial codes.
Now that you've seen how a strong experience section comes together, let's look at how to adjust yours to match the specific job you're targeting.
How to tailor your freight broker resume experience
Recruiters evaluate your freight broker resume through both human review and applicant tracking systems (ATS), so tailoring your experience section to each job posting is essential. Aligning your background with the specific role ensures your qualifications stand out in both screening methods.
Ways to tailor your freight broker experience:
- Match the TMS or load board platforms named in the posting.
- Mirror the exact freight modes or service types they specify.
- Use their terminology for carrier vetting or onboarding processes.
- Reflect KPIs like on-time delivery or cost-per-load they mention.
- Highlight compliance experience with FMCSA or DOT if referenced.
- Include lane expertise or regional knowledge the role requires.
- Emphasize relationship management approaches described in the listing.
- Align your negotiation or margin optimization language with theirs.
Tailoring means connecting your real accomplishments to what the employer asks for, not forcing disconnected keywords into your experience.
Resume tailoring examples for freight broker
| Job description excerpt | Untailored | Tailored |
|---|---|---|
| "Negotiate competitive carrier rates using DAT and Truckstop load boards to maximize margin on full truckload (FTL) shipments across the Midwest region." | Negotiated rates with carriers to support shipping operations. | Negotiated FTL carrier rates across 12 Midwest lanes using DAT and Truckstop load boards, increasing average margin per load by 18% over six months. |
| "Build and maintain a reliable carrier network of 50+ asset-based and owner-operator providers, ensuring on-time delivery performance above 95%." | Managed relationships with carriers and tracked delivery performance. | Built and maintained a vetted carrier network of 60+ asset-based and owner-operator providers, sustaining a 96.3% on-time delivery rate across 400+ monthly shipments. |
| "Coordinate cross-functionally with sales and operations teams using McLeod TMS to manage shipment lifecycle from booking through proof of delivery (POD)." | Used transportation software to help coordinate freight shipments. | Managed full shipment lifecycle—booking, tracking, and POD collection—in McLeod TMS, collaborating daily with sales and operations teams to resolve exceptions within four hours. |
Once you’ve aligned your experience with the role’s priorities, quantify your freight broker achievements to show the measurable impact behind those choices.
How to quantify your freight broker achievements
Quantifying shows how you move freight faster, cheaper, and safer. Focus on load volume, margin, on-time delivery, tender acceptance, claims, and cycle time from quote to booked load.
Quantifying examples for freight broker
| Metric | Example |
|---|---|
| Gross margin | "Increased gross margin per load from $185 to $235 in six months by renegotiating carrier rates and tightening accessorial approval in TMS." |
| Cycle time | "Cut quote-to-book time from forty-five minutes to eighteen minutes by templating lanes and automating check calls using TMS workflows." |
| On-time delivery | "Improved on-time delivery from ninety-two percent to ninety-seven percent across 120 monthly loads by building a preferred carrier pool for top lanes." |
| Claims rate | "Reduced cargo claims from 1.4% to 0.6% by enforcing insurance verification, tighter appointment notes, and photo POD collection in the TMS." |
| Volume handled | "Managed 1,050 loads per quarter across dry van and reefer lanes, maintaining a ninety-eight percent tender acceptance rate during peak season." |
Turn your everyday tasks into measurable, recruiter-ready resume bullets in seconds with Enhancv's Bullet Point Generator.
Once you've crafted strong bullet points to showcase your experience, you'll also need to highlight the specific hard and soft skills that freight brokers rely on daily.
How to list your hard and soft skills on a freight broker resume
Skills show you can source capacity, price freight, and manage risk, and recruiters and an ATS (applicant tracking system) scan this section to match keywords fast; aim for a mix of role-specific hard skills plus operational soft skills. freight broker roles require a blend of:
- Product strategy and discovery skills.
- Data, analytics, and experimentation skills.
- Delivery, execution, and go-to-market discipline.
- Soft skills.
Your skills section should be:
- Scannable (bullet-style grouping).
- Relevant to the job post.
- Backed by proof in experience bullets.
- Updated with current tools.
Place your skills section:
- Above experience if you're junior or switching careers.
- Below experience if you're mid/senior with strong achievements.
Hard skills
- Transportation management systems
- Load board sourcing, DAT, Truckstop
- Carrier onboarding and vetting
- Rate quoting and lane pricing
- Spot market negotiation
- Contract freight procurement
- Tendering and load tracking
- Appointment scheduling and dispatch
- Accessorials, detention, lumper fees
- Freight claims handling
- Compliance: FMCSA, DOT, ELD
- Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets
Soft skills
- Negotiate win-win rate agreements
- Communicate clear load expectations
- De-escalate shipper-carrier issues
- Make fast trade-off decisions
- Own loads end-to-end
- Prioritize high-risk shipments
- Align with sales and operations
- Document updates with precision
- Follow up until confirmed
- Anticipate exceptions and reroute
- Handle high-volume call blocks
- Maintain composure under pressure
How to show your freight broker skills in context
Skills shouldn't live only in a bulleted list on your resume.
They should be demonstrated in:
- Your summary (high-level professional identity)
- Your experience (proof through outcomes)
Here's what that looks like in practice.
Summary example
Senior freight broker with 10+ years in full truckload and LTL logistics. Skilled in TMS platforms, carrier negotiations, and lane optimization. Built a carrier network of 500+ vetted partners, reducing client shipping costs by 18% year over year.
- Reflects senior-level experience clearly
- Names specific tools and methods
- Includes a measurable cost-reduction metric
- Highlights relationship-building soft skills
Experience example
Senior Freight Broker
Ridgeline Logistics Group | Dallas, TX
March 2018–January 2024
- Negotiated rates with 200+ carriers using DAT and Truckstop, cutting average lane costs by 14% across 12 key corridors.
- Collaborated with operations and warehouse teams to streamline scheduling, improving on-time delivery rates from 88% to 96%.
- Managed a $4.2M monthly freight book through McLeod TMS, maintaining a 97% claims-free shipment record over five years.
- Every bullet includes measurable proof.
- Skills appear naturally within achievements.
Once you’ve positioned your freight broker abilities through specific examples, the next step is applying that approach to building a freight broker resume when you don’t have direct experience.
How do I write a freight broker resume with no experience
Even without full-time experience, you can demonstrate readiness through:
- Logistics or supply chain coursework
- Dispatching or load planning internship
- Customer service in transportation
- Sales role with quotas
- Excel rate sheets and lane analysis
- Freight quoting and tendering simulations
- TMS (transportation management system) training
- Carrier outreach and vetting practice
Focus on:
- Documented quoting and margin math
- Evidence of calls, emails, follow-ups
- Process for carrier qualification checks
- Clean, error-free shipment documentation
Resume format tip for entry-level freight broker
Use a combination resume format because it highlights relevant skills and projects first, while still showing steady work history. Do:
- Add a “Relevant Projects” section.
- Quantify outreach, quotes, and margins.
- List TMS, Excel, and CRM tools.
- Show steps used for carrier vetting.
- Tailor keywords to each job posting.
- Built an Excel lane-rate sheet and quoting tracker, generating twenty quotes with a ten percent target margin and cutting quote turnaround time by thirty percent.
Even without direct experience, your education section can demonstrate the foundational knowledge and relevant coursework that qualify you for a freight broker role.
How to list your education on a freight broker resume
Your education section helps hiring teams confirm you have foundational knowledge in logistics, business, or supply chain management relevant to the freight broker role.
Include:
- Degree name
- Institution
- Location
- Graduation year
- Relevant coursework (for juniors or entry-level candidates)
- Honors & GPA (if 3.5 or higher)
Skip month and day details—list the graduation year only.
Here's a strong education entry tailored to the freight broker role:
Example education entry
Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management
University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Graduated 2021
GPA: 3.7/4.0
- Relevant coursework: Freight Transportation Systems, Logistics Operations, Contract Negotiation, and Business Communication
- Honors: Dean's List, 2019–2021
How to list your certifications on a freight broker resume
Certifications show a freight broker’s commitment to learning, proficiency with logistics tools, and up-to-date industry knowledge that builds trust with shippers and carriers.
Include:
- Certificate name
- Issuing organization
- Year
- Optional: credential ID or URL
- Place certifications below education when they’re older, less relevant, or you want your degree and core training to lead.
- Place certifications above education when they’re recent, highly relevant to freight brokering, or required by target employers.
Best certifications for your freight broker resume
- Certified Transportation Broker (CTB)
- Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) Certified Freight Broker
- Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD)
- Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
- International Air Transport Association (IATA) Cargo Introductory Course Certificate
- Hazardous Materials Transportation Training Certification
Once you’ve placed your credentials where hiring managers can spot them quickly, use your freight broker resume summary to reinforce the value those qualifications bring.
How to write your freight broker resume summary
Your resume summary is the first thing a recruiter reads. A strong one immediately signals you have the logistics expertise and deal-closing ability the role demands.
Keep it to three to four lines, with:
- Your title and total years of freight brokerage experience.
- Specialization in freight mode, such as FTL, LTL, intermodal, or reefer.
- Proficiency in core tools like TMS platforms, DAT, Truckstop, or McLeod.
- One or two measurable wins, such as revenue growth or margin improvement.
- Relationship-building or negotiation skills tied to carrier and shipper retention.
PRO TIP
At this level, focus on demonstrating relevant skills, tool proficiency, and any early measurable contributions. Avoid vague phrases like "hard worker" or "passionate about logistics." Replace them with specific results. Skip objective statements that center on what you want rather than what you offer.
Example summary for a freight broker
Freight broker with two years of experience coordinating FTL and LTL shipments using McLeod TMS. Built a carrier network of 80+ providers, reducing average load cover time by 30%.
Optimize your resume summary and objective for ATS
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Now that your summary captures your strongest qualifications, make sure the header above it presents your contact details correctly so recruiters can actually reach you.
What to include in a freight broker resume header
A resume header lists your key contact and profile details, which boosts visibility, builds credibility, and speeds recruiter screening for a freight broker role.
Essential resume header elements
- Full name
- Tailored job title and headline
- Location
- Phone number
- Professional email
- GitHub link
- Portfolio link
A LinkedIn link helps recruiters verify your experience fast and supports screening with consistent dates, titles, and scope.
Don’t include a photo on a freight broker resume unless the role is explicitly front-facing or appearance-dependent.
Put the most relevant freight broker title first, keep links short, and use one line for contact details to reduce scanning time.
Freight broker resume header
Jordan Mitchell
Freight Broker | Dry Van and Reefer Lanes | Carrier Compliance and Margin Control
Dallas, TX
(214) 555-78XX your.name@enhancv.com github.com/yourname yourwebsite.com linkedin.com/in/yourname
Once your contact details and key identifiers are set up to make it easy for employers to reach you, add optional sections that reinforce your qualifications and support the rest of your freight broker resume.
Additional sections for freight broker resumes
When your core qualifications match other candidates, additional sections can set you apart and reinforce your freight broker credibility.
- Languages
- Certifications and licenses
- Industry memberships and associations
- Hobbies and interests
- Awards and recognitions
- Continuing education and professional development
- Volunteer experience
Once you've rounded out your resume with the right supplementary sections, it's worth pairing it with a strong cover letter to make an even bigger impact.
Do freight broker resumes need a cover letter
A cover letter isn’t required for a freight broker, but it helps in competitive roles or when hiring managers expect one. It can make a difference when your resume needs context, or when you want to signal strong fit fast.
Use a cover letter to add information your resume can’t show:
- Explain role or team fit: Match your book of business, lanes, and shipper profile to the team’s portfolio and coverage model.
- Highlight one or two outcomes: Share a specific win, like improving on-time pickup, reducing claims, or growing margin on a targeted lane.
- Show business understanding: Reference the company’s freight mix, customer types, and service expectations, and how you manage carrier compliance and exceptions.
- Address transitions or non-obvious experience: Connect sales, dispatch, customer success, or operations work to freight broker responsibilities and metrics.
Drop your resume here or choose a file.
PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.
Even if you include a cover letter to add context beyond your resume, AI can help you strengthen your freight broker resume faster and more consistently.
Using AI to improve your freight broker resume
AI can sharpen your resume's clarity, structure, and overall impact. It helps you find stronger phrasing and tighten wordy bullets. But overuse strips authenticity fast. Once your content reads clearly and fits the role, step away from AI.
Here are 10 practical prompts you can copy, paste, and tailor to your freight broker resume:
- Strengthen your summary: "Rewrite my freight broker resume summary to highlight my top logistics strengths and years of industry experience in three concise sentences."
- Quantify experience bullets: "Add measurable results like revenue figures, load counts, or cost savings to these freight broker experience bullet points."
- Tighten wordy descriptions: "Shorten each of these freight broker resume bullets to one clear line without losing key accomplishments or responsibilities."
- Align skills precisely: "Compare this freight broker job posting's requirements against my skills section and suggest missing relevant hard skills."
- Improve action verbs: "Replace weak or repetitive verbs in my freight broker experience section with stronger, more specific action verbs."
- Refine certifications formatting: "Reorganize my freight broker certifications section so each entry includes the credential name, issuing body, and date earned."
- Clarify project contributions: "Rewrite this freight broker project description to emphasize my specific role, actions taken, and measurable business outcomes."
- Optimize education relevance: "Edit my education section to highlight coursework, honors, or training directly relevant to a freight broker career."
- Remove filler language: "Identify and remove vague phrases like 'responsible for' or 'assisted with' from my freight broker resume bullets."
- Tailor for specificity: "Adjust my freight broker resume experience section to match this specific job description without adding any false claims."
Stop using AI once your resume sounds accurate, specific, and aligned with real experience. AI should never invent experience or inflate claims—if it didn't happen, it doesn't belong here.
Conclusion
A strong freight broker resume proves results with numbers and stays easy to scan. Show measurable outcomes like margin growth, on-time delivery rates, tender acceptance, and cost savings. Highlight role-specific skills, including carrier sourcing, rate negotiation, lane management, and customer retention.
Keep a clear structure with a focused summary, impact-driven experience, and relevant skills. This format shows you can manage volume, solve problems fast, and communicate clearly. It positions you as a freight broker ready for today’s hiring market and near-future demands.
