AFI Looking to Expand Its Broker Team

by Admin | Apr 16, 2019

As more shippers recognize the advantages of using freight brokers, American Freight is expanding its staff to meet industry needs. We are currently looking for motivated, enthusiastic, outgoing people to join our team of brokers. We are hiring in three different capacities:

Freight Agents: If you are already an independent freight agent with an established book of business, we want to talk with you! Our freight agents are located all over the country.

Freight Brokers: Experienced freight brokers looking for a permanent position with benefits and a base salary are welcome to apply to work in our Portland, Eugene, or Medford office. We also offer work from home opportunities for Oregon residents not within commuting distance to any of our three offices.

Freight Broker Apprentice: We are thrilled to offer a new program designed to expand our team of brokers—our three-month apprenticeship program. In this program, brand new brokers will work under a senior broker to learn the freight industry and build a book of business before moving into a regular freight broker position. Apprentices must work out of one of our three offices.

 

Why American Freight?

 

American Freight has a 60-year history of dealing honestly with customers, operating with integrity toward our carriers, and treating our employees like family. Our core values drive us to provide the best service possible by developing relationships based on trust and integrity and valuing our employees and encouraging them to strive for excellence. When you become a Freight Broker with AFI, you aren’t just signing on for another job—you’re joining a family.

AFI offers some significant advantages to our brokers:

• Base salary plus a generous bonus structure (top agents are earning over $100,000/year!)
• Paid medical, dental, vision insurance
• 401K company match
• Weekends off and paid holidays off
• Paid vacation time/PTO
• NO Non-Compete agreement!

What Makes a Good Freight Broker?

Whether you’re an established broker or someone considering the position for the first time, there are some significant traits and values that can give you a better chance at succeeding in this challenging career.

Honesty and integrity: Ty Wallace, an Independent Agent with AFI, emphasizes that honesty and integrity are vital to the broker role. “Not everything is perfect in the trucking world,” he says. Both shippers and truckers want to deal with people who are up front and keep the lines of communication open.

Motivated: “You get out of this what you put into it,” says Josh Cornett, Freight Broker. Cornett is the first person to complete our three-month apprenticeship program, and he’s been with AFI less than one year. Being a freight broker is “for career-oriented people, not job hoppers,” he says. “You can’t just be at your desk the minimum.”

Good communicator: Good phone and communication skills are essential to success as a freight broker. Kristy Imus has been with AFI for seven years as a Freight Broker. “You need to be outgoing, a people person—you need to be good on the phone,” she says. “You have to understand the needs of customers and drivers, and as the middle man, it’s up to you to take care of problems.”

Relationship builder: However, while Imus acknowledges that intense sales experience or telemarketing experience is helpful, she also says that building relationships is more important. “You have to create a good relationship with customers,” she says. “They shouldn’t want to look at other companies. You have to be professional, but building those personal relationships with clients and truckers is also important.”

Experience (sometimes): Wallace says that having freight industry experience is a tremendous help as a broker. Some former drivers have made very successful transitions to brokering. Imus says that having an existing book of business is almost essential in the current climate. However, Cornett had no industry experience and no existing book when he started the apprenticeship program last summer. He credits his success to hard work and experience in sales. “You gotta be hungry,” he says.

 

All three brokers encourage those with the motivation and drive to succeed as a broker to apply with AFI. “I feel like it’s family here,” says Imus. “They’ve been good to me—at times, they’ve bent over backward for me.”

Cornett says that the administrative side of AFI has made his transition into the freight industry easier. “Having full access to two company’s trucks really helps give my customers the confidence that their loads will get there on time,” he says. “I always know where my trucks are, and I never have to call and get an ETA. It’s pretty phenomenal how dialed in they are” at AFI.

“The people are great,” Wallace says. “Everyone knows something. If you have a question, someone will know the answer. Everyone works as a team.”

Freight brokering offers a lot of benefits and advantages for highly motivated people. If you think it sounds like a good fit for you, AFI wants to hear from you! Visit our careers page to learn more and upload your resume. We look forward to hearing from you!