Professional Training for the
Transportation Industry
Red Flag Statements/Claims
There are many Freight Broker training facilities, and as you do your research it can be difficult to tell truth from fiction. Unfortunately, there are people in this industry who will tell you what you want to hear just to get you to go to their school. We at TTI will not lie to you just to get your business.
The following are statements/claims that should raise a red flag when you are researching a Freight Broker School:
Red Flag #1 - A US-DOT Licensed Transportation Practitioner can get your Freight Broker Authority in a quicker, more competent, manner than you can yourself. You do not need to pay $750 or more for a so-called professional to get your authority. The documents you need in order to file for motor carrier and/or property broker authority are readily available at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s website. Instructions on completing these forms are provided, and if additional help is required, you can contact the FMCSA directly. Other schools charge $750 for the following services: The Federal Application for Authority Filing Fee, Your MC Number, The Process Agent Filing Fee. If you do it yourself, it will cost only $335. They are charging you $415 for 15 minutes of work! If you want to pay someone to do the paperwork for you, $450 is considered a fair fee. Furthermore, nobody can expedite the process. It takes the same amount of time, no matter who you are.
Red Flag #2 - "Make money the first day! Offset the cost of your training while also getting on-the-job training with this incredible course." Any school that promises that you can pay for your training by earning commission on loads moved during class is a school that is willing to say anything to get your business. Do not trust ANYTHING you read from a facility such as this. This is a perfect example of: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! In reality, it takes weeks and sometimes months of prospecting shippers before they agree to give you a load. Do not expect to begin making money right away. You can make good money brokering freight, but like everything else that is worth doing, it takes time, commitment, and a lot of hard work.
Red Flag #3 - Schools that offer different levels of broker certification such as Master Broker, Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Journeyman Broker. There is only one level of broker certification: The official term is Property Broker. A more common term used is Freight Broker. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) does not recognize any title other than Property Broker. You can contact the FMCSA at 1-800-832-5660 to verify this information.
