Freight Broker Professional

Gain the Logistics, Sales and Customer Retention Skills to be Successful in Chattanooga's Red-Hot Freight Industry

Prepare with industry-leading instructors for your in-demand 3PL freight broker career.

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Course At A Glance

Format:

Face-to-Face

Length:

13 Weeks

Meeting Days & Times:

Upcoming Program Dates TBD

Price:

$1,925

FAFSA is not eligible for this program. Students do not need to be officially admitted to the university to enroll. Students must pay for the program in full at registration. If you cannot pay out of pocket, we strongly recommend taking advantage of financial aid. Students have the ability to take out a Sallie Mae loan and be eligible for tuition reimbursement afterward.

Learn more about financial aid options here →.

Do You Still Have Questions?

Schedule a call with our Freight Broker Professional program coordinator, email [email protected] or request more information below.

Companies interested in learning about how the program can benefit their organization can schedule a partner call or email [email protected].

Become an In-Demand 3PL Freight Broker Professional With UTC

With a large amount of third-party logistics (3PL) companies in Chattanooga, your career possibilities are endless. 90 days of training can lead to a lifetime of career opportunities in logistics and supply chain.

UTC wants to help you accelerate your freight broker career by gaining the ability to build a book of business more quickly, which reduces training costs for employers. In the Freight Broker Professional Program, you will learn key industry concepts and gain sales skills that give you a competitive advantage. You will also learn preferred candidate skillsets to stand out to employers, such as emotional intelligence and communication.

The face-to-face course will be offered in the evenings so individuals working in full-time jobs can still participate and work toward their new career goals.

Eligible students have the opportunity to access tuition reimbursement, sign-on bonuses and post-course job opportunities through our employer partners! Current employer partners include Avenger Logistics, Axle Logistics, BlueGrace Logistics, FitzMark, LYNC Logistics, MaxTrans Logistics, Shah Logistics, Steam Logistics, Taimen Transport, Trident Transport and U.S. Xpress.

Who Should Enroll

Individuals who have a job but are looking to build a career
Individuals who have a previous career but are looking to transition into the logistics industry
Individuals with sales or customer service experience looking to transition into the logistics industry
Individuals working on an associate's or bachelor's degree that would like to have a direct pipeline to a career after graduation
Individuals who have 0-6 months of experience in logistics but are looking to accelerate their freight broker skillsets

Freight broker professionals are often looking for fast-paced, in-demand careers. With hard work, relationship-building and time management, there is often uncapped earning potential for individuals in the role.

Learn From a TIA Partner

The course was created in partnership with the Transportation Intermediaries Assocation. TIA is a professional trade association dedicated to advancing the needs of 3PL professionals. TIA’s course content is for 3PLs, by 3PLs. Thought leaders have created the content so students learn from real-world experiences and gain unique problem-solving skills. Learn more about TIA by visiting the organization's website.

What is a 3PL Freight Broker?

A freight broker—also known as a third-party logistics provider—acts as a middleman in the arrangement of transportation between shippers who own freight and carriers available to haul the freight. The broker facilitates communication between shippers and carriers, makes load arrangements such as setting appointments and oversees load operations to ensure loads deliver safely and on time. The advantages for shippers using brokers include reduced costs, increased capacity and elimination of costly delays. Carriers use brokers to maximize the use of their assets and cut down on operating on empty miles.

Freight Broker Career Benefits

Uncapped earning potential opportunities
Career progression opportunities
Fulfilling work
Dynamic workdays (no two days are the same in the logistics industry)
Opportunities to build your professional skillset

What Students Will Learn

Freight and Transportation

History of Transportation
Industry and Market Scope
Freight and Equipment Types
Shipper Strategy and Objectives
Industry Players
Regulation and Liability

The Role of a 3PL Freight Broker

A Broker's Role
The Sales Process
Rate and Negotiation
Sourcing Capacity
Load Operations

Sales

Establishing Your Service Value
Managing Your Territory
Gaining Customer Interest
Gaining Customer Commitment
Negotiating Throughout the Sales Opportunity

Customer Service and Retention

Applying Customer Service Foundations
Managing Your Workflow
Taking Care of Customers
Dealing With Challenging Customer Interactions
Progressing to Leadership

Effective Business and Sales Communication

Crafting Effective Business Communication
Crafting Emails and Other Electronic Communication
Crafting Common Business Documents
Crafting a Business Letter
Crafting a Business Proposal

Soft Preferred Candidate Skills

Time Management
- Goal Setting
- Energy Allocation
- Managing Time Effectively
Interpersonal Communication
- Interacting With Peers
- Building Positive Relationships
- Communicating With Supervisors
- Communicating With Shippers and Carriers
- Communicating Throughout Conflict/Change
Emotional Intelligence
- Personal Intelligence in the Workplace
- Increasing Social Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace
- Practicing Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

Companies Interested?

Our company partners are often organizations looking to reduce turnover costs, improve productivity and ramp up new employees more quickly. Many companies are also looking for continuing education opportunities for their beginner to intermediate employees.

If you are interested in partnering with UTC and utilizing the Freight Broker Professional Program as an additional recruiting avenue, a way to increase retention or as an alternate training avenue, schedule a partner call or email [email protected].

Meet the Instructors

Mike Beckwith

Mike Beckwith is an innovative and strategic sales leader with over 10 years of experience in the logistics and supply chain industry.

Mike is currently the Branch Manager and Director of Sales for BlueGrace Logistics, a hyper-growth, third-party logistics provider (3PL) headquartered in Tampa, Florida. In this role, he focuses on successfully building sales and operations teams with a solutions-centric approach.

His in-depth knowledge of his customers' needs—combined with a passion for developing and maintaining strong relationships centered on trust—allows Mike the opportunity to streamline business operations including financial controls, budgets, strategic planning, performance measurement and employee development.

In his free time, Mike is an avid hunter. He also enjoys fishing, rafting and camping any chance he gets.

Brandon Clift

A former Australian Representative Men's Competitive Gymnast, Brandon Clift has utilized his experiences as an elite athlete, leader and businessman to coach professionals and companies to achieve greater performance within their teams and overall culture.

Brandon embarked on a less traditional business journey by leaving business school to open, build and sell his first company, which was voted #1 in his city, and resulted in his nomination for Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017.

He then relocated to Chattanooga, where he and his wife, Christine, enjoy mountain biking and are avid travelers. They also welcomed their first child, Bindi, in November.

Brandon's greatest passion is working in the men's mental health field. As the National Enrollment Coordinator for the ManKind Project (501c), his role is to remove cultural and structural barriers so that men from all backgrounds can find community, support and deeper meaning in life.

Ryan Fugate

Ryan Fugate is a dedicated family man, business consultant and serial entrepreneur. He believes that everyone has a unique story and expertise. His goal is to elevate and inspire others to be the hero of their journey.

Ryan earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from UTC, a master's degree in business administration (healthcare administration emphasis) from Bryan College and a Digital Marketing Strategist certification from DigitalMarketer. He has over a decade of successful business development and management experience in the healthcare and nonprofit industries. Ryan is currently the founder and digital marketing strategist of Four Bridges Creative. In this role, he helps companies find new ways to reach their audience through digital platforms.

Above all, Ryan is a proud husband to his phenomenal wife, Cortney, and father to his two courageous boys, Brett and Benjamin. You can usually find him on the local hiking trails or catching the newest Marvel movie on opening night.