How to become a Cargo and Freight Agent

Official title: Cargo and Freight Agents

Also called: Air Export Specialist, Drop Shipment Clerk, Freight Broker, Intermodal Dispatcher, International Coordinator, Load Planner, Logistics Coordinator, Logistics Service Representative, Ship Broker, Traffic and Documentation Clerk

Expedite and route movement of incoming and outgoing cargo and freight shipments in airline, train, and trucking terminals and shipping docks. Take orders from customers and arrange pickup of freight and cargo for delivery to loading platform. Prepare and examine bills of lading to determine shipping charges and tariffs.

Main tasks

• Negotiate and arrange transport of goods with shipping or freight companies.
• Determine method of shipment and prepare bills of lading, invoices, and other shipping documents.
• Track delivery progress of shipments.
• Advise clients on transportation and payment methods.
• Estimate freight or postal rates and record shipment costs and weights.
• Keep records of all goods shipped, received, and stored.
• Notify consignees, passengers, or customers of freight or baggage arrival and arrange for delivery.
• Retrieve stored items and trace lost shipments as necessary.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Cargo and Freight Agent (Nof).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $52,260 a year The middle half earn $45,710 to $63,390.
• About 100,300 people work in this job now, and about 106,400 are projected by 2035. (+6.2%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Freight Forwarders
• Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping
• Couriers and Messengers
• Public Safety Telecommunicators
• Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
• Meter Readers, Utilities

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Cargo and Freight Agent?

Ways in include: Cargo and Freight Agent (Nof).

How much does a Cargo and Freight Agent earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $52,260 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $45,710 to $63,390.

Is a Cargo and Freight Agent a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 100,300 to about 106,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Cargo and Freight Agent?

Usually not. Only 24% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Cargo and Freight Agent (Nof).

Will AI change the work of a Cargo and Freight Agent?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.