Cargo and Freight Agents

Transportation, Distribution and LogisticsO*NET 43-5011.00United States

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.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $52,268
Projected change: +10.4%
Typical education: Bachelor's degree
Employment: 104.61K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What cargo and freight agents do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

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.
Enter shipping information into a computer by hand or by a hand-held scanner that reads bar codes on goods.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $38,275
25th percentile: $45,672
50th percentile: $52,268
75th percentile: $63,403
90th percentile: $79,870

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $52,268 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+10.4%faster than average

2025104,612 jobs

2035 projected115,502 jobs

10,890 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Bachelor's degree: 30.8%
Some college: 19.2%
Certificate: 18.1%
Associate degree: 18.1%
High school diploma or less: 13.9%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Freight Brokerage
Invoicing
Lifting Ability
Warehousing
Loading And Unloading
Packaging And Labeling
Billing
Forklift Truck
Point Of Sale
Merchandising
Freight Forwarding
Supply Chain
Unpacking
Merchandise Management
Sensormatic
Sensors
Transportation Management Systems
Bill Of Lading
Pallet Jacks
Palletizing

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Freight Broker Agents865 postings
02Freight Coordinators370 postings
03Cargo Warehouse Agents265 postings
04Freight Agents197 postings
05Freight Specialists99 postings
06Transportation Brokers47 postings
07Air Freight Coordinators37 postings
08Shipping Specialists35 postings
09Cargo Customer Service Agents34 postings
10Shipping and Receiving Specialists34 postings
11Freight Clerks31 postings
12Freight Brokers28 postings
13Import Coordinators26 postings
14Air Freight Managers25 postings
15Ocean Import Coordinators23 postings
16Cargo Managers17 postings
17Freight Auditors16 postings
18Logistics Brokers16 postings
19Import/Export Coordinators15 postings
20Ocean Export Coordinators15 postings

Top employers

01Logistic Dynamics706 postings
02Buckle198 postings
03Worldwide Flight Services72 postings
04Swissport67 postings
05GPAC47 postings
06AppleOne33 postings
07Fret Terrestre Ups27 postings
08Air General24 postings
09Allen Lund Company23 postings
10Alliance Ground International20 postings
11Primeflight Aviation Services20 postings
12Southwest Airlines19 postings
13Boise Cascade16 postings
14Emi Group15 postings
15Fenix Parts15 postings
16C&A Trucking11 postings
17Challenger Motor Freight11 postings
18Delta Air Lines11 postings
19Geopaq Logic11 postings
20Pearce Worldwide Logistics11 postings

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