What do they do?

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.

Also known as:

Air Export Specialist, Cargo Agent, Drop Shipment Clerk, Freight Broker, Freight Router, Intermodal Dispatcher, International Coordinator, Load Planner, Logistics Coordinator, Logistics Service Representative, Ship Broker, Traffic and Documentation Clerk, Transportation Broker

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Cargo and Freight Agents is projected to show little or no change from 2022 to 2032.

Projected Employment in OH

No Data Available
  • 0%

    Change

    Ranks #51 in job growth rate
    250

    Job Openings

    Ranks #19 in net job growth

Best colleges for Cargo and Freight Agents

Search

Colleges with the most graduates that become Cargo and Freight Agents

Search

Looking for colleges that offer a specific major? Use the College Match Tool to find your best-matched schools and discover your estimated Net Price!

Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • High school diploma equivalent  (32%)
  • Some college, no degree  (28%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (21%)
  • Associate's degree  (11%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (4%)
  • Master's degree  (3%)
  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Cargo and Freight Agents

Select Type of Degree:

People in this career often have these skills:

  • 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.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
  • Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
  • Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
  • Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Negotiate financial arrangements.
  • Coordinate operational activities.
  • Analyze shipping information to make routing decisions.
  • Track goods or materials.
  • Maintain operational records.
  • Recommend packing or shipping methods.
  • Arrange insurance coverage.
  • Calculate shipping costs.
  • Package objects for shipping.
  • Record shipping information.
  • Provide notifications to customers or patrons.
  • Verify shipping documentation.
  • Supervise clerical or administrative personnel.
  • Coordinate shipping activities with external parties.
  • Inspect items for damage or defects.
  • Inspect shipments to ensure correct order fulfillment.
  • Operate vehicles or material-moving equipment.
  • Enter information into databases or software programs.
  • Load materials or equipment.
  • Unload materials or equipment.
  • Assemble wood products.
  • Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
  • Manage clerical or administrative activities.
  • Attach identification information to products, items or containers.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.3 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

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

careeronestop logo Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.

College Raptor Loading Screen College Raptor Loading Screen