Learn about the basics of operations management by taking a class online or at your school. Discover how this skill can benefit a variety of careers. 

Take an operations management class. 

Get an inside look (literally) at the world of shipping and receiving as a camera records the whole shipping process from inside a package. Does having a hand in this process interest you?

Explore how items from all over the world get to you.

Dive into this overview of a popular organizational philosophy and get started on your own system to up your productivity and start getting things done!

Practice getting organized!

Read an article about the typical responsibilities of a freight forwarder, included the other positions they work with and roadblocks they might encounter. Is this a career you're interested in?

Learn about a day in the life of a freight forwarder.

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

Freight Forwarders

Research rates, routings, or modes of transport for shipment of products. Maintain awareness of regulations affecting the international movement of cargo. Make arrangements for additional services, such as storage or inland transportation.

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Conventional

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Enterprising

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Realistic

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

Investigative

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Social

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.

Artistic

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

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.

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.

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

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.

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.

Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

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.

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Cargo and Freight Agents

Office and Administrative Support Occupations

Material Recording, Scheduling, Dispatching, and Distributing Workers

Negotiate shipping rates with freight carriers.

Arrange for special transport of sensitive cargoes, such as livestock, food, or medical supplies.

Arrange for applicable duties, taxes, or paperwork for customs clearance.

Inform clients of factors such as shipping options, timelines, transfers, or regulations affecting shipments.

Prepare shipping documentation, such as bills of lading, packing lists, dock receipts, or certificates of origin.

Prepare invoices or cost quotations for freight transportation.

Select shipment routes, based on nature of goods shipped, transit times, or security needs.

Calculate weight, volume, or cost of goods to be moved.

Arrange delivery or storage of goods at destinations.

Manufacturing resource planning MRP software

Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne

SAP software

Microsoft PowerPoint

Arcline ArcFreight

CargoWise ediEnterprise

Tailwind Management Systems Tailwind

TMW Enterprise Transportation Management Systems

Email software

Microsoft Outlook

IES Ecellerate

QuestaWeb TradeMaster QW

Microsoft Excel

Order management software

Microsoft Office software

Microsoft Word

Web browser software

Laptop computers

Multi-line telephone systems

Laser facsimile machines

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?

Every day

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?

How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?

How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

Constant contact with others

Contact with others most of the time

How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?

Deal With External Customers or the Public in General

More than half the time

How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams

Once a year or more but not every month

How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

Important

Number of hours typically worked in one week.

Freight Forwarders

Overview

Career

What Freight Forwarders Do

Other Job Titles Freight Forwarders May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Freight Forwarders

Overview

Career

What Freight Forwarders Do

Other Job Titles Freight Forwarders May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Freight Forwarders

Majors Related to Career