Cargo and Freight Agents
What Cargo and Freight Agents 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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 1.2%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Transportationimportance 4.6/5
- Geographyimportance 4.5/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 4.0/5
- English Languageimportance 3.9/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.9/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.5/5
- Law and Governmentimportance 3.5/5
- Telecommunicationsimportance 3.4/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
- Telephone Conversations4.5/5
- Contact With Others4.5/5
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.4/5
- E-Mail4.2/5
- Spend Time Sitting4.2/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Public Safety Telecommunicators96% skill match
- Opticians, Dispensing95% skill match
- Animal Control Workers95% skill match
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education95% skill match
- Occupational Therapy Aides95% skill match
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners95% skill match
- Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials95% skill match
- Waiters and Waitresses95% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Negotiationimportance 3.1/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
- Persuasionimportance 2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.8/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Brokerage software
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Database software
- Email software
- Microsoft OneNote
- Posting software
- Transportation management software
- Transportation management system TMS software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Adaptability
- Cooperation
- Cautiousness
- Self-Control
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- ConventionalHigh
- EnterprisingMedium
- RealisticMedium
- SocialLow
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where cargo and freight agents make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Laredo, TX13.01× national avg
- 2Kahului-Wailuku, HI6.63× national avg
- 3Memphis, TN-MS-AR4.34× national avg
- 4Urban Honolulu, HI3.49× national avg
- 5Green Bay, WI3.39× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Order ClerksLateral Move
- Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel ClerksLateral Move
- Flight AttendantsCareer Change
- Public Safety TelecommunicatorsLateral Move
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
General Office Occupations and Clerical Services
- Sinclair Community College (Dayton, OH)grads earn ~$25,759
- Rio Salado College (Tempe, AZ)grads earn ~$50,135
- Central Georgia Technical College (Warner Robins, GA)grads earn ~$27,327
- Central Louisiana Technical Community College (Alexandria, LA)grads earn ~$19,082
- Pueblo Community College (Pueblo, CO)