A freight brokerage company's job is all about logistics. The broker liaises between manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors to ensure safe and punctual transportation of goods to the designated destination point of resale and profit on the transactions is known as freight brokerage. As a profession, it has its origins at the early part of the last century as licensed brokers are either companies or individuals, and the companies which contract them may rely wholly on them for their shipping needs, thus doing away with the need for a department of their own. There are currently about four thousand licensed freight brokerage companies in the U.S., although only about half work as such full time. When choosing a freight brokerage company, bear this point in mind. Check carefully, because for-hire motor carrier authority is not the same thing and multiple transportation modes are a must. Three should be alternatives available if anything goes wrong during the operation so how does the freight brokerage company choose its carriers? Their selection criteria are very important because not all carriers are equally trustworthy or reliable. The lines of communication are vital in this industry so ask freight brokerage companies how they match loads to carriers, how they confirm correct pick-up and even view a selection of correspondence. There are useful resources listing freight companies according to twelve categories: companies are listed in up to twelve different categories: Freight Companies, Common Carriers, Shipping Companies, Trucking Companies, Motor Freight, Freight Services,Truck Load Freight, Furniture Shipping,Rail Freight and Special Freight Services. All the listed freight carriers have negotiated some kind of discount with such directories. The first couple of years of any new business are fraught with problems and cash flow difficulties while an established company has proved its worth. If you do not know much about a freight brokerage company, use this as your basic criterion.