Getting Started with Freight Brokerage Automation: Five Steps to an Efficient Broker Back Office

Freight broker software has evolved rapidly as the logistics industry has become more competitive. At the end of 2024, there were more than 25,000 brokerages fighting for freight. In order to stand out in such a crowded field, freight brokerages must adopt new technologies to streamline operations and enhance service — and increase revenue. 

One of the most transformative technologies available to freight brokerages today is automation. By automating time-consuming and error-prone processes, freight brokerages can significantly reduce operational inefficiencies and better serve customers — and improve the bottom line. 

Using automation to create an efficient freight brokerage back office can be easy— if businesses partner with the right freight broker software provider. 

Drumkit has the automation tempo down right. With Drumkit, freight brokers can be in perfect rhythm with their customers while automating routine tasks, enhancing communication, and scaling operations — and making more money.

Five Steps to Freight Brokerage Automation

Freight brokerage is inherently a complex business, requiring brokers to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously as loads move around the globe in the air and on highways, rails, and oceans. Most of these tasks, like rate quoting, shipment tracking, and customer communication, have traditionally been done manually. This manual approach often leads to inefficiencies, delays, and errors — and can result in lost business. 

Automation offers a powerful solution to freight brokers’ daily challenges. By taking advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) to automate routine processes, freight brokers can increase operational efficiency, minimize errors, and provide better service to customers. Automation tools can handle everything from rate quotes and shipment updates to tracking and documentation, freeing up freight brokers to focus on higher-level tasks like customer relationship management.

Drumkit has the steps down pat for freight brokerages to successfully integrate automation into their operations.

Step 1: Evaluate Current Back-Office Processes

While freight brokers are juggling multiple tasks, customers are expecting faster, more transparent, and more accurate service. Managing large volumes of work and customer pressures without automation puts immense strain on resources — and business relationships. 

The first step to automation is understanding where freight brokerage teams spend the most time and where workload bottlenecks and errors frequently occur. Evaluate current back-office processes by identifying time-consuming manual tasks and assessing the areas that could benefit from automation. Common tasks to examine include:

• Load Building. Manually matching shipments to carriers can be slow and prone to inefficiencies.
• Communication. Constantly sending emails manually, following up on updates, and confirming details with shippers and carriers is inefficient and prone to mistakes and missed information.
• Data Entry. Manually entering data from various sources into disparate systems can lead to inaccuracies and data duplication.

By analyzing these processes and using data to pinpoint inefficiencies, businesses can identify which tasks should be automated first. This will set the stage for creating a more streamlined and efficient back office.

Step 2: Choose the Right Automation Tools

Once processes have been evaluated, the automation tools that align with business needs can be identified. It’s essential to choose solutions that integrate well with existing technology, such as a transportation management system (TMS) or customer relationship management (CRM). Drumkit offers seamless integration with all commonly used platforms in the logistics industry, making it easy to automate tasks without disrupting freight brokerages’ current workflow.

When evaluating tools, look for freight broker software features that will add the most value, including:

• Real-Time Tracking. Automating the tracking of shipments in real time enables up-to-the-minute updates for all stakeholders.
• Smart Replies: Using automation to send responses to common queries from customers, carriers, and shippers improves response times and reduces employees’ workloads.
• Load Management: Streamlining the process of assigning and tracking loads minimizes errors and delays and increases customer satisfaction.

Step 3: Start Small and Scale Gradually

Begin by automating a single process within freight brokerage operations that will have an immediate impact. For example, automating freight rate quotes or appointment scheduling can significantly reduce the time spent on manual tasks, while also improving accuracy. It will also immediately win employee support because that automated process will save them time and aggravation. 

Measure those improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and time savings. As the team becomes more comfortable with the automation tools — and more appreciative of them — businesses can gradually scale to more complex workflows, such as automating load building or real-time communication among brokers, shippers, and carriers.

Communication will be an important tool in a freight brokerage’s automation kit. The flow of information among brokers, shippers, and carriers is often hindered by communication bottlenecks. Whether it’s missed emails, delayed updates, or unclear instructions, poor communication can cause delays and increase the risk of costly mistakes. Automation can help bridge these gaps by ensuring that all parties receive the right information at the right time, reducing the need for constant back-and-forth.

Step 4: Train Teams for Success

Automation is a powerful tool, but it’s only effective if it’s used advantageously. Training freight brokers on how to use automation tools to their full capacity is crucial for a smooth transition. Provide hands-on training sessions and create process documentation for key workflows — or partner with a leading freight broker software provider that handles all training materials and facilitates onboarding.

It’s also important to emphasize that automation is not about replacing freight brokerage employees but enhancing their capabilities and making their jobs easier by taking tedious tasks off their plates. By automating repetitive tasks, freight brokers can focus on high-value activities like customer relationship management, contract negotiations, and strategic decision-making. 

Step 5: Monitor Performance and Optimize

Once automated solutions are in place, it’s important to continuously monitor performance and look for opportunities to further optimize. Use metrics to measure the impact of automation on various aspects of freight brokerage operations, such as:

• Processing Time. How much faster are tasks being completed since automation was introduced?
• Error Rates: Are there fewer mistakes in key areas like rate quoting and shipment updates?
• Customer Satisfaction: Are customers receiving faster responses and more accurate information?

Gather feedback from both employees and customers to assess the effectiveness of automation enabled through freight broker software. Use this feedback to make continuous improvements and take advantage of new features offered by automation tools.

Drumkit provides customers with tools for effectively analyzing performance metrics. Freight brokers can leverage these insights for strategic decision-making, as well as identification of additional automation opportunities available through freight broker software.

Perhaps the No. 1 benefit of automation for freight brokers is the laser-sharp visibility they gain. Drumkit facilitates real-time updates on load statuses and delivery timelines. Our integrated sidebar gives real-time visibility to load information across platforms. That visibility helps improve freight broker responsiveness and increase customer satisfaction. 

Our AI-powered automation features enable fast:

• Auto-replies to customer queries, reducing delays and improving service.
• Load building in TMSs, reducing human error and improving on-time performance.
• Track and trace, reducing blind spots and improving proactivity.
• Quote generation, reducing guesswork and improving accuracy.
• Appointment scheduling, reducing inefficiencies and improving time management. 

Automate Your Freight Brokerage Operations with Drumkit

Automation is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity for today’s freight brokerages. By automating key tasks, freight brokers can streamline their operations, reduce errors, and scale their businesses without compromising service quality. Drumkit is the leading solution for freight brokerage automation, offering a comprehensive suite of tools that integrates seamlessly with existing systems to enhance productivity and communication.

Drumkit is a cutting-edge freight brokerage automation solution designed to help brokers conquer back-office inefficiencies. Our freight broker software plugs directly into customers’ email inboxes and TMSs to automate workflows with AI.  

By integrating seamlessly with existing TMSs and CRMs platforms, Drumkit streamlines operations, automates workflows, and improves communication across all touchpoints in the supply chain. With Drumkit, freight brokers can enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and scale their operations while delivering exceptional service to customers.

With Drumkit, freight brokers can automate everything from rate quotes and load management to real-time tracking and customer communication. The result is a finely tuned back office, improved scalability, and increased customer satisfaction — and a healthy balance sheet. Drumkit can help freight brokerages modernize their operations and stay ahead of the competition.

Freight brokerage automation is not a fad; automation is a necessity to remain competitive. Freight brokers can successfully integrate automation into their operations and achieve greater efficiency, accuracy, and scalability with Drumkit as their trusted partner in this transformation.

If you’re ready to take the next step in modernizing your freight brokerage, book a demo with Drumkit today. 

Or meet us at an industry conference, including the upcoming Manifest in Las Vegas from Feb. 10 to 12. We’d love to connect.