« Freight Pricing & Margin Management »

Course Overview

This course teaches the financial and operational behaviors behind effective freight pricing—covering cost structures, margin targets, customer segmentation, and strategies for both tight and loose markets.

Who It’s For

Brokers
Pricing teams
Carrier sales
Revenue management roles

What You’ll Learn

Cost structures for carriers and brokers

Building rate models

Margin strategies for different market environments

Customer segmentation and profitability scoring

Real-world pricing scenarios

Course Outcomes

Students will leave able to:

Price freight with confidence

Manage margin under pressure

Apply pricing frameworks consistently

Evaluate the profitability of relationships and lanes

Modules & Lessons

Module 1

Cost Per Mile Deep Dive

Understanding carrier cost structures and operating economics
Fixed vs variable cost components in transportation pricing
Translating carrier cost per mile into broker rate strategy

Module 2

Broker Margin Mechanics

Gross margin vs contribution margin in brokerage operations
How brokers structure spreads between shipper rate  and carrier rate
Risk management when market rates shift during shipment execution

Module 3

Dynamic Pricing Models

Spot market pricing vs contract pricing structures
Market signals that influence freight rates and capacity pricing
Adjusting brokerage pricing strategies during market cycles

Module 4

Customer and Lane Profitability

Evaluating shipper profitability by lane and freight characteristics
Identifying high-margin vs operationally risky freight
Building a brokerage portfolio of profitable freight lanes

Module 5

Scenario Based Pricing Lab

Rate building exercises based on real market conditions
Margin scenario analysis for volatile freight markets
Building pricing strategies for competitive brokerage environments

Assessment

Students will complete:

Pricing simulation exercise
Margin strategy case study

These assessments evaluate the ability to build profitable  pricing structures within real freight scenarios.

Certification Alignment

Completion of this course contributes toward the Certified Broker Specialist (CBS) designation.

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