Air Broker Duties & Responsibilities
The role and function of an Air Broker includes the following duties and responsibilities:
- Negotiating contracts, transportation and handling costs;
- Acting as broker in customs negotiations worldwide to guide the freight efficiently through complex procedures;
- Arranging appropriate packing, taking account of climate, terrain, weight, nature of goods and cost, and the delivery and warehousing of goods at their final destination;
- Dealing with special arrangements for transporting delicate cargoes, such as livestock, food and medical supplies;
- Arranging courier and specialist hand-carry services;
- Working closely with customers, colleagues and third parties to ensure smooth operations to deadlines;
- Obtaining, checking and preparing documentation to meet customs and insurance requirements, packing specifications, and compliance with overseas countries’ regulations and fiscal regimes;
- Acting as a consultant in customs matters;
- Maintaining current knowledge of relevant legislation, political situations and other factors that could affect the movement of freight.
- Utilizing e-commerce, internet technology and satellite systems to enable real-time tracking of goods;
- Arranging air transport for urgent and high-value freight and managing the risk door to door;
- Arranging charters for large volume, out-of-gauge or project movements by air;
- Maintaining communication and control through all phases of the journey, including the production of management reports and statistical and unit cost analysis;
- Liaising with third parties to move goods (by air) in accordance with customer requirements;
- Arranging insurance and assisting the client in the event of a claim;
- Offering tailored IT solutions and electronic data interchange (EDI) connections;
- Arranging payment of freight and other charges or collection of payment on behalf of the client;
Note that this is not an exhaustive list of Air Broker duties and responsibilities. Job functions for specific Air Broker roles may vary, depending on the industry and type of employer.