Freight forwarders research rates, routings, or modes of transport for shipment of products. Maintain awareness of regulations affecting the international movement of cargo. Make arrangements for additional services, such as storage or inland transportation.
Calculate weight, volume, or cost of goods to be moved.
Inform clients of factors such as shipping options, timelines, transfers, or regulations affecting shipments.
Prepare shipping documentation, such as bills of lading, packing lists, dock receipts, or certificates of origin.
Provide shipment status notification to exporters, consignees, or insurers.
Verify proper packaging and labeling of exported goods.
Prepare invoices or cost quotations for freight transportation.
Select shipment routes, based on nature of goods shipped, transit times, or security needs.
Keep records of goods dispatched or received.
Consolidate loads with a common destination to reduce costs to individual shippers.
Monitor or record locations of goods in transit.
Reserve necessary space on ships, aircraft, trains, or trucks.
Negotiate shipping rates with freight carriers.
Arrange delivery or storage of goods at destinations.
Verify adherence of documentation to customs, insurance, or regulatory requirements.
Determine efficient and cost-effective methods of moving goods from one location to another.
Pay or arrange for payment of freight or insurance fees or other charges.
Make arrangements with customs brokers to facilitate the passage of goods through customs.
Recommend or arrange appropriate merchandise packing methods, according to climate, terrain, weight, nature of goods, or costs.
Maintain current knowledge of relevant legislation, political situations, or other factors that could affect freight shipping.
Provide detailed port information to importers or exporters.
Arrange for special transport of sensitive cargoes, such as livestock, food, or medical supplies.
Obtain or arrange cargo insurance.
Complete customs paperwork.
Arrange for applicable duties, taxes, or paperwork for customs clearance.
Refer exporters to experts in areas such as trade financing, international marketing, government export requirements, international banking, or marine insurance.
Assist clients in obtaining insurance reimbursements.
Analyze shipping routes to determine how to minimize environmental impact.
Arrange for transport, using a variety of modes, such as rail, short sea shipping, air, or roadways, to minimize carbon emissions or other environmental impacts.
Consider environmental sustainability factors when determining merchandise packing methods.
Recommend shipping solutions to minimize cost or environmental impacts.
Review the environmental records of freight carriers to inform shipping decisions.
Work Context
Telephone — 100% responded "Every day".
Electronic Mail — 96% responded "Every day".
Time Pressure — 79% responded "Every day".
Contact With Others — 84% responded "Constant contact with others".
Spend Time Sitting — 71% responded "Continually or almost continually".
Frequency of Decision Making — 76% responded "Every day".
Work With Work Group or Team — 69% responded "Extremely important".
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 66% responded "Extremely important".
Structured versus Unstructured Work — 53% responded "A lot of freedom".
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
Performing Administrative Activities — Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Transportation
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Geography
Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Clerical
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Law and Government
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Economics and Accounting
Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Information Ordering
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Mathematical Reasoning
The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Category Flexibility
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Written Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Number Facility
The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Speech Recognition
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Perceptual Speed
The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Selective Attention
The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
