Do People Like Working for Freight Brokerages?

Glassdoor.com is a website that allows current and former employees to leave reviews on companies. We thought it’d be interesting to see what people say about freight brokerages.

1) TOTAL QUALITY LOGISTICS (TQL)

Founded in 1997, TQL is one of the country’s largest and most recognized freight brokerage firms, employing over 10,000 people. From nearly 5.2k reviews, the company has a current overall rating of 4.1 stars. 80% would refer the company to a friend, and 89% of reviewers approve of the CEO.

First, we have positive comments.

• The company has a laid-back feel.
• Uncapped commission means you can get out as much as you put in.
• There are many opportunities to grow and learn. 
• Free beer on Fridays.

Not bad. It’s clear from the comments that the work here is about grinding. Some people love the grind, but it may not be so appealing for others. 

So, let’s take a look at the negatives. 

• There’s a “frat house culture.”
• You’ll have no work/life balance. 
• You work at hunger wages.
• Inadequate or useless training with a limited amount of support from higher-ups. 

These comments show the other side of the coin when working for TQL. For example, a former employee says, “Work here if you want lasting workplace trauma.” Harsh. 

Overall, current and former TQL employees seem to agree that you’ll learn a lot really fast about the logistics industry if you can fit into their specific brand of hustle culture. 

2) STEAM LOGISTICS

Steam Logistics is a brokerage based out of Chattanooga. Founded in 2012, the company has around 1000 employees. Out of 35 reviews, the company holds a 3.6 overall rating. 63% of reviewers would recommend the company to a friend. 

On the positive side:

• Management is supportive and approachable. 
• They care about the people on their teams. 
• You’ll learn a lot and grow in your career.
• Free booze on Fridays.

Positive reviewers had a lot of things to say about the company culture and work environment, but the negative reviews looked at it differently.

The negatives: 

• The management team should be gutted.
• The company is trying to grow slowly, and retention needs to improve.
• Employees get bullied and harassed.  
• The pay is terrible. 

Steam has some pretty contradictory reviews. For example, one former employee does make a bold accusation saying, “CEO Bribes Employees for Positive Reviews.” We’re not sure how much truth there is to that, but just something to think about. 

3) NOLAN TRANSPORTATION GROUP

Atlanta-based Nolan Transportation Group was founded in 2005 and has around 1600 employees. They have an overall rating of  3.4 stars. 61% recommend the company to a friend, and 70% approve of the CEO. 

A closer look at the good: 

• The people are great and supportive.
• NTG has a fun, casual work environment. 
• You can work from home. 
• There’s potential for a lot of growth within the company.

Many positive comments talked about the great benefits of working here: great PTO, clear pathways for promotion, and remote/flexible work. Sounds like a dream, right? Well…

The bad commentary: 

• The internal structure of the company is all over the place.
• There’s a lot of micromanaging.
• You won’t actually be able to work from home as much as you think. 
• Impossible to reach unrealistic goals for promotion. 

Helicopter managers were a frequent complaint. “They micromanage the hell out of you. Boss breathing over your shoulder, literally,” a current employee writes.  

4) MoLo SOLUTIONS

MoLo Solutions is a brokerage firm headquartered in Chicago with around 600 employees. MoLo has a rating of 3.9 stars from 73 reviews. 63%  would recommend them to a friend, and 87% approve of the CEO. 

What the positive ratings say:

• MoLo has a great culture and work environment.
• They care about the well-being of their employees.  
• Training for new hires is strong, and they grow quickly within the company. 
• The higher-ups are accessible and easy to approach with problems. 

The reviews bring up the fact that the company was under a merger, and it wasn’t an easy shift. However, many negative reviews expressed a feeling that things have changed for the worse. 

The opposing views:

• The rules are different for different people leading to confusion. 
• Employees are overworked and burn out fast. 
• Lack of trust and collaboration between employees–have to watch your back.
• No real support from management.

Interestingly, MoLo’s VP of Talent, Meghan Savel, leaves lengthy and frequent feedback on both positive and negative comments. The responses aren’t just stock replies, either. So, they deserve some credit for that.

5) ARRIVE LOGISTICS

Founded in 2014, Arrive Logistics is a more prominent firm that employs around 2000 people. Out of 389 reviews, the company has a 3.5 rating on Glassdoor. 59% recommend Arrive to a friend, and 82% approve of the CEO. 

High ratings say 

• The company culture is great.
• There’s free food on Mondays and Fridays.
• Many growth opportunities are available. 
• An excellent way to get your foot in the door of the industry.

A lot of the positive reviews were short and sweet, a couple of sentences at most, so they can come off a bit generic. But, of course, negative reviewers had a lot more to say.

The low points:

• Long hours without breaks are a requirement. 
• Managers set unreachable goals and deal out punishments when unmet. 
• A stressful work environment. 
• There’s a high turnover rate. 

Arrive also replies to their Glassdoor feedback, but they’re all a bit generic, with a request to email them if you’d like to speak to someone directly. 

COMPANY FACEOFF

• TQL wins highest overall with a 4.1-star rating.
• MoLo comes in second at 3.9 but gets brownie points for giving accurate responses.
• Steam has the fewest but most polarizing ratings from just 33 people.
• NTG has the lowest-rated CEO with a 70% approval.
• Arrive employees are the least likely to recommend the company to a friend at 59%.