Best Freight Brokers for Small Businesses

NTG offers a variety of high-performing features that other brokers don’t. Though it wasn’t the cheapest option we evaluated, this added functionality helped boost it to the top of our rankings.

NTG delivers the following services and features:

• Shipping: Services include less-than-load (LTL), strategic full truckload (FTL), final mile, dry van, flatbed, refrigerated, and drayage shipping— plus power-only and drop trailer capacity.
• Carrier network: NTG connects shippers with its database of 100+ vetted LTL carriers and 80,000+ logistics partners in total.
• Discounts: Users receive significant savings on quotes from the company’s partnered carriers, thanks to volume discounts and negotiated pricing.
• Customer service: Support staff is available by phone or email, and service is highly rated.
• Startup-friendliness and scalability: Whether you have one shipment or 10 dozen shipments in its system, NTG delivers account management-level service at every step. The company also works with any client, regardless of shipment frequency.
• Cloud-based freight hub and TMS: NTG’s platform provides a central repository for freight information, load history, freight quotes, GPS truck tracking, shipment tracking, bill payment, and more. The online-based system gives insight into previous, pending, and future loads and enables users to access information at any time and place.
• Vendor management: NTG offers inbound vendor management solutions to help clients manage their inbound freight processes, such as shipment tracking, bills settling, and more.
• Reporting: Online analysis tools allow NTG’s clients to view their shipping data and create customized reports, including financial insight.

In our pricing test, this broker returned a quote with four options.

The lowest price in the NTG (formerly FrieghtPros) quote was slightly more expensive than our other two recommended brokers, but more cost-effective than other competing brokerages—and significantly cheaper than booking freight services through carriers directly.

The email I received states that insuring the load for its full value will cost an additional $25.

In addition to its high-performing features and economical pricing, NTG’s ease of use is one of the top reasons we recommend it. Here are the contributing factors:

• Vetted carriers: All of NTG’s partnered LTL movers are vetted by a thorough process that checks multiple resources: DAT and ITS online carrier databases, FMCSA safety rating, CSA (compliance, safety, and accountability) history through the DOT, and the carrier’s available hauling history. This ensures your load will be delivered safely and reliably—without the need to put your own time into researching the hired carrier.
• Customer support: Support is available by phone or email Mon-Thurs 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. Central time, and Fri 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Central time.
• Consultative approach: The company’s “service-first” approach grants each client access to dedicated sales, solutions, account management, and billing teams. A major objective of these teams is to provide tailored solutions and consultative support.
• Payments: NTG lets users open a billing account to pay via check, or users can pay via credit card per shipment or statement. It supports net 15 billing for select customers—which means full payment is due in 15 days after the invoice date.
• Online resources: A host of informative demos, blog posts, e-books and state guides is available to clients to help them ship smarter. Staff members also make themselves available by phone or email to answer any freight-related questions.

NTG’s network of carriers pales in comparison to that of uShip—which connects shippers with 788,000 movers. This is likely why NTG returned a quote with four service options, while uShip presented 15.

The company’s online platform doesn’t allow users to instantly generate quotes, so it involves an amount of waiting that could potentially cause pricing fluctuations or issues with urgent needs.

NTG’s online reputation is primarily negative, with many user ratings containing 1-star reviews.

Shippers report that NTG frequently cancels shipments multiple days after quoting and accepting the load. Other reviews mention inaccurate shipment info and a general lack of organization.

Positive reviews for NTG cite excellent customer service from carrier reps as well as diligent processes.

Trustpilot: 2.5-star rating from 170+ reviews
BBB: 1-star rating from 5+ reviews

Redhawk Logistics offers the following services and features:

• Shipping: Redhawk Logistics brokers LTL freight, as well as truckload, intermodal, drayage, van line, heavy haul, climate-controlled, and flatbed shipping.
• Carrier network: Redhawk connects shippers with its database of 50+ vetted carriers.
• Discounts: Users get access to significant savings from the company’s database of qualified and vetted freight carriers, thanks to volume discounts and negotiated partnerships.
• Distribution warehousing: Redhawk has a 185,000-square-foot warehouse strategically located in Columbus, Ohio, and offers sort-store-repack services.
• TMS: The company’s advanced, web-based TMS and routing platform allows you to control, route, and manage your freight from anywhere, with helpful analytics and reporting features
• Tracking: Users can easily track their shipments with Redhawk Logistics’ web-based application.

My quote request with Redhawk returned a healthy variety of bids, including one as low as $345.40. Redhawk factors the value of your load into its carrier recommendations and builds each quote to include insurance.

All in all, Redhawk is an incredibly cost-effective option for brokering freight, especially for small businesses. The cost of warehousing and/or distribution services through the company is determined on a custom basis.

Redhawk Logistics is very easy to use. It doesn’t require independent research to ensure your load is in good hands, and the company offers plenty of resources to help shipping beginners. Here are more of the contributing factors:

• Customer service: Staff provide support and management assistance through phone or email Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Eastern time. Small accounts can use an account rep to assist as needed or be self-managed, but turnkey 3PL management services with dedicated reps are also available.
• Startup-friendliness and scalability: Redhawk has no minimum frequency or volume requirement to use its services; it also offers contractual pricing for frequent shippers and the benefit of nationwide distribution.
• Online resources: Helpful calculator tools, glossaries, FAQ posts, written guides, and regulation directories are available on the company’s website.
• Vetted carriers: All of Redhawk’s partnered movers are vetted, although the company does not publish its screening process.

Redhawk Logistics pulls quotes from a carrier database that is significantly smaller than our other recommended brokers.

It also falls short of NTG and uShip in its tech offerings. Redhawk doesn’t provide users with a mobile app, and its TMS isn’t as developed as that of NTG.

Redhawk has a fine reputation with its users, and many positive reviews describe utmost satisfaction.

A common theme in Redhawk review is the staff’s impeccable work ethic, professionalism, and usefulness. Most of the negative reviews don’t include a useful description, but the few that do revolve around billing issues.

Google Business Listing: 3.8-star rating from 32 reviews
BBB: 0 complaints filed

uShip offers the following services and features:

• Shipping: Transport service categories include less-than-truckload (LTL) freight, truckload (TL or FTL) freight, vehicle and boat, household items, home or office moves, heavy/industrial equipment, and animals.
• Discounts: Users receive negotiated rates from certain carriers, as well as deeply discounted pricing from the website’s freight exchange service.
• Customer service: Support staff is available by phone or email and is highly rated.
• Freight exchange: uShip has standard brokerage and freight exchange options, so you can list your freight and review multiple bids.
• Mobile app: uShip can be used on your web browser as well as on the go with the iOS or Android uShip app. The app allows you to create listings, review bids, communicate with your driver, get important status alerts, and make payments.
• Tracking: Users can track shipments at any stage through the uShip website or mobile app, and enroll in push notifications for pickup and delivery.
• Insurance: While most brokers can set you up with insurance through the hired carrier, uShip offers all-risk cargo insurance with coverage for direct physical loss and/or damage. This direct relationship can speed up payouts on claims, and it’s backed by Lloyd’s of London. Plus, uShip offers a “Ship With Confidence” guarantee that pays out a percentage of lost or damaged goods—up to $500.

uShip returned 11 quotes for my sample request—which is much more than many of the other providers we evaluated. These quotes did not list the cost to insure the load.

The lowest-cost option is from the same carrier as my quotes from Redhawk and NTG, but with one major difference—the estimated delivery time is four to eight days rather than four days.

Delivery dates displayed on quotes are estimates, not guarantees. Standard freight deliveries can take a day or two longer than published times and not be considered late—this is the norm in the freight industry.

That range of time means the shipment could potentially take as many as 10 business days to be delivered. This concept applies to uShip as a whole—it’s a cost-effective option, but the savings often comes along with stipulations.

uShip’s interface makes it simple to get a freight quote and book services—but on the whole, it isn’t as easy to use as our other options. For that reason, it’s best for savvy shippers and those seeking freight service on a tight budget.

• Unvetted carriers: When using any freight exchange, you’re drawing from a pool of movers who may or may not be licensed and trustworthy professionals. It’s still possible to make sure your load stays in good hands, but using uShip requires a bit of research of your own (since its carriers aren’t vetted).
• Customer service: uShip’s customer support is available by phone or email Monday-Thursday 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Central time, Friday 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Central time, and Saturday 10 a.m.-4p.m. Central time.
• Payments: Most shippers pay through “uShip Payments,” the company’s secure processor that holds the payment until you release it post-delivery. Services totaling $5,000 or more can be paid directly to the provider, with a booking deposit.
• Startup-friendliness: The platform is designed to be used by individuals as well as businesses who ship at any frequency, so it’s a good choice for startups and young ventures.
• Lack of scalability: uShip lacks some of the benefits and services that volume shippers may need as they grow. We recommend forming a relationship with an asset-based broker as your business approaches a regular shipping cadence.

As mentioned above, uShip doesn’t screen the carriers you’ll find on its site, like our other picks do. This can (and sometimes does) lead to poor service and scams, and it’s the biggest drawback of the platform—although uShip’s direct insurance offering helps mitigate the risk.

uShip is a popular platform with a wealth of online reviews—most of which are positive. Reviewers frequently cite the support team as being responsive and quick to resolve issues, and some users describe uShip as the Airbnb of shipping.

A surprising number of uShip’s reviews are posted by users warning others of scams on the website. The public marketplace-format of the platform makes it susceptible to scammers and fraud, which should be noted when navigating the freight exchange feature.

The site has its share of complaints, most of which stem from failed service from untrustworthy carriers.

Trustpilot: 4.4-star rating from 10,000+ reviews
BBB: 41 complaints filed