Becoming an export agent in international road transport

Becoming an export agent in international road transport

Export agents hold a key position in international road transport companies and are responsible for the administrative supervision of import/export operations abroad. Their profession is a comprehensive combination of law, international trade, languages ​​and a touch of diplomacy. The work involved is rarely discussed, but nonetheless incredibly important.

Below you will find the job characteristics of an export agent or coordinator working in road transportation.

A comprehensive international training course

There are several trainings that can lead to a career as an export agent/coordinator. University or college training in the field of logistics (transport logistics), international trade or any training in a similar discipline is required. These are comprehensive studies that comprise transport law, customs and international agreements and all knowledge related to international road transport.

In technical terms, the job also requires a good command of the Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint), which is essential for the creation of charts and tables with advanced formulas. Finally, it is important for the future export agent to be perfectly bilingual in both written and oral English and French, especially if they decide to work in a road transport company that serves Canada and the United States.

Export agent tasks in international road transport

An export agent’s tasks are diverse and varied and comprise several areas. They are as much administrative as they are commercial.

One of the main job functions involves preparing the necessary documents for import/export abroad and customs declarations. Export agents check purchase orders, as well as track inventories and sales and production forecasts. They are responsible for tracking accounts receivable and verifying letters of credit issued by banks.

Their responsibilities on the export side are equally varied, as they must prepare shipping documents, track deliveries, validate each shipment’s freight, update the billing and shipping records and, above all, coordinate the shipment with the various partners.

As you can see, an export coordinator’s day is very busy!

Export agent skills in the road transport sector

To properly carry out their numerous tasks, export agents must be multi-skilled. They must have a sense of organization and know how to manage their priorities. They should be meticulous and attentive to detail. Often in direct contact with clients, they must be an excellent communicator in order to manage requests and rapidly and courteously respond to various needs. Often the sole person in their field within the company, they must be autonomous and demonstrate resourcefulness while having a strong team spirit.

An export agent may have to deal with different partners such as customs, insurance companies and others, which is why they must be a skilled negotiator in order to get the best deal for their customers.

Find a career in international road transport

As you can well imagine, a career as an export agent or coordinator is comprehensive! International road transport industry jobs are very diverse and there are many recruitment opportunities in the sector.

If you want to join the Transport Econo Nord team or simply get more information about your international shipments, please contact our company. We will be happy to answer you.