What Is a Freight Broker? How Brokers Differ from Carriers

Aug 26

4 min read

If you ship freight and you are not sure whether you need a carrier or a broker, you are not alone. Dispatchers, warehouse teams, and purchasing managers hear both words used as if they mean the same thing. They do not.

A freight broker matches your load with a licensed motor carrier. The broker does not own the truck and does not haul the freight. Xavier Logistics LLC is a freight brokerage founded in 2022 by Connor Maciag, owner and CEO. We are powered by Freight-Tec and operate as an agent of Freight Tec Management Group Inc, MC-147619, USDOT 179548.

This guide explains what a freight broker is, how a freight broker vs carrier comparison actually works, and how Xavier books trucks for shippers across the United States and Canada.

What is a freight broker?

A freight broker is an intermediary. You send pickup and delivery details, freight specs, and timing. The broker shops that load with motor carriers that have the equipment and authority to haul it, then books the truck and stays on the file while it moves.

Shippers use brokers when they do not want to maintain a private board of carrier relationships, when volume spikes, or when they need coverage in lanes they do not run every week. Xavier's strongest coverage is the Midwest and West Coast, with service throughout the U.S. and Canada.

You still own the freight decision. The broker's job is to find a legal truck, confirm the rate and the windows, and keep the shipment moving when something slips.

Freight broker vs carrier

A motor carrier is a trucking company. It owns or leases trucks, employs or contracts drivers, and holds motor carrier authority. The carrier is the company whose truck shows up at your dock.

A freight broker holds broker authority. The broker arranges transportation. Xavier Logistics LLC is not a motor carrier and does not own trucks. When we book your load, a separately licensed carrier hauls it.

That distinction matters for insurance, claims, and who is legally responsible for the highway move. If a company is vague about whether it is the truck or the broker on a given shipment, ask for the MC number and which authority will cover that load.

MC authority: who is allowed to haul

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issues different types of operating authority. Motor carrier authority for a trucking company is not the same as broker authority. A broker arranges transportation with carriers that already have the authority and insurance to haul.

Xavier Logistics LLC works as an agent of Freight Tec Management Group Inc, MC-147619, USDOT 179548. That is broker-side authority. We are not the truck. We book the truck.

If you are weighing freight broker vs carrier options, start here: do you need someone to haul, or someone to find and manage the haul? If you already have a contracted carrier you trust on a lane, you may go direct. If you need coverage, options, or a backup when your usual truck is full, you call a broker.

How Xavier Logistics books trucks

Connor Maciag handles dry van, partials, and expedited. Nick Cox, Director of Ops, handles reefer. Sibel Demiralp coordinates the file. You send origin, destination, pickup date, weight, commodity, and equipment type. We check windows, accessorials, and whether the freight should move as a full truck, a partial, LTL, or an expedited run.

Then we cover the load with a carrier, confirm the truck, and keep you updated. We do not invent capacity. We book it. That is the job of a freight brokerage.

Partials sit between LTL and a full truck. If you are deciding whether a partial is the right mode, read our complete guide to PTL shipping. For smaller shipments that can ride with other freight, see our LTL freight guide.

What you should expect from a broker

A useful broker does more than blast a load board. You should get:

One point of contact instead of calling a dozen dispatchers
Access to capacity you do not keep on contract
Help choosing mode: dry van, reefer, partial, LTL, or expedited
Tracking and problem-solving when a pickup slips or a receiver is behind

Xavier is a brokerage, not a warehouse network and not a fleet. If you need a truck, we find one. If expedited is the right call, we will say so. If a partial or LTL option is cheaper and still meets the delivery, we will say that too.

Two different companies named Xavier Logistics

Search results sometimes mix up two different companies.

Xavier Logistics LLC is the Orlando, Florida freight brokerage described on this site. Founded in 2022. Owner and CEO Connor Maciag. Agent of Freight Tec Management Group Inc, MC-147619, USDOT 179548. We do not own trucks.

Xavier Logistics Inc of Puyallup, Washington is a separate motor carrier, USDOT 4002816, MC-1504904. We are not affiliated with that company. If you are checking authority, match the legal name, city, and MC and USDOT numbers before you tender a load.

When a broker is the right call

Call a broker when you have a load that needs a truck and you want someone to cover it. Do not expect a freight brokerage to operate like a local cartage company running city routes with its own fleet. Xavier serves shippers across the United States and Canada.

Get a quote

Email Connor at cmaciag@freight-tec.com or call 513-259-3505. Include origin, destination, pickup date, weight, commodity, and whether you need dry van, reefer, a partial, LTL, or expedited.

Frequently asked questions

Is a freight broker the same as a carrier?

No. A carrier hauls the freight with its trucks and drivers. A freight broker arranges the move with a licensed carrier. Xavier Logistics LLC is a broker, not a motor carrier.

Does Xavier Logistics own trucks?

No. Xavier is not a motor carrier and does not own trucks. We book licensed carriers for dry van, reefer, partials, and expedited.

What MC authority does Xavier use?

Xavier Logistics LLC is an agent of Freight Tec Management Group Inc, MC-147619, USDOT 179548. That is the broker-side authority behind the loads we book.

Are you the Puyallup, Washington Xavier Logistics?

No. Xavier Logistics Inc in Puyallup, WA, USDOT 4002816 and MC-1504904, is an unrelated motor carrier. We are Xavier Logistics LLC, an Orlando freight brokerage.