Your preferred broker

When you book a cross-border shipment, FreightSimple fills in your customs broker for you. If you've saved more than one, marking a preferred broker tells us which to use, and you can set a different one for US pickups and Canada pickups.

What a preferred broker does

Your preferred broker is filled in automatically on cross-border quotes and bookings. When we can fill it in for you, the customs broker step disappears from booking, one less screen to complete. The broker still shows on your quotes and review screen, so you can check it before you book.

How FreightSimple chooses

• One saved broker. It's used on every cross-border shipment, in both directions. You don't need to mark a preference, it's used automatically.
• Several saved brokers, with a preference set. We use the one that matches where the freight is picked up. A US pickup uses the broker marked United States Pickups. A Canada pickup uses the broker marked Canada Pickups. A broker marked All Shipments covers both.
• Several saved brokers, no preference set. We still fill one in, but which one isn't predictable, and it isn't necessarily the first one alphabetically.

Setting your preferred broker

1. Open your saved brokers

   Go to Manage Company → Customs Brokers.

2. Open the three-dot menu

   On the broker you want, open the three-dot menu at the top right of its card.

3. Choose Mark Preferred For

   Then pick one:

   • All Shipments
   • United States Pickups
   • Canada Pickups
   • None (clears the preference)

The broker's card then shows a badge, Preferred: All Shipments, Preferred: United States Pickups 🇺🇸, or Preferred: Canada Pickups 🇨🇦, so you can see at a glance which broker covers what.

Good to know

• One broker per direction. Marking a broker for US pickups clears that mark from whichever broker had it before. Each direction can only have one preferred broker.
• It applies to your whole company. Everyone on your account books with the same preferred brokers, and anyone can change them.
• It doesn't affect shipments already booked. Changing a preference only affects shipments you book from then on.
• Using a different broker just once? A preference is a default, not a rule. While booking, the broker appears on your quotes and review screen with a Change Broker link, use it to pick a different saved broker for that shipment only. Your preferred broker stays as it is.