Shipper
Tenders freight for transportation. Supplies the pickup information, commodity and shipment instructions.
Who is sending the freight?
30-day intensive / Lesson 01
Welcome to the US freight industry.
Day 1 establishes how freight moves, who takes responsibility and why clear communication matters. Work through the foundational lesson, practice English and test your understanding.
DAY 01 / 30FoundationInteractive learning preview
01 / The freight journey
Who moves a shipment?
Imagine a manufacturer in Illinois needs to deliver goods to a warehouse in Texas. A shipper tenders the freight, an authorized broker may arrange a carrier, and a driver transports the load. The consignee receives it. A dispatcher may coordinate the carrier's scheduling and updates. Different businesses combine these roles in different ways.
SHIPPER
BROKER
CARRIER
CONSIGNEE
Illustrative shipment workflow. Some shippers work with carriers directly.
02 / Meet the people
Four essential roles.
Freight Broker
Arranges the transportation between a shipper and an authorized carrier. Must operate with appropriate authority.
Who arranges the capacity?
Motor Carrier
Actually transports the freight using a truck and its driver. Has responsibility for the transportation service.
Who moves the freight?
Dispatcher
Coordinates equipment availability, carrier-side communication, pickup and delivery appointments, route considerations and shipment updates.
Who coordinates the trip?
03 / Logistics English
Language for your first call.
Read each sentence aloud. Focus on clear meaning, numbers and time zones. The voice coach is planned; this exercise works without recording or AI services.
Shipper
Please confirm the pickup address and appointment.
Carrier
The carrier has an available dry van.
Dispatcher
The dispatcher will confirm the driver's ETA.
Consignee
The consignee receives the freight.
Freight broker
The broker has sent the rate confirmation.
Example / Check call
Dispatcher: Good afternoon. I'm calling with an update on load 2048.
Broker: Thank you. What's the driver's ETA?
Dispatcher: The current ETA is 2:30 PM Central. I'll update you if anything changes.
04 / Test what you learned
Knowledge check · 5 questions.
Select one answer for each question. Your result is calculated on this page only and is not saved as official course progress.