Skills
Cargo Agent Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in cargo agents, and how to build and show them.
What skills do cargo agents need?
Cargo Agents need technical skills such as shipping documents, freight booking, and hazmat rules, plus people skills like attention to detail and communication. They also use tools such as Freight booking systems and Scales.
Technical (hard) skills
- Shipping documents
- Freight booking
- Hazmat rules
- Weights and dimensions
- Tracking systems
- Customs basics
People (soft) skills
- Attention to detail
- Communication
- Organization
- Calm under pressure
Tools, equipment and technology
- Freight booking systems
- Scales
- Dimensioners
- Scanners
- TMS
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how cargo agents put their skills to work:
- How to calculate dimensional weight
- How to check a dangerous goods shipment
- How to track down a delayed shipment
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Shipping documents” and “Freight booking.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “attention to detail,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as IATA Dangerous Goods near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our cargo agent glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Cargo Agent training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.