Export Freight Clerk
Inside a freight forwarder, exporter, or carrier export office, you handle the clerical work behind export shipments — documentation, AES filings, customer support, and the steady cadence of paperwork that export operations generate.
What it's like to be a Export Freight Clerk
Days tend to revolve around export-document preparation, AES filing, and customer-and-carrier coordination — preparing commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin; submitting Electronic Export Information through AES; supporting senior coordinators with steady document work; fielding customer questions about shipment status. Documents prepared cleanly, AES filings accurate, and turnaround time shape the visible measures.
What gets demanding is the AES and BIS-related accuracy — missed or wrong filings can trigger fines, and even at the clerical level the work carries regulatory weight. Variance across employers is wide: high-volume export operations run with specialized clerical roles and mature systems; smaller operations have export clerks wearing broader hats including booking and customer service.
The role tends to fit folks who carry steady detail orientation, comfort with regulatory-driven document work, and patient phone presence for customer and carrier interactions. CCS credentials anchor advancement. The trade-off is the modest pay at the clerk rung balanced by clear progression into export coordinator or specialist roles for those who learn the broader function.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
How this category is changing
Skills & Requirements
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