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Freight brokerage: Plan for upcoming cash needs

Check cash reserves, expected payments and upcoming expenses to estimate any shortfall.

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Freight brokerage / shipment economics
Plan for upcoming cash needs

Check cash reserves, expected payments and upcoming expenses to estimate any shortfall. Start with completed route logs, fuel receipts and delivery records. Each example below uses hypothetical values you can replace.

Step 01

Days of Operating Cash

Translate cash on hand into days of average operating payments.

Cash days = cash / (period payments / period days)

Show example inputs and result
Available unrestricted cash24,000
Operating payments in period36,000
Days in period90

Result: 60 days.

This excludes future receipts and uses historical average payments, so it differs from net-burn runway.

Open days of operating cash

Worked example · Input checks

Step 02

Cash Runway

Estimate the time until cash is exhausted under constant net burn.

Runway = available cash / (outflow − inflow)

Show example inputs and result
Available unrestricted cash50,000
Monthly cash outflow20,000
Monthly cash inflow15,000

Result: 10 months.

Profit recognition and payment dates differ. Use cash receipts and payments here, not invoice revenue alone.

Open cash runway

Worked example · Input checks

Step 03

Monthly Cash Projection

Model a constant monthly cash movement over an entered horizon.

Ending cash = opening cash + months × (receipts − payments)

Show example inputs and result
Opening cash20,000
Expected cash receipts15,000
Expected cash payments12,000
Projection horizon3 months

Result: 29,000 .

Payments may occur before receipts. Check a weekly cash schedule even when the month ends with positive cash.

Open monthly cash projection

Worked example · Input checks

Step 04

Working Capital Gap

Compare current assets with liabilities and a chosen buffer.

Surplus after buffer = current assets − current liabilities − desired buffer

Show example inputs and result
Current assets75,000
Current liabilities45,000
Desired additional liquidity buffer20,000

Result: 10,000 .

Inventory and receivables need conversion into cash. Review asset quality and payment timing separately.

Open working capital gap

Worked example · Input checks

Step 05

Largest Client Revenue Exposure

Measure the share of revenue dependent on one customer.

Revenue exposure = largest customer revenue / total revenue × 100

Show example inputs and result
Revenue from largest customer18,000
Total period revenue60,000

Result: 30 %.

Use the same reporting period. Revenue exposure does not directly measure profit or replacement probability.

Open largest client revenue exposure

Worked example · Input checks

Step 06

Expected Uncollected Revenue

Explore a collection-loss scenario before committing that cash.

Expected loss = credit revenue × uncollected share × (1 − recovery)

Show example inputs and result
Credit revenue exposed50,000
Expected uncollected share2 %
Expected recovery of unpaid amount10 %

Result: 900 .

The loss and recovery rates are entered assumptions. This is not an accounting-standard provision calculation.

Open expected uncollected revenue

Worked example · Input checks

Use the results in your plan

For a freight brokerage business, review carrier charges, admin time, and claim handling across the complete workflow. Use one consistent period and delivery unit: a shipment. Compare the assumptions with recorded outcomes after delivery, then update the estimate.

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