Can a freight forwarder or logistics broker use a freight exchange?

Yes. Freight forwarders and logistics brokers appear regularly on the shipper side of freight exchanges — posting loads they cannot place within their contracted carrier network on a specific lane, date, or vehicle type. The carrier booked through the exchange handles the physical movement. The forwarder's liability to the original shipper does not change — the exchange booking is a sub-contracting arrangement between the forwarder and the carrier, and the forwarder remains the contracting party to the shipper throughout.