About Prominent Business Solutions, Inc.
We have spent decades implementing, modifying, and enhancing every one of our systems to manage your supply chain demands efficiently and effectively. Our integrated team approach puts the customer at the center of every solution — and every innovation.
Carriers
You get what you pay for. Prominent Business Solutions, Inc. pays higher than market rates to the carriers. We understand that in a world that all costs of operations are on a constant rise, we must offer fair rates to keep you on the road. Our normal terms are 7 days. We offer quick pay, ComChek advances and direct deposit.
Shippers
Shippers are more than just a customer. Shippers are the backbone of our company. We choose our customers carefully—shipping quality products that we proudly represent and holding values that align with our own. We offer competitive solutions to complex needs.
Freight Agent:
A freight agent is an independent contractor who helps connect shippers with carriers willing to haul the freight. A freight agent works for a freight broker and plays a crucial role in the movement of freight, as a customer-facing salesperson of sorts who must find available carriers to ship a client’s freight.
Listing of the Differences in a Freight Broker and Freight Agent freight agent commission structure Freight brokers earn money through the margin spread between what the sale price to the shipper and the freight cost of the underlying motor carrier. The freight agent earns its money on a commission of the spread it negotiates with its customer and the underlying asset motor carrier.The commission ranges anywhere from a 60 / 40 split to an 80 / 20 split.
Example of commission calculation:
Intermodal price to the shipper: $2,500
Intermodal price from railroad & dray carriers: $2,400
Margin: $100
$60 commission paid to the freight agent
$40 is the take for the freight broker
Quite often there is a limit to what a freight agent can be paid on its commission based on a minimum accepted gross margin percentage and / or a fixed dollar gross margin amount.
A freight broker has a more consistent look and feel across its offices versus freight agents under a broker.
So, while there will be some similarity in the services offered by a freight agent there are cultural differences because the freight agent is an independent contractor and has their own culture.
While the freight agent has its own culture, it does bring with it the reputation of the freight broker it is representing.Freight agents are typically small businesses that operate out of their homes, while a freight broker is most often a much larger entity. A freight agent cannot pursue all shippers.
There is a clearance process where the freight agent must check with the freight brokerage it represents that the potential customer, they are working with is not already a customer of the freight broker or another agent of the freight broker.