Freight Agent
A freight agent is an independent contractor that connects shippers with carriers ready to transport their cargo. A freight agent works for a freight broker and plays an essential part in freight transportation as a customer-facing salesman who must discover available carriers to convey a client’s freight.
Key Points:
The freight agent makes money by negotiating a freight agent commission on the spread between its client and the underlying asset motor carrier.
A freight agent commission is sometimes limited based on a minimum approved gross margin percentage and a predetermined dollar gross margin amount.
Although the services provided by a freight agency will be identical, there will be cultural variances since the cargo freight agent is an independent contractor with their own culture.
Freight Broker and a Freight Agent
A freight agent’s primary function is facilitating freight flow between clients and carriers. A cargo freight agent may be a single individual or a group of persons who operate as independent contractors under the operating license of a freight broker.
Unlike a freight broker, an independent freight agent does not have their own operational authorization and cannot lawfully arrange the freight transfer on their own. As a result, the only option for them to do commerce is via a freight broker. As a result, the freight sales agent has relatively little responsibility, as the freight broker bears all of it.
Freight brokers are businesses that coordinate the transit of freight between clients and carriers.
The primary distinction between a freight broker and an independent freight agent is that the independent freight broker agent works as an independent contractor under a freight broker’s operating license to move freight for its clients.
A freight agent is also a sales agent since they often sell for the freight broker they represent rather than selling and operating their firm.
Freight Agent Commission
You may ask how a freight forwarding agent is compensated. Independent Freight Agents are contract employees who get commissions from their licensed freight broker in the form of 1099s depending on the gross margin or net income they generate.
The freight broker with whom you deal will determine your freight agent commission rate. Industry norms vary between 50 and 70% of gross margins given to you, with the remainder retained by the broker to cover operational expenditures, technology, and any support services provided to their freight agents.
Agents retain only some earnings since they execute all the responsibilities associated with operating a brokerage. Freight agent commission rate split ranging from 50-70%. It implies that for every Rs.1 of profit, they get between 50 and 70 paise.
The licensed brokerage firm retains the remaining 30-50% for back office operations and profit. With such a high-profit % provided to independent freight broker agents, a brokerage would often demand its agents to be experienced and have an established client base before being granted the option to join the brokerage as a new freight forwarding agent.
Difference Between a Freight Forwarder and Clearing Agent
Freight forwarders and clearing agencies are two crucial players in your supply chain. A freight forwarder supervises the movement of your cargo from point A to point B while a customs agent clears the way for shipments.
Freight Forwarders
A freight forwarding agency is essential in international transportation. This agent coordinates the movement of your package from the nation of origin to the warehouse or fulfillment location. This indirect representative of your organization serves a variety of functions.
On the other hand, a freight forwarder is not generally in the customs business and often needs to deal with customs clearances directly.
Customs Brokers/Clearing Agents
Customs clearance is a problematic element of freight forwarding. Customs requirements may be rather stringent. Often, moving products necessitates crossing many international borders and negotiating numerous customs processes.
Bottom Line
These two names are common and may be used interchangeably in a few instances. A freight broker is technically an agency in charge of logistics management. Meanwhile, freight broker agents connect all intermodal freight services and business stakeholders.
Freight broker agents might work by themselves or for freight agent companies. A freight broker agent expresses works for and on behalf of the freight broker.
