Commission in MVMNT
Overview
Commission System
Overview
MVMNT automatically calculates and tracks sales commissions for your team based on shipment profitability. Set up flexible commission structures with percentage-based rates, monthly draws, profit margin tiers, and multiple team members earning on a single load.
Key Benefits:
- Automatic calculation when shipments reach your chosen trigger point
- Representatives only see their own commission data
- Support for monthly draws with balance tracking
- Multiple roles can earn on one shipment (sales, ops, carrier reps)
- Customer-specific or team-based commission structures
Quick Start
Basic Setup (5 minutes)
Enable Commissions (Admin only)
- Settings → Organization → Enable "Commission Tracking"
- Choose trigger: Ready to Invoice, Generate Invoice, or Invoice Paid
Set User Monthly Draw (if applicable)
- User Profile → Commission Settings → Monthly Draw Amount
Assign Commission Plan to Customers
- Shipper Profile → Select Commission Plan
- Or use Teams/Tags for automatic assignment
That's it. Commissions will calculate automatically when orders reach your trigger point.
How Commissions Calculate
Basic Formula
Revenue - Carrier Cost - Vended Services = Gross Profit Gross Profit - Deductions (e.g., $10 insurance) = Commissionable Profit Commissionable Profit × Commission Rate = Commission Earned Real Example (from customer data)
Margin-based tiers change the rate based on profitability:
- 0-10% margin → 8% commission
- 10-20% margin → 10% commission
- 20%+ margin → 12% commission
Commission Structures
Option 1: Simple Percentage (Most Common)
Setup: One rate for all shipments
- Example: 10% of profit on every load
- Easy to understand and calculate
- Best for: Small teams, getting started
Option 2: Margin-Based Tiers
Setup: Rate increases with better margins
- Tier 1 (Loss/0%): 0% commission
- Tier 2 (0-20%): 10% commission
- Tier 3 (20%+): 12% commission
- Best for: Incentivizing higher-margin deals
Graduated Tiers (optional): Commission calculated progressively across tiers
- $5,000 profit with 50% margin
- First $2,000 @ 10% = $200
- Next $2,000 @ 12% = $240
- Last $1,000 @ 15% = $150
- Total: $590
Option 3: Split Commission (Team-Based)
Setup: Multiple roles earn on each shipment
- Account Owner: 8% of profit
- Operations: 4% of profit
- Carrier Rep: 2% of profit
- Best for: Specialized team structures
Option 4: Monthly Draw
Setup: Guaranteed minimum with commission offset
- Rep receives $3,000 monthly draw
- Earns $4,200 in commissions
- Owed amount: $1,200 ($4,200 - $3,000)
If commissions fall short, rep receives draw and carries balance forward.
Commission Roles
Team members earn commissions based on their role on the shipment:
Same Person, Multiple Roles
If one person qualifies for multiple roles (e.g., both Account Owner and Operated By):
- System calculates both scenarios
- Shows all amounts in preview
- Creates only ONE commission for the highest amount
Example:
- Sarah is Customer Rep (12% = $120) and Operated By (5% = $50)
- Sarah receives: $120 (highest amount only)
Commission Plans
Plans define commission structure for groups of customers. Each plan includes:
- Roles: Which team members earn (account owner, ops, carrier rep, etc.)
- Tiers: Profit thresholds with corresponding rates
- Deductions: Per-load costs subtracted before calculation (insurance, fuel surcharge)
- Assignment: Auto-apply via teams, tags, or explicit shipper profile selection
Plan Assignment Priority
The system picks the plan in this order:
- Explicit: Shipper profile has specific plan assigned → Use that plan
- Team/Group: Customer's team has a plan → Use team's plan
- Tags: Customer tags match one plan → Use that plan
- Default: Organization has one default plan → Use default
⚠️ If multiple plans match via teams or tags, no commission is created (requires explicit assignment).
Setting Up Plans
Create a Commission Plan
- Settings → Commissions → Plans → Create New Plan
- Name it (e.g., "Contract Rate Customers", "Spot Market")
- Add Roles (who earns commissions)
- Choose role type: Account Owner, Ops, Carrier Rep, Manager
- Set graduated (progressive) or single-tier
- Define Tiers for each role
- Tier type: Percent Margin or Fixed Dollar Profit
- Threshold: Margin % or profit amount
- Rate: Percent of Profit, Percent of Revenue, or Fixed Dollar
- Set Deductions (optional)
- Per-load costs (e.g., $10 insurance, $25 fuel surcharge)
- Assign via Teams/Tags (optional)
- Auto-applies to customers in specified teams or with matching tags
Assign to Customers
Option A: Explicit Assignment
- Shipper Profile → Commissions → Select Plan
Option B: Automatic via Team
- Create plan for team → All team customers use that plan
Option C: Automatic via Tags
- Tag customers (e.g., "high-value", "contract-rate")
- Plan matches customers with those tags
Per-Order Overrides
For special situations, override commission on individual orders:
- Preview commission before finalizing order
- Set Override for specific users (manual rate or amount)
- Create Order → System uses overridden amount
Common Use Cases:
- Special pricing requiring adjusted commission
- Goodwill reduction for service issues
- Bonus commission for exceptional performance
Viewing Commissions
For Representatives
Your Dashboard:
- Current month earnings vs. draw balance
- Individual shipment commissions with breakdown
- Month-to-date totals
🔒 Privacy: Reps see only their own commissions, never other team members.
For Administrators
Full Reporting:
- All representative commissions across organization
- Filter by date, user, customer, status
- Export for payroll processing
- View calculation details (profit, margin, rate, tiers)
- Manually adjust if needed
Commission Triggers
Choose when commissions are created:
⚠️ Cancelled orders never create commissions regardless of trigger setting.
Best Practices
Start Simple
- Begin with flat percentage (e.g., 10% of profit)
- Add margin tiers once team understands the system
- Test with a few customers before rolling out company-wide
Organize Customers
- Use Teams for different business units or regions
- Use Tags for commission-relevant attributes (contract vs spot, high-value, etc.)
- Set explicit plans only when customer needs unique structure
Commission Plan Design
- Keep tiers simple: 3-4 tiers maximum
- Use realistic thresholds: Based on actual margin data
- Document structure: Share commission plan details with your team
- Review monthly: Check for calculation anomalies
Monthly Draws
- Set draws at sustainable level (70-80% of expected average)
- Review draw balances quarterly
- Adjust if consistently over or under actual commissions
Troubleshooting
Commission Not Calculating
Check:
- Commissions enabled at organization level
- Order reached your trigger status (Ready to Invoice, Generate Invoice, or Invoice Paid)
- Shipper profile has commission plan assigned
- Order has Customer Rep, Operated By, or Carrier Rep assigned
- Order is not CANCELED
Wrong Commission Amount
Review:
- Profit calculation: Revenue - Carrier Cost - Vended Services
- Plan deductions applied correctly
- Correct tier matching based on profit margin
- Rate type (% profit vs % revenue vs fixed dollar)
- Monthly draw set correctly
User Can't See Commissions
Verify:
- User has "shipperRep" or "carrierRep" role
- User accessing their own dashboard (can't see others)
- Commissions have been created (check timing)
- User permissions include commission viewing
No Commission Created - Multiple Plans Match
Problem: Customer belongs to multiple teams or has tags matching different plans
Solution: Explicitly assign one plan to the shipper profile
Common Questions
Can I change plans after they're in use? Yes. Changes only affect new commissions. Existing records preserve original calculation.
What if draw is higher than earned commissions? Rep receives draw amount. Difference carries forward as balance. Future commissions must cover balance first.
Can I have different structures for different customers? Yes. Create multiple plans and assign via shipper profiles, teams, or tags.
How do I handle split accounts (Chicago style)? Use Secondary Account Owner and Secondary Operated By fields for multiple reps per order.
Are accessorial charges included? Yes. Revenue includes line haul + all accessorials. Profit = total revenue minus all costs.
Do carriers see commission data? No. Commission data is internal only.
What if profit is negative? If tiers support negative profit, commission calculates (usually $0). Otherwise, no commission created.
Can I adjust commission after creation? Yes. Admins can override amounts before finalization. For post-finalization adjustments, contact support.
How do I export for payroll? Commission Dashboard → Apply date filters → Export to CSV
Example: Real Customer Setup
Based on actual TMS customer structure:
Plan: "TMS Sales Person - Internal Customers"
Roles: Account Owner (graduated tiers)
Tiers:
- Loss/Negative (< 0%): 0% commission, $0 insurance
- Non-Baseline Winner (0-19.99%): 10% commission, $0 insurance
- Baseline (20%+): 12% commission, $0 insurance
Example Calculations:
Support
Questions about setup?
- Email: support@mvmnt.io
- In-App: Click "Help" in bottom-right corner
- Docs: https://help.mvmnt.io
We're here to help you design commission structures that motivate your team and support your business goals.