Your freight broker authority starts with the BMC-84.
The FMCSA will not activate broker or freight forwarder authority until your financial responsibility filing is on record. BF Bond places BMC-84 bonds for new entrants and established brokers alike, including applicants whose credit has made it difficult elsewhere.
- Surety specialists since 1949
- Programs for challenged credit
- A-rated carrier partners
What is a BMC-84 bond?
The BMC-84 is the surety bond form the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires from property brokers and freight forwarders as proof of financial responsibility. Without it on file, your operating authority will not be granted, and an existing authority can be revoked if the filing drops off.
The bond protects the motor carriers and shippers you do business with. If you fail to pay a carrier for a load you brokered, or otherwise fail to meet your obligations as a broker, they can file a claim against your bond. The surety investigates, pays valid claims up to the bond limit, and then seeks reimbursement from you, since a surety bond is a form of credit rather than an insurance policy that absorbs your losses.
You will also see the BMC-85 referenced alongside it. That is the trust fund alternative: instead of a surety bond you deposit the full amount in cash or securities with a financial institution. Most brokers choose the BMC-84 because it does not tie up working capital, which is exactly the capital a growing brokerage needs to cover carrier payments.
- Required by the FMCSA before broker or freight forwarder authority is granted
- Protects the carriers and shippers you transact with
- Written at the federal statutory amount for broker authority
- An annual premium, versus tying up the full sum in a BMC-85 trust
BMC-84 bonds at a glance
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, for property broker and freight forwarder authority
The federal statutory amount for broker authority. We confirm the current figure when you apply
A percentage of the bond amount, driven mainly by personal and business credit. Strong credit earns the lowest rates
Continuous, renewed annually while your authority is active
The BMC-85 trust fund, which requires depositing the full amount rather than paying a premium
Do you require a BMC-84?
If you arrange freight for compensation without hauling it yourself, federal authority and the bond that backs it apply to you.
Property Brokers
Brokers arranging transportation of freight between shippers and motor carriers for compensation under FMCSA broker authority.
Freight Forwarders
Forwarders assembling, consolidating, and assuming responsibility for shipments in the ordinary course of business.
New Entrants
First-time applicants filing for authority, where the bond has to be on record before the FMCSA will activate the docket.
Reinstatements
Brokers whose authority lapsed after a bond cancellation and who now require a replacement filing to get back on the road.
How we get you filed
Apply online
Our guided application takes about five minutes. Have your MC number handy if the authority is already pending.
Underwriting review
Credit and business history drive the rate. We shop multiple carriers, including programs designed for weaker credit.
Approve your quote
You get a firm annual premium with no obligation. Approve it and pay online when it works for you.
We file with FMCSA
The surety files the BMC-84 electronically so it posts to your docket, and we track the renewal to protect your authority.
BMC-84 bond FAQs
More License & Permit bonds
Get your authority active.
Five minutes to apply and a BF Bond agent will work the filing with you, including the harder credit cases.
