Freight Broker Authority?
What You Need. When You Need It.
TRANSPORTATION SURETY
BMC-84 / BMC-85
(Required for Freight Broker Authority)
We have several pricing and payment options for BMC-84 Surety Bonds and BMC-85 Trust Agreements since 1998. We keep track of every claim from start to finish by constantly processing the required paperwork and communication until it is closed.
TRANSPORTATION INSURANCE SERVICES
Get the right coverage and secure the most competitive rates. When it comes to protecting your business, few insurers offer all of the different lines of insurance that a domestic freight broker and/or freight forwarder needs. We are here to offer you intelligent insurance solutions on every front.
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Transportation Insurance 101 for Freight Brokers
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What You Need. When You Need It.
What our clients are saying
FRC Logistics has its BMC-85 with PFA because, like us, PFA cares about their customers. We have had our bond with them for several years and plan on keeping it there. Freight Rate Central specializes in the freight shipping & transportation of all shapes and sizes nationwide. We provide a convenient and easy to use online freight quoting tool that allows you to get instant online freight rates, trucking rates, and a variety of other freight shipping options.
Shane Black
FRC Logistics IncThank you so very much for your encouraging words! As a very small broker I am relieved that you are optimistic about the future of my business and fortunate that I have PFA as a partner!
Ann Adams
360 Auto TransportYou were good enough to help us get our business started in 2004 and we appreciate that very much. I am a very loyal person to those that have helped us. We are with you for the long run.
Tom Miller
Tailwind Logistics, LLCWe have been with PFA for over ten years. During that time we have always found them to be professional and competent. They address our needs in a very timely basis and found them to understand the broker’s situation very clearly. We enjoy working with them very much.
Bobbye Marcove
FAK, Inc.PFA works great with TQL. The company is very fair and impartial in its decisions on disagreements, and the staff is very conscientious and prompt to handle anything that comes up. PFA maintains TQL’s bonding capacity of more than twice the legal requirement.
Marc Bostwick
Total Quality LogisticsWe have been extremely pleased with PFA’s response to our brokerage needs. You have performed in an outstanding manner during the time in which we have needed to contact you. We are completely happy and have absolutely no intention to change!
Steven J. Turows
Koleaseco Logistics Inc.
At PFA, we always look for ways to help you be successful.
Protecting your business. Ensuring your success.
LEARN MORE
The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) provides leadership and direction for the 3PL industry and guides professionals to advance standards and business practices. PFA recommends becoming a TIA member, and they're a trusted partner of PFA.
Each and every day at PFA, our staff is committed to providing you with the right solutions - What You Need. When You Need It.
Since 1998, we strive to help you be successful and achieve all of your business goals. When it comes to protecting your business, few insurers offer all of the different lines of bonds and insurance products that a domestic freight broker and/or freight forwarder needs. We are here to offer you intelligent bond and insurance solutions on every front.
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Protecting your business. Ensuring your success.
PFA offers a one-stop destination for hassle-free transportation surety bonds. Our customers enjoy having a seamless and efficient process to acquire the bonds you need. Whether you're a seasoned industry professional or a newcomer, our user-friendly platform ensures that obtaining the necessary transportation surety bonds is a straightforward and cost-effective experience.
Why Choose PFA
Speedy Approval Process
In House Claims
BMC-84 & BMC-85 Bonds
World Class Client Services
Affordable Rates
Bonds Made Easy
What Our Clients Are Saying
We have been extremely pleased with PFA’s response to our brokerage needs. You have performed in an outstanding manner during the time in which we have needed to contact you. We are completely happy and have absolutely no intention to change!
Steven J. Turows
Koleaseco Logistics Inc.PFA works great with TQL. The company is very fair and impartial in its decisions on disagreements, and the staff is very conscientious and prompt to handle anything that comes up. PFA maintains TQL’s bonding capacity of more than twice the legal requirement.
Marc Bostwick
Total Quality LogisticsWe have been with PFA for over ten years. During that time we have always found them to be professional and competent. They address our needs in a very timely basis and found them to understand the broker’s situation very clearly. We enjoy working with them very much.
Bobbye Marcove
FAK, Inc.You were good enough to help us get our business started in 2004 and we appreciate that very much. I am a very loyal person to those that have helped us. We are with you for the long run.
Tom Miller
Tailwind Logistics, LLCThank you so very much for your encouraging words! As a very small broker I am relieved that you are optimistic about the future of my business and fortunate that I have PFA as a partner!
Ann Adams
360 Auto TransportFRC Logistics has its BMC-85 with PFA because, like us, PFA cares about their customers. We have had our bond with them for several years and plan on keeping it there. Freight Rate Central specializes in the freight shipping & transportation of all shapes and sizes nationwide. We provide a convenient and easy to use online freight quoting tool that allows you to get instant online freight rates, trucking rates, and a variety of other freight shipping options.
Shane Black
FRC Logistics Inc
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Transportation Freight Broker?
A Freight Broker contracts with Shippers for freight to be moved and then finds the appropriate Motor Carriers to transport the load(s). The Shipper pays the Freight Broker and the Freight Broker in turn pays the Motor Carrier, keeping a portion as payment for the arrangement of the contracted shipment. The Freight Broker is an important third party logistics component in a dynamic transportation industry that keeps our country supplied and running.
What is the process to become a Freight Broker?
Individuals who are applying for the first time do so with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) via the Unified Registration System. Along with paying the FMCSA a $300 non-refundable fee and later receiving the USDOT and MC number assigned by the FMCSA, to complete the process, applicants must secure a $75,000 BMC-84 Surety Bond OR a BMC-85 Trust Fund Agreement. You must also have a BOC-3 Designation of Process Agent submitted (this lists an address within each state where legal paperwork may be served to your brokerage and then forwarded to you). PFA can walk you through the entire process AND provide everything you need to satisfy the FMCSA’s requirements.
How long does the process take after applying with the FMCSA?
The FMCSA is able to activate your Freight Broker authority once you have met their bond/trust and BOC-3 filing requirements. There is a 21-day vetting/waiting period that the FMCSA will go through, prior to making the authority active. The 21 days begin accruing the first day you receive your USDOT number. When the broker bond and BOC-3 are filed electronically with the FMCSA, if you are still in the vetting period, then your authority will be granted an active authority status on or around the 21st day. Filing the bond is not what triggers the FMCSA to make the authority active. Their processes must be completed first, while you are submitting the requirements. Simply put, when you receive the USDOT number, you begin the 21-day vetting period and you should get the bond and BOC-3 on file within that time period. Once you are granted an active authority status by the FMCSA, you may start to legally broker loads for movement. After PFA files your bond with the FMCSA, we check with the FMCSA every day and notify you when your broker authority is active. We stay on it on your behalf until we know you are fully activated and then of course are here to serve you in a way that allows you to focus on your own business! We’ll give you What You Need. When You Need It.
Why do you need a $75,000 BMC-84 or BMC-85 Freight Broker Bond?
The FMCSA requires you to have this financial guarantee in place to ensure the Motor Carriers that you contract with get paid to move the load. If you fail to pay the Motor Carrier for the load moved per the contract, the carrier may contact your bond provider and file a claim against your bond to get paid for that load.