Serving You Since 1998
PFA was founded as Pacific Financial Association, Inc. in 1998 by J. Penny Larson. Formerly an international banking consultant, Ms. Larson began issuing BMC-85 Trust Fund Agreements to freight brokers and quickly grew her company to what is now the largest issuer of BMC-84s / BMC-85s in the nation.
Our Mantra
What You Need. When You Need It.
That is our mantra at PFA. Each and every day, we are committed to providing you with the right solutions. What You Need. When You Need It. We strive to help you be successful and achieve all of your business goals.
Our Mission
“Fueling your success by providing the most trusted transportation surety bonds, insurance products and service for the life of your business.”
Our Vision
“A strong transportation industry in which freight brokers and motor carriers thrive because they have the protection they need when they need it.”
Ensuring That You Are Compliant
The BMC-84 Surety Bond and the BMC-85 Trust Fund Agreement satisfy the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) surety requirement of $75,000. This is mandatory for all transportation property brokers. PFA sells BMC-84 Surety Bonds and is the only company that offers both the BMC-84 and BMC-85 surety instruments. This gives us the very unique ability to find the best solution for every freight broker and/or freight forwarder!
Our Claims Servicing Department is YOUR Claims Servicing Department
Since 1998, PFA has consistently earned our customers’ confidence on the strength of unparalleled service.
Our claims servicing department guards your collateral and/or bond(s) by ensuring that only legitimate claims are processed. As the industry leader in BMC-85s, our claims staff has processed more claims than any other surety provider. With extensive legal expertise in the specifics of freight broker regulations, PFA expedites legitimate claims and quickly identifies fraudulent claims. This same expert, dedicated, claims department manages the claims for our BMC-84 customers as well. Unlike other multi-line sureties, PFA only deals with broker bond claims and works diligently to protect broker contracts.
Historically, PFA has the lowest claims ratio in the industry because – simply put -- we are so good at what we do. Contact our dedicated and experienced sales staff today and discover why we are the leader in transportation surety. PFA will find the best surety instrument to meet your specific needs and help you become an active transportation broker. With us, your future and potential are unlimited!
Licensed in all 50 States
PFA is a privately held company licensed as a finance lender by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, File No: 603 9892. PFA is authorized by the FMCSA as a Financial Institution to issue BMC-85 Property Broker Trust Fund Agreements pursuant to 49 CFR § 387.307 under Filer No: 22512. PFA Transportation Insurance & Surety Services is an Insurance Producer and Claims Adjuster licensed in all 50 states - NIPR No. 171225521, CA License No. 0M18074 and a Third Party Administrator - UT License No. 616391.
Your PFA Team
The PFA executive team is comprised of highly-committed, results-oriented and trusted individuals with wide-ranging expertise in all aspects of the surety, insurance, and transportation industries.
Daniel Larson grew up in the Chicago, IL area until he entered the United States Marine Corp. in 1976. After serving as an aerial navigator of C-130 aircraft in the Marines, he attended the University of California at Santa Barbara where he obtained a BA with honors in 1992. He then went to Law School at the University of Illinois-Champaign where he graduated with a JD in 1996. After moving to Arizona, he became a Deputy County Attorney working in the gang unit and on a joint federal task force concentrating on violent felonies of white prison gangs. Currently, Mr. Larson is PFA’s CEO and General Counsel. An expert in transportation law, he joined the firm in 2003 and established claims procedures and policies that substantially contributed to PFA’s extraordinary growth. Prior to his tenure at PFA, Mr. Larson served as a staff attorney for State Farm Insurance and is well-acquainted with surety instrument claims, procedures, and related legal ramifications appropriate to domestic freight operations. Mr. Larson is very familiar with broker transportation regulations and guided the company to become what is now the largest provider of freight broker surety instruments in the nation. His expert knowledge in broker surety regulation and legal theory is often sought by government agencies as well as leaders in the private sector.
Susan Hennesy Griffin is the Chief Operating Officer of PFA Transportation Insurance & Surety Services. She brings together 13 years of freight broker claims management expertise with hands-on legal experience spanning more than 20 years in a variety of leadership roles. Susan has built her multi-dimensional career on a demonstrated capacity to work with 360 degrees of individuals – from customers and peers to partners and support staff – and has become synonymous with exemplary customer service, negotiation, communication and analytical skills. Energetic, detail-oriented, and versatile, Susan has developed strong case histories in claims processing, transportation law, insurance regulations, risk-management, research and investigation, arbitration and negotiation, and customer relations. Her roots with the PFA family date back to 2007 when she became Claims Manager overseeing the administration of claims and providing counsel for the largest provider of transportation broker surety instruments in the nation. For more than a decade, her claims administration staff has served over 4,500 brokers annually, processing 10,000 claims each year under her leadership. Her big picture business and public service credentials include 11 years as Deputy County Attorney and four years as Commissioner of the Maricopa County Superior Court. After earning her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Arizona at Tucson, Susan graduated from the Santa Clara School of Law and was admitted to the Arizona bar in 1986. She is well-known for her commitment to community involvement, having volunteered in leadership roles for the National Charity League, both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America and for Parent-Teacher Associations representing elementary and secondary schools in Arizona. She was named Attorney-of-the-Year in the MCAO Pretrial division in 1995.
Prior to founding Pacific Financial Association, Inc. as a federally authorized provider of BMC-85 Property Broker Trust Fund Agreements in 1998, J. Penny Larson gained an extensive financial expertise background. Ms. Larson was recruited by the Resolution Trust Corporation as their Director of National Auctions working out of the National Sales Center in Washington, D. C. Her primary responsibility was directing government auction sales initiatives of residential and commercial real estate. In addition, she developed the successful sale at auction of residential real estate loan tranches resulting in closed sales of more than $3.5 billion. Shortly thereafter, Ms. Larson served as Project Director for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) auction project mandated by Congress with well over $1 billion in closed sales. Later, she worked on numerous international projects as an asset disposition specialist with the World Bank, IMF and USAID as a sub-contractor for KPMG Peat Marwick’s Barron’s Group.
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.
