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What commitment does the partner make?
49 CFR 371.2 defines a broker arranging or offering to arrange property transport by an authorised motor carrier for compensation, with qualified distinctions for carriers, employees and bona fide agents.
Those distinctions depend on actual shipment authority, acceptance/legal commitment and the agent relationship and traffic-allocation conditions. A pre-existing relationship or agency clause alone does not settle them, and serving several carriers is not a complete classification test.
If brokerage applies, security is a continuing obligation
The reviewed 49 CFR 387.307 text, effective 16 January 2026, requires the stated $75,000 bond or trust security with BMC-84/BMC-85 evidence. It also has acceptable trust-asset, continuing-effect and notice/suspension conditions.
That amount is neither the premium nor an application fee or full insurance budget. Paying the franchise joining fee does not establish the operator’s security. Finance needs the actual arrangement; operations needs someone monitoring authority and security/provider changes.
Scope
- Federal property-broker starting point only; no classification, registration approval or processing period. Carrying/safety, forwarding, customs, warehousing, hazardous materials and intrastate work need separate answers.
Next step
Resolve the actual contract role, then obtain the real security costs and continuing-authority conditions before pricing the operation.
Sources & review notes
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Passage, dates and research notes
primary · Broker; bona fide agent; brokerage service
for compensation, arranges, or offers to arrange, the transportation of property by an authorized motor carrier
Complete current section read, including carrier/bona-fide-agent qualifications and allocation discretion. The guide does not classify every dispatcher, warehouse, forwarder, carrier or intrastate service.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Passage, dates and research notes
primary · Paragraphs (a),(b),(d),(e); continuing security and suspension
This section is effective January 16, 2026.
Current section read, including $75,000 security, BMC-84/BMC-85, acceptable liquid assets, continuing effect and notice/suspension framework. Section includes 2026 amendments. This source replaces reliance on an older May 2023 portal/URS/processing-time page for current workflow claims; no current portal or processing-time promise.
Detailed rule records (2)
371.2 defines a broker and the qualified carrier/bona-fide-agent distinctions. Identify who contracts, accepts legal transport responsibility and allocates traffic; dispatcher or franchise labels do not decide the role.
49 CFR 371.2: broker and bona fide agent definitionsCurrent 387.307 requires $75,000 bond/trust security, prescribed BMC-84/BMC-85 evidence and continuing effect, with trust-asset conditions and notification/suspension rules. Treat this as an ongoing responsibility, not a one-time brand sign-up payment.
49 CFR 387.307: property broker surety bond or trust fundKeep this reading in your learning library.
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