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Freight broker bond calculator.

The FMCSA requires every freight broker to hold a $75,000 bond. What you actually pay depends on credit, and which form you take. Pick your credit band, see the realistic annual premium range, and compare to the BMC-85 trust alternative.

Bond type
Estimated BMC-84 surety bond — annual premium
$563–$938
/ year  ·  midpoint ≈ $751
Roughly 0.75%–1.25% of the $75,000 face value per year. You only pay the premium; the surety company guarantees the rest. This is the path almost every new broker takes — especially with credit below 700.
Deep dive — bond guideFull licensing guide
Estimate only · Real quotes vary by surety, history, and timing
$75K
Face value, set by MAP-21
49 CFR §387.307, broker financial responsibility
0.75–10%
Typical BMC-84 annual rate band
Surety market public quotes, 2026
$0/yr
BMC-85 premium (capital locked instead)
Trust fund alternative

How freight broker bond pricing actually works

The bond face value is fixed by federal statute at $75,000 under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). What varies — by a 10x range — is the cost to obtain the bond. You have two choices under 49 CFR §387.307.

BMC-84 — the surety bond (what 90%+ of brokers use)

A licensed surety company guarantees the $75,000 face value on your behalf. You pay an annual premium for that guarantee. The premium rate is set almost entirely by your personal credit score, because the surety is underwriting you as a risk — the bond is unsecured. Rough public ranges across the 2026 surety market:

  • 750+ credit: ~0.75–1.25% of face = $560–$940/year
  • 700–749 credit: ~1.25–2.5% = $940–$1,875/year
  • 650–699 credit: ~2.5–4% = $1,875–$3,000/year
  • 600–649 credit: ~4–7% = $3,000–$5,250/year
  • Under 600 credit: ~7–10% = $5,250–$7,500/year

Your real quote will move inside or just outside these ranges based on broker experience, claim history, and which surety you apply with. Brokers with a clean year of operating history typically renew at a rate notch lower than their credit-only band predicts.

BMC-85 — the trust fund (capital-heavy alternative)

Put the full $75,000 in a qualifying trust account at an approved financial institution. No annual premium. No credit check. The cash is refundable on cancellation of authority, but a valid claim draws against it directly. Best fit: brokers with the capital on hand who either expect zero claims or want to skip surety underwriting entirely.

The honest math on which to pick

A new broker with 750+ credit and no $75K to spare: BMC-84 at ~$700 a year. Easy choice. A new broker with 580 credit and no $75K: BMC-84 at ~$6,000+/year and a thorough underwriting interview. Painful but feasible.

The crossover where BMC-85 starts to look interesting is brokers with both the capital AND the confidence in a clean claim record: if you'd otherwise pay $5,000+/year in surety premium for 5+ years, that's $25K — a third of the trust deposit — without ever owning the capital. The trust deposit, by contrast, sits in an account you can recover.

Where this fits in the broker startup cost stack

The bond is one line in the full freight broker startup math. Round numbers for year one in 2026:

  • FMCSA filing fees: $300 (UCR + MC application + BOC-3)
  • BMC-84 bond premium: $560–$7,500 (this calculator)
  • Contingent cargo insurance: $800–$2,400/year
  • E&O / errors-and-omissions: $600–$1,800/year
  • TMS software: $0 (AscendTMS free) to $799/mo (Keelway TMS)
  • Load board: DAT One $149/mo or Truckstop ITS $39+/mo
  • FMCSA process agent (BOC-3): ~$50–$100/year

Full step-by-step at how to become a freight broker. Bond-specific deep dive at what is a freight broker bond.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a freight broker bond actually cost?+
The face value is fixed by law: $75,000 (under MAP-21). What you actually pay depends on which form you take. The BMC-84 surety bond is what almost every broker uses — you pay an annual premium of roughly 0.75% to 10% of the $75,000 face value, driven almost entirely by personal credit. Excellent credit (750+) lands you in the $560–$940/year range; below 600 credit pushes you to $5,250–$7,500/year. The BMC-85 trust fund is the alternative — you put the full $75,000 in a qualifying trust account with no annual premium, refundable on cancellation.
What's the difference between BMC-84 and BMC-85?+
Both satisfy the $75,000 FMCSA bond requirement under 49 CFR §387.307. BMC-84 is a surety bond — a third-party surety company guarantees the $75K on your behalf in exchange for an annual premium based on your credit. BMC-85 is a trust fund — you deposit the full $75K with a qualifying financial institution, no premium, no credit check, refundable on cancellation but a claim draws against it directly. Most new brokers use BMC-84 because they don't have $75K in cash to lock up. Brokers with capital and clean expected claim history sometimes prefer BMC-85.
Is the calculator estimate accurate?+
The ranges reflect what surety agencies (Lance Surety, JW Surety, SuretyBonds.com, and similar publicly-priced markets) actually publish in 2026. Your real quote will depend on your full credit pull, broker experience, claims history, and which surety you apply with. Treat this as planning math, not a binding quote. Brokers with a year of clean operating history typically get rates lower than their credit-score band suggests.
Do I have to renew the bond annually?+
Yes. BMC-84 surety bonds renew yearly — you pay the premium again every year for as long as you hold active operating authority. The rate can move up or down based on your credit changes and claim history during the prior period. BMC-85 trust accounts don't renew (the $75K sits there until you cancel authority), but you pay any small annual account-maintenance fee the institution charges.
What happens if my bond lapses?+
FMCSA suspends your operating authority within 30 days. You can't legally arrange interstate freight during the suspension. To reinstate, you have to file a new bond, pay a reinstatement fee, and wait for FMCSA to update the L&I database. The cleanest practice is to set up auto-renewal with your surety and put the renewal date on the broker's calendar at year-minus-60 days as a redundant check.
Does the bond cover all my potential liabilities?+
No — the $75,000 bond is specifically a financial-responsibility instrument that pays carriers and shippers if you fail to pay valid freight bills. It does not cover cargo loss (that's contingent cargo insurance), shipper liability (E&O), workers' comp, or general business risk. Most brokers carry a stack: the FMCSA bond + contingent cargo + E&O + general liability + cyber.
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