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Start a freight brokerage

Start your freight brokerage.Get your MC and bond in one place.

Our office forms your company in any state, files your broker authority, BOC-3 and UCR, and our agency places your $75,000 BMC-84 bond and broker insurance so you can start booking loads.

Start my freight brokerageGet an insurance quote

Reviewed by Orkun Ozkaymak, CPA, MBAClients in all 50 states and abroad

$500company setup, EIN included
50 + DCstates we form companies in
1 officeformation, taxes and insurance
2011preparing taxes since
Step by step

How to start a freight brokerage

  1. 1

    Form your company and get an EIN

    Our office forms your LLC or corporation in the state where you form and gets your EIN, so your broker authority, bond and bank account are all in the company name.

  2. 2

    Apply for broker authority

    Our office prepares your FMCSA broker application. You complete the identity check in Motus yourself. The FMCSA fee is $300, and you receive a USDOT and MC number.

  3. 3

    File the BOC-3 and the BMC-84 bond

    Our office files your BOC-3 process agent filing. Our agency places your $75,000 BMC-84 bond, which must be on file before the authority goes active.

  4. 4

    Register for UCR and bind insurance

    Brokers pay UCR every year, and our office files it. Our agency quotes contingent cargo, contingent auto liability and general liability that shippers often ask for.

  5. 5

    Set up books and carrier payments

    Our office sets up QuickBooks Online to track loads, shipper invoices and carrier payments, runs payroll for your team and files your federal and state income tax returns.

Filings and prices

What our office files for you.Prices shown before you send.

Pick what you need on the request form. Ozfield's fees are shown here; government fees are passed through at cost.

  • Freight broker authority (MC) with USDOT numberIncludes your USDOT number. Your broker bond must be on file before the authority goes active.
    $295plus the $300 FMCSA fee
  • BOC-3 process agent filingOne time. Names a process agent in every state, which FMCSA requires before your authority goes active.
    $59
  • UCR registrationYearly. The government fee depends on how many vehicles you run.
    $83 per yearplus the UCR fee, $55 for brokers
  • BMC-84 freight broker bond ($75,000)Written by our agency. The yearly premium is often $1,500 to $2,000 with good credit.
    Quoted by our officeGet a bond quote
  • City of Chicago business license IllinoisThe city fee is $500 or $1,000 for 2 years depending on the license type, paid to the city.
    $179
  • Payroll and state unemployment setupPayroll accounts, state unemployment registration and your first payroll.
    Quoted by our office
Company setup is $500 plus the state fee, EIN included.
The request form adds your filings and shows the full estimate as you go.
Build my estimate
Insurance from the same office

Coverage in place on day one.Quoted by our agency.

Check the coverage you want on the request form and our insurance team sends quotes from multiple carriers. Nothing is bound without your OK.

Start my freight brokerageGet a quote only
  • BMC-84 broker bond ($75,000)
  • Contingent cargo
  • Contingent auto liability
  • General liability
  • Errors and omissions
After you open

The filings that come every year.

Our office keeps these on your calendar so nothing is missed. How we work with freight brokers →

UCR registration

Before January 1. Brokers register every year in the lowest fee bracket.

BMC-84 bond

At renewal. The bond renews yearly and must stay on file with FMCSA.

Form 1099-NEC

January 31. For carriers and agents you pay, where required.

S corporation and partnership returns

March 15. Form 1120-S and Form 1065 for calendar-year brokerages.

Questions

What new owners ask us.

Something else on your mind? Call 773-536-9272 and our office will help, in English or Turkish.

How much does a $75,000 freight broker bond cost?
You pay a yearly premium, not the full $75,000. With good credit the premium is often about $1,500 to $2,000 a year, and it can be higher with weaker credit. Our agency shops the bond with several surety companies and files the BMC-84 with FMCSA for you.
Can I run my own trucks and broker loads too?
Yes. You need carrier authority for your own trucks and separate broker authority for loads you arrange for other carriers, each with its own FMCSA fee. Your UCR fee then follows your fleet size. Our office files both authorities and keeps the books for each activity separate.
Do I need a state license to be a freight broker?
Arranging interstate freight for compensation requires FMCSA broker authority, a BOC-3 and a $75,000 bond or trust. Most states do not add a separate broker license, but you still register the company in your state and get any local business license your city requires. Our office handles the formation and federal filings.
What insurance does a freight broker need?
The bond is required by law. Shippers and carriers often also ask brokers for contingent cargo, contingent auto liability and general liability, and errors and omissions coverage is worth a look. Our agency quotes these together so you can send certificates to new customers quickly.

Ready to start your freight brokerage?

Answer a few questions, see your estimate and send it to our office.

Start my freight brokerage773-536-9272