For Carriers & Owner-Operators

Is your unpaid freight a bond-claim candidate?

If a broker goes dark on your pay, the clock on their BMC-84 bond is already running. Check the boxes you can honestly tick to gauge where you stand. This is guidance, not legal advice.

Readiness checklist

Tick each item that is true for your situation.

The broker held active operating authority and a BMC-84 bond on the load date Your invoice is past due (commonly 30+ days) with no valid dispute from the broker You have the signed rate confirmation for the load You have a signed proof of delivery (POD) You have sent a written demand for payment and kept a copy The broker is unresponsive, insolvent, or its authority has been revoked

A BMC-84 bond is typically $75,000 and is shared across all claimants, so filing promptly and completely matters. Deadlines and procedures vary — this checklist is organizational guidance, not legal advice; confirm with the surety and, where needed, an attorney.

Next time, vet the broker first.

Check a broker's authority, bond and pay history before you haul — it is far cheaper than chasing a bond claim.

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Guidance only — not legal advice. Bond-claim rules and deadlines vary by surety and situation; confirm before relying on this.

Is your unpaid freight a bond-claim candidate?

Readiness checklist

Next time, vet the broker first.

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