Alabama Freight Broker Bond$75,000 BMC-84, Approved Fast
Every Alabama freight broker needs a $75,000 surety bond filed on FMCSA Form BMC-84, as required by 49 U.S.C. § 13906(b) and 49 CFR § 387.307. That single bond covers a genuinely unusual freight economy: three OEM assembly plants running on just-in-time delivery windows where a stalled truck can stop a production line, and a deep-water container terminal in Mobile now taking vessels most Gulf ports can't. See our broker authority guide for the full FMCSA process.
BMC-84 quote — 2-minute form, 24-hr turnaround
Official Federal (FMCSA) Requirements
"A broker shall provide a surety bond, trust fund agreement, or other financial security in the amount of $75,000 in a form, manner, and amount as the Secretary may prescribe."Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — 49 CFR § 387.307, implementing 49 U.S.C. § 13906(b) • 49 CFR § 387.307
Vance, Montgomery, Lincoln: Three Assembly Plants, One Freight Broker's Reputation
Alabama runs three final-assembly automotive plants that don't hold much buffer inventory: Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Vance (operating since 1994), Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery (since 2002), and Honda Manufacturing of Alabama in Lincoln (since 2001). Around each plant sits a dense supplier web — roughly 30 companies feed components directly into the Mercedes-Benz line alone, from Brose's door systems in Tuscaloosa to Johnson Controls' seating and interior work in Cottondale, with newer entrants like Samvardhana Motherson Group's $150 million Tuscaloosa plant supplying bumpers, spoilers, and interior door panels. Every one of those parts moves on a schedule tied to the plant's build sequence, not a shipper's convenience.
What JIT Brokerage Actually Requires
- Reading advance ship notices (ASNs) and sequencing freight to line-side delivery windows, not just dock appointments
- A vetted carrier bench with proven on-time history — a habitual late-runner gets dropped from a plant-facing lane fast
- Milk-run consolidation across the roughly 30-company supplier web feeding a single plant, not one-off truckloads
- Backup capacity on call — a JIT plant doesn't forgive a broker who has no plan B when a truck breaks down
Why This Underwrites Differently
None of this changes your BMC-84 bond amount — it's still $75,000 regardless of freight type. But a surety reviewing an Alabama application weighted toward OEM plant freight will still probe your carrier-vetting process and on-time record, because a broker who can't deliver reliable capacity to a JIT customer is a broker more likely to end up disputing payment with a carrier — and payment disputes are exactly what the bond exists to cover.
Ready to get bonded and start booking OEM plant freight or Port of Mobile drayage? We file your BMC-84 directly with the FMCSA.
Port of Mobile Drayage: A Different Brokerage Skill Than Plant Freight
In October 2025, the Mobile Harbor Modernization Project reached a 50-foot channel depth — making the Alabama Port Authority's container terminal the deepest in the Gulf of Mexico and clearing the way for vessels carrying up to roughly 16,000 TEUs to call directly. The growth is already visible: the port moved 563,537 TEUs in 2023, and March 2024 was its third-highest container month on record — 53,608 TEUs, a 27% year-over-year jump. APM Terminals, which operates the container facility, has been expanding toward roughly one million TEUs of annual throughput capacity to keep pace.
Brokering drayage out of that terminal is a different job than booking an OEM plant load. A drayage broker is coordinating chassis availability, APM Terminals' gate and appointment system, and per-diem and detention clocks that start the moment a container clears the crane — not a fixed production build sequence. The freight often moves inland along I-65 toward Birmingham and the Tennessee line or I-20 east toward Atlanta, giving Mobile-based brokers a direct inland run to two of the Southeast's largest freight markets.
What a Bigger Channel Doesn't Change
Deeper water and more container volume expand the freight available to broker — they don't change what FMCSA requires to broker it. Whether you're moving containers off a feeder ship or a 16,000-TEU deep-draft vessel, the bonding requirement is the same $75,000 BMC-84 that covers every interstate broker in the country.
The APSC's Intrastate Broker Bond — When It Stacks on Top of Your BMC-84
Some states with a motor carrier act don't reach brokers at all — Oklahoma's Corporation Commission, for instance, licenses only carriers, not brokers. Alabama is different. The Alabama Public Service Commission licenses and regulates brokers under the Alabama Motor Carrier Act (Ala. Code §§ 37-3-2 and 37-3-15), and its rule — Ala. Admin. Code r. 770-X-10-.04-.04 — requires anyone acting as a broker under that Act to hold a bond of not less than $10,000. The key is jurisdiction: APSC's Act reaches wholly intrastate transportation, so this second bond only applies to brokers arranging loads that both originate and terminate inside Alabama. It sits alongside your federal obligation, not instead of it.
Federal BMC-84 vs. Alabama's APSC Intrastate Broker Bond
Two different regulators, two different bonds — one covers interstate freight, one covers wholly in-state loads
| Requirement | Federal BMC-84 (Interstate) | APSC Intrastate Broker Bond |
|---|---|---|
| Who it covers | Any broker arranging interstate freight | Brokers arranging loads wholly within Alabama |
| Bond amount | $75,000 | $10,000 minimum |
| Regulator | FMCSA — federal | Alabama Public Service Commission |
| Statute / rule | 49 U.S.C. § 13906(b) / 49 CFR § 387.307 | Ala. Code §§ 37-3-2, 37-3-15 / Ala. Admin. Code r. 770-X-10-.04-.04 |
| Applies to a broker booking Port of Mobile export freight? | Yes — cargo leaving the state is interstate/foreign commerce | No, unless the same broker also books purely in-state moves |
Ala. Admin. Code r. 770-X-10-.04-.04 sets the $10,000 minimum for brokers licensed under the Alabama Motor Carrier Act. Brokers who arrange both interstate and wholly intrastate freight typically carry both bonds.
Producer Insight: Most Alabama Brokers Never Need the Second Bond
If every load you arrange crosses a state line — freight leaving a Vance supplier bound for another state, or a Port of Mobile container headed to Tennessee or Georgia — you only need the $75,000 BMC-84. The APSC's $10,000 bond matters for the narrower group of Alabama brokers who also run purely local or regional in-state lanes, such as short-haul moves between a supplier plant and an assembly line that never leave Alabama's borders.
Alabama Freight Broker Bond Cost
The $75,000 BMC-84 is priced as a percentage of face value — you never pay $75,000, only the annual premium. Pricing is driven by credit, not geography; see our freight broker bond cost by state guide and surety bond cost overview for broader context.
OEM-Heavy Book? Expect a Carrier-Vetting Question or Two
Your BMC-84 premium is priced on credit, not freight type — but a book weighted toward JIT plant freight may prompt a surety to ask about your carrier vetting and on-time performance, since payment disputes with unreliable carriers are where claims risk concentrates in this niche.
Getting BMC-84 Authority as an Alabama-Based Broker
Most Alabama brokers only need to work through the federal FMCSA process. See our full guide to getting freight broker authority for more detail on each step below.
Alabama-Specific Steps
- 1
Register for UCR Through the Alabama Public Service Commission
APSC administers the United Carrier Registration Act of 2005 for Alabama — separate from your BMC-84 renewal date
- 2
If Any Loads Are Wholly Intrastate, File the APSC Broker License
$10,000 minimum bond under Ala. Admin. Code r. 770-X-10-.04-.04
Alabama Freight Broker Bond — Frequently Asked Questions
Questions specific to Alabama-based brokers, the federal/APSC bond distinction, and the OEM plant/Port of Mobile freight split
Does Alabama require its own broker bond in addition to the federal BMC-84?
If a JIT delivery to Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, or Honda runs late, is that a claim against my bond?
What does brokering Port of Mobile drayage require that OEM plant freight doesn't?
Does the Mobile Harbor's new 50-foot channel change anything for a freight broker's bond or FMCSA filing?
What does Alabama add on top of the federal broker-authority filing?
FMCSA Broker Registration
Official FMCSA portal for broker authority applications, BMC-84 filing status, and SAFER system lookups.
APSC Motor Carrier Section
Official Alabama source for intrastate broker licensing, UCR registration, and Motor Carrier Act rules.
Freight Broker Bond Resources
Freight Broker Bond Hub
Complete BMC-84 guide — requirements, costs, claims, 2026 changes
BMC-84 Deep Dive
FMCSA filing mechanics, bond vs trust fund, personal guarantees
Cost by State Guide
How pricing varies by credit tier, not by state
BMC-84 vs BMC-85
When the trust fund makes sense — and when it never does
How to Get Broker Authority
Step-by-step FMCSA authority process from MC# to ACTIVE status
BMC-84 Premium Calculator
Estimate your annual premium by credit score tier
Georgia Freight Broker Bond
Savannah port & Atlanta I-75/I-85 brokering, across the state line
Tennessee Freight Broker Bond
Memphis FedEx superhub, up I-65 from Alabama
Mississippi Freight Broker Bond
Gulf Coast neighbor sharing the I-10/I-20 freight corridor
Louisiana Freight Broker Bond
Mississippi River bulk brokering, west along the Gulf
All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov) and verified before publication. BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-certified, A-minimum rated surety carriers serving all 50 states.
Get Your Alabama Freight Broker Bond
BMC-84 approval in 24 hours. Rates from $750/year, all credit levels reviewed. We'll also flag whether your book needs the APSC's separate intrastate bond.
Freight Broker Bonds by State
State-specific guidance for filing your $75,000 BMC-84 and securing FMCSA property broker authority.
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Texas Freight Broker Bond
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Washington Freight Broker Surety Bond
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Pennsylvania Broker Bond
Northeast freight broker BMC-84 filing
Arizona Freight Broker Bond
Southwest property broker bonding
Georgia Freight Broker Bond
Atlanta & Savannah-corridor BMC-84 filing
Montana Freight Broker Bond
BMC-84 requirements & cost for Montana brokers
Wyoming Freight Broker Bond
Fast BMC-84 filing for Wyoming-registered brokers