Kentucky Freight Broker Bond$75,000 BMC-84 for Worldport & CVG Air-Cargo Brokers
Every Kentucky freight broker needs a $75,000 surety bond filed on FMCSA Form BMC-84, as required by 49 U.S.C. § 13906 and 49 CFR § 387.307. Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 281 doesn't layer a second state bond on top of it — the whole requirement is federal. What makes Kentucky worth a dedicated page is what sits inside its borders: UPS Worldport, the world's largest automated package-sorting hub in Louisville, and CVG — Amazon Air's largest hub in the world and DHL's largest Americas superhub, sitting just across the Ohio River in Boone County. 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 • 49 CFR § 387.307
Kentucky Isn't a Port State or a Ground-Corridor State — It's an Air-Cargo State
Every state requires the same $75,000 BMC-84. What varies is the kind of brokerable freight a state generates — and Kentucky's combination of two of the busiest cargo airports in North America, sitting 90 miles apart on I-71, plus the through-traffic of I-65 and I-75, gives it a freight profile no coastal or purely interior state shares.
Kentucky's Four Freight Engines
What each corridor moves, when it peaks, and what it means for a broker's book of business
| Freight Engine | What Moves | Peak Timing | Broker Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS Worldport (Louisville) | Time-critical ground-feeder runs to/from the sort facility | Overnight, every night — sort-and-fly cutoffs | Rewards brokers who source capacity fast when a feeder run slips |
| CVG Air-Cargo (Boone Co.) | Amazon Air & DHL drayage between terminal and warehouses | Continuous — Amazon Air hub, DHL Americas super-hub | Tight dock-to-flight windows raise the underwriting bar on carrier vetting |
| I-65 / I-75 Through-Freight | Long-haul dry van & reefer transiting the Louisville-Lexington-Cincinnati triangle | Steady, with holiday and produce-season peaks | Standard truckload economics — the largest volume, thinnest margins |
| Bourbon & Auto-Parts Regional | Distillery outbound shipments; Toyota, Ford & GM just-in-time parts | Bourbon ships year-round with an Oct–Dec spike; auto parts run on daily JIT schedules | JIT auto freight has near-zero tolerance for late pickups — a different risk profile than bourbon |
Kentucky produces roughly 95% of the world's bourbon supply and is the nation's #3 auto-producing state, anchored by Toyota's Georgetown plant, Ford's Louisville assembly complex, and GM's Bowling Green Corvette plant.
Producer Insight: Feeder Freight Runs on Team-Driver Economics
A broker sourcing capacity to hit a Worldport sort cutoff or a CVG flight window isn't shopping the same carrier pool as a broker moving a standard dry-van lane. Feeder and expedited runs into either hub frequently require team drivers or hot-shot capacity to guarantee an arrival window, which pushes per-mile rates well above standard truckload — and raises the stakes on carrier payment terms, since owner-operators running expedited freight expect faster settlement than a typical net-30 arrangement. Sureties underwriting a Kentucky broker with a Worldport- or CVG-heavy book will ask more about dispatch documentation and payment cadence than they would for an inland Missouri or Indiana broker running conventional truckload freight.
Ready to get bonded and start booking Worldport feeder or CVG air-cargo freight? We file your BMC-84 directly with the FMCSA.
Kentucky 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.
No Kentucky Add-On Cost
Because Kentucky doesn't require a state-level broker bond, there's no second premium to budget for. The only additional line item is the $46/year UCR fee — a flat federal filing cost, not a bond premium, and unaffected by credit score.
What KRS Chapter 281 Actually Regulates — and Why It Doesn't Touch Brokers
Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 281 is Kentucky's motor carrier code — certificates and permits for common and contract carriers, safety compliance, towing operations, even a separate broker provision for human-service transportation delivery. None of it creates a property broker license or a state-level surety bond for freight brokers. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Division of Motor Carriers licenses and bonds carriers who operate vehicles on Kentucky roads — not brokers who arrange for someone else's truck to do it.
The KYU Number Mix-Up
New Kentucky brokers occasionally assume they need a KYU number — Kentucky's Highway Use Tax account, filed through the Transportation Cabinet for carriers operating qualified commercial vehicles on Kentucky highways. Brokers don't operate vehicles, so they don't file for one. If a broker also runs trucks under a separate motor carrier authority, that entity needs its own KYU account — but the brokerage side of the business never does.
The Filing Step That Isn't a Bond: Unified Carrier Registration Through KYTC
Kentucky doesn't add a second surety bond, but it does have one filing step that's easy to miss: the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR), required for brokers under 49 U.S.C. § 14504a and administered in Kentucky by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
What UCR Requires of Brokers
- Annual registration, separate from the BMC-84 bond and FMCSA authority
- Brokers pay the smallest fee bracket: $46 for the 2026 registration year
- Filed through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet as your base-state UCR contact
- Covers Motor Carriers, Motor Private Carriers, Leasing Companies, Brokers & Freight Forwarders
Why It Trips Up New Brokers
A new broker can have a perfectly filed BMC-84 and still get flagged if UCR lapses, because the two filings run on independent renewal clocks and neither system automatically reminds you about the other. Since UCR is federally mandated but state-administered, Kentucky brokers file through the Transportation Cabinet specifically as their base-state UCR contact — even though the bond itself goes straight to the FMCSA. Track both renewal dates separately.
Getting Broker Authority as a Kentucky-Based Broker
Because Kentucky has no separate state track, the entire process runs through the FMCSA. See our full guide to getting freight broker authority for more detail on each step.
Kentucky-Specific Steps
- 1
Register for UCR Through Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
$46/year for brokers; separate from your BMC-84 renewal date
Kentucky Freight Broker Bond — Frequently Asked Questions
Questions specific to Kentucky-based brokers, the Worldport-CVG air-cargo pipeline, and UCR filing
Does Kentucky require its own broker bond on top of the federal BMC-84?
Why does a package-sorting hub like UPS Worldport create demand for independent freight brokers?
How is brokering CVG air-cargo freight different from a standard truckload lane?
Do Kentucky freight brokers need a KYU number?
Does Kentucky require anything beyond the federal BMC-84 filing?
FMCSA Broker Registration
Official FMCSA portal for broker authority applications, BMC-84 filing status, and SAFER system lookups.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Official Division of Motor Carriers portal for commercial credentials and UCR filing in Kentucky.
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 Become a Freight Broker
The full career path from MC application to first load
BMC-84 Premium Calculator
Estimate your annual premium by credit score tier
Kentucky Contractor License Bond
Surety requirements for Kentucky contractors
Kentucky Auto Dealer Bond
Dealer licensing bond requirements statewide
Kentucky Notary Bond
Notary public bonding requirements in Kentucky
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 Kentucky Freight Broker Bond
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Freight Broker Bonds by State
State-specific guidance for filing your $75,000 BMC-84 and securing FMCSA property broker authority.
California Freight Broker Bond
BMC-84 filing for California property brokers
Texas Freight Broker Bond
Laredo & Gulf-corridor brokerage bonding
Washington Freight Broker Surety Bond
Pacific Northwest broker authority
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