Freight broker training course online

Who this course is for

Dispatchers who want to understand the broker side, people planning their own brokerage, and anyone who needs to know exactly where dispatching ends and brokering begins.

What you'll be able to do

Explain the legal definition of a broker and the bona fide agent exception
Walk through broker registration: MC authority, BMC-84/85, BOC-3, UCR
Vet and onboard a carrier and spot the red flags of identity fraud
Set up broker-shipper and broker-carrier agreements
Run a load from the broker side, including claims and accessorials

Curriculum

Module 1: Broker vs dispatcher: the real difference

What a broker legally is, and why authority is the dividing line
The broker's place between shipper and carrier

Module 2: Getting broker authority

FMCSA broker authority (MC number) and the application
The BMC-84 surety bond ($75,000) vs a BMC-85 trust
BOC-3 process agents, UCR and ongoing compliance

Module 3: Setting up the brokerage

Broker-shipper and broker-carrier agreements
Carrier vetting and onboarding: authority, insurance, safety
Credit, factoring and cash flow

Module 4: Fraud and risk

Double brokering and identity fraud
Vetting tools, red flags and protecting your bond
Cargo claims, OS&D and liability

Module 5: Finding and keeping shippers

Prospecting shippers and the sales side
Pricing freight and building margin
Co-brokering and carrier relationships

Module 6: Running loads as a broker

Posting, covering and tracking loads
Rate cons, BOL and accessorials from the broker side
Ethics, reputation and industry bodies (TIA)

Capstone: Vet a carrier and cover a load as a broker

A guided, practical exercise that proves the skill. Finish it to earn the operator's seal.

How it's taught

Every legal point is taught from the regulation (49 CFR Part 371 and 387, FMCSA guidance) with the source linked, so you can check it yourself. Fraud is taught with real patterns and the checks that catch them.

Freight Brokerage course FAQ

How much is the freight broker bond?

Brokers must file proof of $75,000 in financial security with FMCSA, usually as a BMC-84 surety bond or a BMC-85 trust fund (49 CFR 387.307). What you pay for a surety bond is a yearly premium that depends on your credit and history.

Is a dispatcher a broker?

Not if they act only as the carrier's agent. If a dispatcher negotiates directly with shippers, takes payment from the broker or factoring company, or decides which of several carriers gets a load, FMCSA guidance says they need broker authority. Read our guide: dispatcher vs freight broker.

Can I get broker authority from outside the U.S.?

Foreign-based companies can apply to FMCSA, but requirements differ and you need a U.S. process agent (BOC-3), the bond and usually U.S. banking. The course explains the steps; for your own case, check with FMCSA or a transportation attorney.