BMC-85
What is bmc-85? BMC-85 is the FMCSA form a freight broker files to show a $75,000 trust fund satisfies the financial-responsibility requirement, in lieu of a surety bond.
Full definition
BMC-85 is the trust-fund alternative to a BMC-84 surety bond. The broker deposits $75K with an approved financial institution; that account is the source of carrier claims if the broker fails to pay.
Trust funds avoid surety underwriting and recurring premiums, but they tie up the full $75K — capital that many brokers prefer to leave free for working capital.
For carriers, the practical outcome is identical: $75K backstop spread across all unpaid invoices in a default scenario.