Trust
Licensing & insurance: who handles your shipment
HaulFare is a price guide and referral service, not a broker or motor carrier, and holds no FMCSA authority or bond. Quote requests go to our licensed transport partner, an FMCSA-licensed auto transport broker, whose broker authority and federally required $75,000 bond or trust are its own. Damage in transit is claimed against the assigned carrier's cargo insurance, which has limits, deductibles and exclusions; trucking insurance agents cite common limits of $100,000–$250,000 per load on open trailers and $250,000 to $1 million or more enclosed.
Updated September 2026
Who does what
Check the broker and the carrier assigned to your car on FMCSA Licensing & Insurance or with our verifier tool.
- HaulFare
- Price guide and referral service. Holds no FMCSA authority or bond, and does not arrange, book or price transport.
- Transport partner (broker)
- Our licensed transport partner, an FMCSA-licensed auto transport broker. Holds its own FMCSA broker authority and $75,000 bond or trust, books the shipment and assigns the carrier.
- Motor carrier
- Moves the car under its own FMCSA operating authority, liability insurance and any cargo policy it holds.
Three layers of protection, and who holds them
Carrier cargo insurance
- Who holds it
- Motor carrier
- What it responds to
- Damage claims for your vehicle while it is in the carrier’s custody, within the policy’s limits, deductible and exclusions
- Typical amount
- $100k–$250k open; $250k–$1M+ enclosed
Carrier liability (BIPD)
- Who holds it
- Motor carrier
- What it responds to
- Injury and property damage to third parties
- Typical amount
- $750,000 minimum federal requirement
Broker security (BMC-84 bond or BMC-85 trust)
- Who holds it
- The broker (our licensed transport partner)
- What it responds to
- Guarantees carriers are paid; protects against broker non-payment
- Typical amount
- $75,000
What is not covered
- Personal items left in the vehicle.
- Pre-existing damage recorded on the pickup Bill of Lading.
- Mechanical failures unrelated to transport, and damage from acts of God in most policies (check the certificate).
- Damage not noted on the delivery Bill of Lading before signing.
Sources
- FMCSA: Broker and freight forwarder financial responsibility rule, fmcsa.dot.gov
- FMCSA: How do I register as a broker?, fmcsa.dot.gov
- 49 CFR Part 387: Minimum levels of financial responsibility for motor carriers, ecfr.gov
- FMCSA Licensing & Insurance public search, li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov
- Trucker Path Insurance: Auto hauler insurance in Pennsylvania (cargo limits for open and enclosed haulers), truckerpathinsurance.com
- LogRock: Car Hauler Insurance Requirements (2026): liability and cargo limits auto haulers commonly carry, logrock.com
Insurance questions
Does HaulFare hold FMCSA authority?
No. HaulFare is a free car shipping price guide and referral service: it publishes prices and tools and sends quote requests to our licensed transport partner, an FMCSA-licensed auto transport broker. The broker holds its own FMCSA authority and bond, and the carrier it assigns holds the operating authority and insurance that apply to your car.
What does a broker bond actually do for me?
The $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond (or BMC-85 trust) is a federal requirement that guarantees a broker pays the carriers it hires. If a broker fails to pay a carrier, the carrier claims against the bond rather than holding your car. It is a financial-responsibility instrument, not damage insurance.
Who insures my car during transport?
A damage claim goes to the motor carrier's cargo insurance. Federal rules require carriers to file liability (BIPD) insurance with FMCSA, but cargo insurance is not federally required for auto haulers, so ask the broker for the assigned carrier's cargo insurance certificate before pickup. Policies have limits, deductibles and exclusions; trucking insurance agents cite common cargo limits of $100,000–$250,000 per load on open trailers and $250,000 to $1 million or more on enclosed. HaulFare is not an insurer.
What is broker contingent cargo insurance?
Some brokers hold contingent cargo coverage, which only responds if the carrier’s insurer denies a valid claim. It is not federally required. If it matters to you, ask the broker whether it holds a policy and for a copy of the certificate.
How do I file a damage claim?
Note the damage on the delivery Bill of Lading before signing and photograph it, then contact the broker that booked the shipment and the carrier promptly; the claim is made against the carrier's cargo insurer. Damage not noted at delivery is very hard to recover. You can also tell HaulFare, and we will pass your message to the broker.
How can I confirm the broker’s authority is active?
Search the broker's MC number on FMCSA SAFER or the Licensing & Insurance system, or use our verifier tool. The record shows broker authority status, the bond on file and any out-of-service history. Check the carrier assigned to your car the same way.
