Glossary
Cargo insurance
Cargo insurance covers loss of or damage to the freight a carrier hauls, as distinct from BIPD liability, which covers harm to others. The two are routinely confused, and the federal record only deepens the confusion because the filing rules changed.
What the federal record does and doesn't require
In 2011 FMCSA eliminated the cargo-insurance filing requirement for most for-hire property carriers; today the filing (forms BMC-34 / BMC-83) is required of household-goods carriers. So a general-freight carrier with no cargo filing on the federal record is the normal case, not a gap. The practical consequence: for most freight, cargo coverage is verified through the carrier's certificate of insurance and your broker-carrier agreement, not through FMCSA.
How to read it when it appears
Some carriers still have cargo filings on record, and where one exists its status is readable like any other filing: insurer, amount, effective and cancellation dates. fleetfax displays cargo filings when present and applies the requirement logic with care: absence is flagged only where a filing is actually required, because flagging the normal case as a defect would just train you to ignore the report.
Related terms
BIPD insurance (public liability)
Bodily injury and property damage liability coverage, the insurance federal law requires for-hire interstate carriers to keep on file with FMCSA. Minimum $750,000 for general freight, higher for oil and certain hazmat.
BMC filings (BMC-91, 91X, 34, 84, 85)
The federal insurance and bond forms insurers file with FMCSA: BMC-91/91X for liability, BMC-34/83 for cargo, BMC-84/85 for the $75,000 broker bond or trust.
Insurance lapse & cancellation notices
Insurers must notify FMCSA before terminating a carrier's filed coverage, so cancellations appear on the public record in advance. A lapse in required coverage triggers revocation of operating authority.
fleetfax reads public FMCSA data and is not affiliated with FMCSA or the U.S. Department of Transportation. This page explains terminology; it is not legal advice.