UCR for freight brokers - Tier 1 lock-in
Reviewed by Korey Sharp-Paar · Updated
Freight brokers and forwarders without their own CMV equipment auto-lock to UCR Tier 1 ($90) regardless of business size - brokers don't operate vehicles, so the power-unit-count basis for tiers puts every broker at the lowest tier. Online filing for $90 ($55 UCR government fee + $35 service fee), one-time per registration year.
Why brokers always sit at Tier 1
UCR fees scale with power-unit count under 49 CFR Part 367. Brokers don't operate vehicles - they broker freight between shippers and motor carriers. The broker's power-unit count is 0, which puts them in Tier 1 ($90) regardless of revenue, load count, or office size. A broker doing $50M/year in brokered freight pays the same UCR as a broker doing $500K/year.
See the dedicated brokers UCR page for the broker-specific filing flow and brokers and forwarders guide.
What you get
- UCR 2027 Tier 1 registration as a broker
- Submitted to the National UCR System.
- Receipt PDF for the broker's compliance file
Pricing
UCR Tier 1 (0–2 vehicles), one-time per registration year: $90 ($55 UCR government fee + $35 service fee).
| Tier (power units) | UCR government fee | Service fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 (0–2 vehicles) | $55 | $35 | $90 |
| Tier 2 (3–5 vehicles) | $167 | $88 | $255 |
| Tier 3 (6–20 vehicles) | $333 | $142 | $475 |
| Tier 4 (21–100 vehicles) | $1,163 | $337 | $1,500 |
| Tier 5 (101+ vehicles) | Quoted | ||
The UCR government fee is itemized separately from our service fee, and both are shown before you pay. Brokers, leasing companies and freight forwarders that operate no commercial motor vehicles pay the Bracket 1 fee. One-time price per registration year.
Broker UCR questions
Why do brokers always pay Tier 1?
Because UCR fees are based on power-unit count, and brokers don't operate vehicles - they arrange transportation between shippers and carriers. With 0 power units, brokers auto-lock to UCR Tier 1 ($90 ($55 UCR government fee + $35 service fee)). The same applies to freight forwarders without their own equipment. The broker fee is fixed at the lowest tier regardless of broker size, dollar volume, or load count.
I'm a hybrid carrier-and-broker - what tier am I?
You pay the higher of the two tiers. A carrier-broker hybrid with 10 trucks operating their own equipment plus brokering loads pays Tier 3 ($475 ($333 UCR government fee + $142 service fee) - based on the 10 trucks) for a single UCR filing. There's no separate broker filing alongside the carrier filing - one UCR per legal entity per year, at the highest applicable tier.
Do freight forwarders also pay Tier 1?
Freight forwarders without their own CMV equipment pay Tier 1, same as brokers. Forwarders that operate their own equipment (less common) pay according to their power-unit count. The principle is consistent: tier is based on power units, not on broker/forwarder/carrier classification.
Other UCR contexts
You might also need
- BOC-3 process agent - Order a BOC-3
Order your UCR registration online
We prepare your UCR registration; it is submitted to the National UCR System. The UCR government fee is itemized separately from our service fee, and both are shown before you pay.
Submitted to the National UCR System.
Independent filing service operated by Fast Filing Group LLC. Not affiliated with FMCSA, USDOT, UCR.gov or any government agency.