Freight Forwarder

Definition

A freight forwarder is a company that assembles and consolidates shipments, issues its own bills of lading, and assumes carrier responsibility for the freight, often contracting the actual line-haul to motor carriers. Freight forwarders with interstate authority owe UCR annually. Like brokers, a forwarder that operates no power units of its own files in the lowest 0–2 vehicle UCR bracket. Brokers, freight forwarders and leasing companies pay the Bracket 1 fee. The forwarder registers through one base state, the fee is the same in every state, and each registration year needs its own filing.