What is Part 371?
The FMCSA rulebook for property brokers, broker records, transparency, and bona fide agents.
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Part 371 is the FMCSA property-broker rulebook. It defines what a broker is, separates brokers from motor carriers and bona fide agents, requires brokers to keep transaction records, gives parties to brokered transactions the right to review those records, and adds special rules for household goods brokers.
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The FMCSA rulebook for property brokers, broker records, transparency, and bona fide agents.
Applies to property brokers, household goods brokers, carriers, dispatch services, and bona fide agents.
A broker arranges transportation by authorized motor carriers for compensation.
A bona fide agent works under carrier direction and cannot allocate freight like a broker.
Brokers must keep transaction records showing shipper, carrier, BOL, compensation, charges, and payment date.
Parties to a brokered transaction can request to review that transaction’s required broker record.
Brokerage, non-brokerage support, carrier dispatch, and double brokering must be separated clearly.
Household goods brokers have consumer-facing rules tied to moving estimates, disclosures, and Part 375.
Carrier-side dispatch should work under carrier direction and avoid broker-style freight allocation.
A practical checklist for roles, authority, agreements, broker records, transparency, and double brokering.
Part 371 helps separate legal brokerage, carrier-side dispatch, bona fide agency, and double-broker risk.
DispatchHQ helps small carriers organize carrier-side dispatch agreements, broker-carrier paperwork, broker screening, transaction records, rate confirmations, payment disputes, and compliance workflows so dispatch support does not cross into risky broker activity.
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