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FMCSA Part 387

Part 387 — Minimum Levels of Financial Responsibility for Motor Carriers

Part 387 is the FMCSA insurance and financial-responsibility rulebook. It explains minimum public-liability coverage, required filings and proof, MCS-90 endorsements, passenger-carrier financial responsibility, broker bonds, freight-forwarder responsibility, and authority risk when filings lapse.

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Part 387 Dictionary

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What is Part 387?

The FMCSA rulebook for insurance, financial responsibility, filings, and authority protection.

Who It Applies To

Applies to property carriers, hazmat carriers, passenger carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders.

Property Carriers

Property carriers must maintain required public-liability financial responsibility before operating.

Minimum Limits

Minimum public-liability limits depend on vehicle, commodity, hazmat category, and operation.

Proof & Filings

FMCSA filings like BMC-91, BMC-91X, MCS-90, BMC-84, and BMC-85 prove required responsibility.

MCS-90

MCS-90 supports public-liability financial responsibility but does not replace proper insurance coverage.

Passenger Carriers

Passenger carriers have separate public-liability responsibility tied to vehicle capacity and operation.

Brokers & Forwarders

Brokers and freight forwarders need separate financial responsibility, such as BMC-84 or BMC-85.

Cancellations

A canceled or missing insurance filing can put operating authority at risk immediately.

Carrier Checklist

A practical checklist for filings, limits, MCS-90, commodities, cargo, broker bonds, and renewals.

Real-World Risk

Insurance filings, limits, exclusions, and authority status can stop operations instantly.

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DispatchHQ helps small carriers review authority status, insurance requirements, commodity risk, broker onboarding, cargo exclusions, renewal deadlines, and compliance workflows before the wrong load creates a serious financial-responsibility problem.

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Source reference: Official eCFR — 49 CFR Part 387 . This page is a plain-English educational guide and is not legal advice.