Roanoke Trade and the Airforwarders Association participated in a conference call with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regarding the upcoming deadlines established by MAP-21 (refer to our July 10, 2012 email communication for further MAP-21 information). In a continuing effort to keep our customers informed, following is a summary of that call:

 

FMCSA has no current plans to postpone the October 1, 2013 enforcement date.

 

FMCSA has modified the BMC-84 (bond) and BMC-85 (trust) forms. The changes are minor in nature, merely achieving conformity with the statute (increasing the amount to $75,000 and expanding the use of the form to include the surface freight forwarder). The revised forms are currently awaiting mandatory Office of Management and Budget approval. Because the revision is so limited, the FMCSA anticipates the new forms to be available by September 1. Absent OMB delays, postponement of enforcement of any MAP-21 requirements beyond October 1 is highly unlikely.

 

All bonds must be re-filed once the new bond language is official. All bond filings will have to be on the new form to be considered compliant with the new $75,000 requirement, even if there is currently a bond for $75,000 or more. Once the form is approved by OMB, it will be made available to the public. At that time, new filings will be deemed to be on the new form/language.

 

Principals are urged to verify that their business information (name/address) in the FMCSA system is accurate before a new bond is filed. To make any changes, the principal will need a PIN. If the principal has forgotten his PIN, a replacement may take several business days. Therefore, we encourage all bond principals to check their information and begin the process to make necessary changes without delay. The surety cannot change the information, and new bond filing could be untimely (with potentially serious consequences) if the principal/licensee's business information is incorrect. Click here to update your contact information with the FMCSA.

 

We will be contacting all existing property broker customers shortly so our bond service teams can assist with the processing of replacement bonds. Companies needing the BMC-84 bond (such as surface freight forwarders who have not needed a bond before) should contact Roanoke Trade without delay to begin their application process.

 

Roanoke Trade wishes to thank the Airforwarders Association for arranging the conference call with the FMCSA. Roanoke Trade, along with the Airforwarders Association, is continuously active in advocating for the international and domestic trade community and finding solutions for our clients to work more effectively. If you have any questions regarding this notice, or any other related subject, please contact us via email or call 1-800-ROANOKE to speak with a service representative.

 

Sincerely,