Do freight brokers need an MC number or USDOT number?
Both. Brokers register with the FMCSA and receive both an MC-B (broker authority) and a USDOT number. The MC-B is the operating-authority record; the USDOT is the parent ID. Brokers also need a $75K BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust, plus a BOC-3 process-agent designation.
A property broker (MC-B) does not own trucks or move freight on its own equipment — they arrange the movement of freight between shippers and motor carriers. The legal authority for broker registration sits in 49 USC §13904.
The broker stack is: OP-1(P) application → MC-B + USDOT issued → 21-day protest window → BOC-3 + $75K BMC-84/85 bond/trust filed → activation. The USDOT is typically lower-volume since brokers don't generate roadside inspections — but FMCSA still uses it as the parent ID for the broker record.
The bond requirement (raised from $10K to $75K in 2013 under MAP-21) is the largest financial gating item. A surety bond (BMC-84) is a third-party guarantee the broker pays vendors; a trust (BMC-85) is a $75K cash-equivalent the broker funds. Most new brokers choose the BMC-84 since it doesn't lock up working capital.
BOC-3 designation is required just like for motor carriers — a registered process-agent provider files Form BOC-3 listing agents in every state.