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Broker-Carrier Agreement Template

Set up a new carrier with your brokerage — rate confirmations, payment terms, insurance minimums, cargo claims and no back-solicitation — signed online.

Use This Template — Free See the Agreement Signers don’t need an account
Broker-carrier agreement
The blanks in brackets are what you fill in. VergeHR adds each signer’s signature and date boxes.
Broker-carrier agreement — page 1 of 4
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Broker-carrier agreement — page 2 of 4
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Broker-carrier agreement — page 3 of 4
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Broker-carrier agreement — page 4 of 4
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Use This Template Fill in the blanks, name who signs, and send — from VergeHR eSignature.

What is a broker-carrier agreement?

A broker-carrier agreement is the master contract a freight broker signs with each motor carrier before tendering it loads. The agreement sets the ground rules that apply to every shipment; each individual load is then confirmed with a rate confirmation that gives the lanes, dates, rate and special instructions.

This template covers load tendering and rate confirmations (with no minimum volume), the carrier's operating and safety duties, a ban on double brokering, bills of lading and proof of delivery, rates and payment terms with an optional quick-pay option and a clause that payment doesn't depend on the shipper paying the broker, accessorial charges, cargo loss and damage and how claims are handled, minimum insurance amounts you set, indemnity, a no back-solicitation period, confidentiality, and ending the agreement.

Best for
Freight brokers onboarding motor carriers and owner-operators
Signed by
The broker and the carrier, each with a job title
Per load
Each load is confirmed by a rate confirmation that forms part of the agreement
Length
4 pages, initialled on every page

When to Use a broker-carrier agreement

  • Onboarding a new carrier or owner-operator to your load board
  • Replacing an outdated carrier packet with a clear master agreement
  • A small brokerage formalising relationships with regular carriers
  • A carrier that wants to review standard terms before hauling for a new broker

What You Fill In

18 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: broker, carrier.

1 Broker

  • Effective date*
  • Broker's legal name*
  • Broker's authority or registration number
  • Broker's address

2 Carrier

  • Carrier's legal name*
  • Carrier's authority or registration numbers
  • Carrier's address
  • Carrier's dispatch or billing email

3 Payment

  • Currency*
  • Carrier paid within (days)*
  • Quick pay option

4 Insurance

  • Minimum auto liability insurance*
  • Minimum cargo insurance*
  • Minimum general liability insurance*

5 Claims and other terms

  • Cargo claims paid or declined within (days)*
  • No back-solicitation for (months)*
  • Notice to end the agreement (days)*
  • Governing law*

6 Who signs

  • Broker signature and date, job title, initials on every page · An authorised person at the freight brokerage.
  • Carrier signature and date, job title, initials on every page · An owner, officer or authorised manager of the trucking company.

What the broker-carrier agreement Covers

  1. Loads and rate confirmations
  2. Carrier's operating duties
  3. No double brokering
  4. Bills of lading and delivery
  5. Rates and payment
  6. Cargo loss and damage
  7. Insurance
  8. Indemnity
  9. No back-solicitation
  10. Confidentiality
  11. Term and ending
  12. General

Using the broker-carrier agreement, step by step

1 Enter both companies

Add each party's legal name and address, and its operating authority or registration numbers (such as MC and USDOT numbers in the US). Add the carrier's dispatch or billing email for rate confirmations.

2 Set payment terms

Choose how many days after receiving the invoice and signed proof of delivery the carrier is paid. If you offer quick pay, describe it — for example payment within 2 business days for a fee.

3 Set insurance minimums

Enter the minimum auto liability, cargo and general liability cover you require. Make sure these meet at least what the law requires for the carrier's operations and what your customers ask of you.

4 Claims, back-solicitation and notice

Set how many days the carrier has to pay or decline a documented cargo claim, how long the no back-solicitation period runs after the agreement ends, and the notice period to end it.

5 Send for signature

Send it to the carrier's owner or authorised manager. Once signed, it's filed in Files — keep it with the carrier's certificates of insurance and authority records.

Tips Before You Send It

  • Check the carrier's authority, safety record and insurance certificate before signing — and again periodically.
  • Keep rate confirmations consistent with this agreement. Under the template, a rate confirmation prevails only for rates, charges and load-specific instructions.
  • Cargo liability for shipments is often governed by national transport law regardless of the governing law you choose. Take advice if you handle high-value or regulated freight.
  • Double brokering is a common source of fraud and unpaid carriers. The template requires the carrier to haul every load itself.

Sign It Online In Minutes

  1. Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
  2. Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
  3. Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Use the broker-carrier agreement Template — It’s Free

Broker-carrier agreement: frequently asked questions

What is the difference between this agreement and a rate confirmation?

This agreement is the master contract that applies to every load. A rate confirmation is the short document for one load with its pickup, delivery, rate and special instructions. Once the carrier accepts a rate confirmation, it becomes part of this agreement.

Does the broker have to pay if the shipper hasn't paid?

Yes, under this template. The broker's duty to pay the carrier doesn't depend on being paid by its customer, and the carrier agrees to look only to the broker for payment except where the broker has become insolvent and the law allows otherwise.

What does no back-solicitation mean?

The carrier agrees not to go around the broker to take freight directly from customers it first learned about through the broker's loads, for the period you set, except customers it can show it already hauled for.

Can a broker-carrier agreement be signed electronically?

In most countries, including the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada, an electronic signature is generally valid for an ordinary commercial contract like this one. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF as evidence of who signed and when. Rate confirmations can also be accepted electronically under the agreement.

Is this template free?

Yes. The template is free to use with the eSignature app in VergeHR, and the people you send it to don't need a VergeHR login to sign.

Use This Template — Free