BNSF credit for transportation charges bonds.
2% of the bond amount.

A shipper who wants BNSF Railway Company to bill freight and trailer-use charges on credit — rather than collecting payment up front — has to back that credit line with a surety bond covering credit for transportation charges. It is BNSF's own credit-department requirement, not a Kansas statute: BNSF's credit terms run 15 days for carload freight, 7 days for intermodal and 3PL, and 30 days for miscellaneous charges, and the bond gives BNSF a fallback if a shipper does not pay on time. Premiums cost 2% of the bond amount, $100 minimum, after a soft credit pull that never affects your score.

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Required by BNSF Railway Company's credit department as a condition of billing freight and trailer-use charges on credit rather than in advance

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Backs BNSF's standard terms — 15 days for carload, 7 days for intermodal/3PL, 30 days for miscellaneous charges — with late-payment finance charges assessed under BNSF Rule Book 6100 C

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2% of the bond amount, $100 minimum — your exact price appears at the application

2% rate$100 minimum premiumSoft pullnever affects your scoreFastinstant underwriting for most

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How it works

Apply to filed in one sitting.

No long underwriting queue for the standard BNSF credit bond — enter your amount, consent to a soft pull, and send BNSF the executed bond. Here is the whole thing:

TODAY · ONLINE

Apply online

Your business details, the bond amount BNSF's credit department set for your account, and the effective date — plus a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.

INSTANTLY

Approved

Most BNSF credit bonds clear instantly; the soft credit pull informs approval and never affects your score — pricing is 2% of the bond amount, $100 minimum. Larger amounts may get a brief review.

SAME DAY

File with BNSF

Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to send to BNSF's credit department so your credit terms take effect. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the BNSF credit bond actually guarantees

This bond is not a government license bond — it is a private financial-security requirement BNSF Railway Company sets for shippers and trailer-use customers who want transportation charges billed on credit instead of paid before service. BNSF's published credit-application process (a Salesforce-hosted online form) takes up to three business days to process, and BNSF may require this bond as part of that underwriting.

It is a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and BNSF Railway Company (the obligee). If a shipper fails to pay transportation charges within BNSF's standard terms — 15 days for carload freight, 7 days for intermodal and 3PL, and 30 days for miscellaneous charges — BNSF can claim against the bond for the unpaid amount plus any finance charges assessed under BNSF Rule Book 6100 C, and the shipper then reimburses the surety.

There is no statutory or regulatory bond amount — BNSF's credit department sizes the bond to the credit volume it extends to your account, and BNSF reserves the right to suspend or cancel credit privileges at its discretion. Enter the figure BNSF's credit team specified for your account; your premium is priced from a $100 minimum after a quick soft credit check that never affects your score.

BNSF Railway Company Credit Department — private contractual requirement, not a Kansas statuteThis bond is a condition BNSF Railway Company sets under its own shipper credit-application process, not a Kansas or federal statute. BNSF's public credit-application page documents standard payment terms — 15 days for carload freight, 7 days for intermodal and 3PL, 30 days for miscellaneous charges — and a finance-charge policy under BNSF Rule Book 6100 C for amounts paid beyond those terms; BNSF may suspend credit or cancel the arrangement at its discretion and can re-evaluate creditworthiness on any change in ownership or business structure. The bond amount is not published on a fixed schedule — confirm the exact figure your account requires directly with BNSF's credit department before you apply.

You need this bond if you are

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A shipper applying for BNSF credit terms for the first time, ahead of your first shipment

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An intermodal or 3PL customer whose account BNSF has asked to back with a bond instead of a cash deposit

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A current BNSF credit customer renewing or increasing your credit line

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A business under new ownership or structure that BNSF is re-underwriting after notifying it in writing

One application, issued instantly.

These are the actual underwriting fields, including the bond amount BNSF set for your account and a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. The pull never affects your score, and your price — 2% of the bond amount, $100 minimum — is set at application.

Start the application →

FAQ

Common questions.

How much is the BNSF credit for transportation charges bond?Premiums cost 2% of the bond amount, with a $100 minimum. The amount itself is not set by Kansas law — BNSF's credit department sizes it to the credit volume it extends to your account. Enter the figure BNSF specified and your exact price appears at the application.

What amount should I enter?The bond amount BNSF's credit department told you to obtain, usually stated in your credit-application correspondence or renewal notice. If you are not sure, ask your BNSF credit representative before applying — entering the wrong figure can delay approval of your credit terms.

What does the bond guarantee?It backs your obligation to pay BNSF for freight and trailer-use charges within BNSF's standard terms — 15 days for carload freight, 7 days for intermodal and 3PL, 30 days for miscellaneous charges — plus any late-payment finance charges assessed under BNSF Rule Book 6100 C. If you fail to pay and BNSF claims against the bond, you reimburse the surety for whatever it pays out.

Is there a credit check?The application includes a credit consent, but it authorizes a soft credit pull only — a soft inquiry that never affects your score. No hard inquiry ever runs on this bond. Your premium itself is priced at 2% of the bond amount, with a $100 minimum.

Where do I file it?Send your executed bond directly to BNSF Railway Company's credit department as part of your credit application or renewal — not to a Kansas state agency. We email you the signed bond and power of attorney as soon as it issues, and can mail wet-ink originals if BNSF requires them.

Related bonds

Other Kansas bonds.

Get your BNSF credit terms moving.

2% of the bond amount, $100 minimum, soft pull only. Enter the amount BNSF set and send the executed bond to their credit department the same day.

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Your premiumfrom $100

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