Maryland Steamship Trade Assn fringe bonds.
From $100.
A waterfront employer signatory to the Steamship Trade Association of Baltimore (STA) agreement can be required to post a bond guaranteeing the fringe-benefit trust contributions it owes for covered longshore workers. It is a private, contractual requirement, not a Maryland statute. Premiums cost 4% of the bond amount, $100 minimum.
Trusted by industry leaders
How much does a Maryland Steamship Trade Assn fringe bond cost?
4% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Apply to bonded in one sitting.
Fringe-benefit bonds are straightforward to issue once you know the amount the STA calls for. Enter it, consent to a soft pull, and you're done:
Apply online
Your company details, the bond amount the STA or its trust funds require, and the effective date — plus a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.
Approved
Most fringe-benefit bonds clear quickly; the soft credit pull informs approval and never affects your score. Pricing is 4% of the bond amount, $100 minimum. Larger amounts may get a brief review.
Deliver to the STA
Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to hand to the Steamship Trade Association of Baltimore or its trust fund administrator. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the fringe benefits bond actually guarantees
This bond is a payment guarantee running to the Steamship Trade Association of Baltimore, Inc. and its affiliated fringe-benefit trust funds. An employer that signs the STA's collective bargaining agreement with the International Longshoremen's Association commits to remitting fringe-benefit trust contributions — typically health & welfare, pension, and related funds — on behalf of the longshore labor it employs at the Port of Baltimore.
It is a three-party arrangement: the signatory employer (the principal), the surety carrier, and the STA or its trust funds (the obligee), protecting the covered longshore workers whose benefits depend on timely contributions. If a signatory employer fails to remit contributions as agreed, the trust funds can make a claim against the bond — and if the surety pays, the employer repays the surety. It is a labor-relations backstop, not insurance for the employer.
This is a private, contractual requirement arising from the STA's collective bargaining agreement, not a Maryland statute — the bond amount is whatever the association or the trust funds call for, and there is no single figure that applies to every employer. Confirm your required amount with the STA or its trust fund administrator before applying; premiums are priced at 4% of that amount, $100 minimum, after a quick soft credit check that never affects your score.
You need this bond if you are
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
Deliver to the STA. Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to hand to the Steamship Trade Association of Baltimore or its trust fund administrator. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is 4% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. The pull never affects your score, and your price — 4% of the bond amount, $100 minimum — is set at application.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Maryland bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Stay signatory without the bonding delay.
Priced at 4% of the bond amount, $100 minimum. Soft pull only. Enter the amount the STA calls for and deliver the same day.