Insurance
Commercial truck insurance for small carriers
Updated
FMCSA requires $750,000 in liability for most for-hire freight trucks. Brokers ask for more: 20 of the 21 brokers that publish a liability minimum on their own pages want $1 million or more, and 21 of the 22 that publish a cargo minimum want $100,000 or more. Across 60 premium reports owners posted on trucking forums, the middle half paid $12,000 to $25,200 a year.
At a glance
- Federal liability minimum
- $750,000 for trucks of 10,001 lb or more
- Most brokers ask for
- $1 million liability and $100,000 cargo
- Owner premiums, middle half
- $12,000 to $25,200 a year (60 reports)
- Owner premium median
- About $17,700 a year
Insurance decides two things for a small carrier: whether your authority goes active and which brokers will load you. The federal minimum handles the first, and broker minimums, which run higher, decide the second. These guides cover both, with the numbers behind them.
See which loads your coverage opens. With your DOT or MC number, the load-ready check shows which brokers' published minimums your filed coverage meets and what would open the rest. Load-ready check
Guides by situation
| If you're | Read |
|---|---|
| Getting a new MC | New authority truck insurance |
| Checking what's required | FMCSA insurance requirements and broker minimums |
| Pricing a policy | What owners report paying |
| Holding two or more quotes | How to compare quotes line by line |
| Stuck on pending insurance | BMC-91 and BMC-91X filings |
Coverage by type
- Motor truck cargo: what brokers check beyond the $100,000.
- Reefer breakdown: the cargo terms reefer loads call for.
- Trailer interchange: coverage for trailers you pull but don't own.
- Bobtail and non-trucking liability: coverage leased-on owner-operators ask about.
- Occupational accident: your own injuries, and which brokers accept it in place of workers' comp.
- MCS-90: the endorsement behind your federal liability coverage.
Insurance by equipment
The equipment guides collect owner reports and requirements for box trucks, hotshots, semi trucks, cargo vans and car haulers. Texas carriers can start with Texas truck insurance.
Insurance companies on your certificate
The trucking insurance companies guide covers the companies that write trucking policies, by the legal names they file under with FMCSA.
Keep your filing active
Bind renewals early and check that the new filing posted, because an insurer's cancellation shows up on your FMCSA record.
Check your filing before a renewal slips. After you renew, the status check shows whether the new filing reached FMCSA and whether any cancellation is still on file. Check your status
How to choose
- Limits first. Most brokers ask for $1 million liability and $100,000 cargo. The requirements guide lists the federal and broker minimums.
- Coverage your loads need. The load-ready check shows which brokers' published minimums your filed coverage meets and what would open the rest.
- Price against owner reports. The cost page shows what owners on trucking forums report paying.
- Quotes at the same limits. The quote comparison guide lines quotes up line by line.
- A filing that stays on. The status check shows the filing FMCSA has for you and whether a cancellation is on file.
Frequently asked questions
How much liability insurance does FMCSA require for a truck?
FMCSA requires $750,000 in liability for interstate for-hire general freight in trucks of 10,001 lb or more. Most brokers ask for more: 20 of the 21 brokers that publish a liability minimum on their own pages want $1 million or more.
How much cargo insurance do brokers ask for?
Of the 22 brokers that publish a cargo minimum on their own pages, 21 want $100,000 or more.
How much do owners pay for truck insurance?
Across 60 premium reports owners posted on trucking forums, the middle half paid $12,000 to $25,200 a year. The median was about $17,700.
What happens when my insurer cancels?
Your insurer files a BMC-35 with FMCSA. How long you have before the cancellation takes effect is on the insurance filings page.