Insurance
Cargo van insurance: cost and the limits brokers want
Updated
One cargo van owner on trucking forums gave a figure: about $750 a month for general liability and auto insurance. The federal floor for a fleet of only vehicles under 10,001 lb GVWR is $300,000 in liability. The My Virtual Fleet load board and Circle Logistics both list cargo vans and ask for $1 million in liability and $100,000 in cargo.
At a glance
- Owner reports with a figure
- 1
- That report
- About $750 a month for general liability and auto
- Federal floor, all-light fleet
- $300,000 (every vehicle under 10,001 lb GVWR)
- Federal floor, heavier fleet
- $750,000 (any vehicle at 10,001 lb or more)
- My Virtual Fleet load board
- $1 million liability and $100,000 cargo
What cargo van owners report paying
One cargo van owner on trucking forums gave a figure: about $750 a month for general liability and auto insurance, with no limits stated. One report can't show a range, so treat it as one owner's bill. Get at least two quotes at the same limits before you judge a price.
The cost page has what owners of other equipment report.
The federal minimum for a cargo van
Cargo vans have two federal floors, and your whole fleet decides which one applies:
| Your fleet | Federal liability minimum |
|---|---|
| Every vehicle rated under 10,001 lb GVWR, nonhazardous freight, under your own authority | $300,000 |
| Any vehicle rated 10,001 lb GVWR or more | $750,000 |
The ordinary small-vehicle exception in 49 CFR 387.3 doesn't remove the $300,000. Both numbers are liability floors with no cargo limit in them, and hazardous cargo has its own schedule. General freight in a van needs no FMCSA cargo filing.
Sprinter is a van model and doesn't set a weight class. The federal insurance floor follows the van's GVWR.
Authority and your insurance filing
A light van can stay under the USDOT weight line, but the 10,001 lb line doesn't settle whether you need authority. Hauling other people's freight across state lines for pay takes your own MC authority.
Your insurer has to file proof of your liability coverage with FMCSA before that authority is granted. The filings page explains the forms.
What van boards and brokers ask for
The $300,000 filing keeps your authority legal. My Virtual Fleet and Circle Logistics both list vans and ask for $1 million. These rules come from each company's own pages, as of October 2026.
| Who | Liability | Cargo | Other conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Virtual Fleet load board | $1 million | $100,000 | Your own MC authority. Lists cargo vans, Sprinters, straight trucks and box trucks |
| Circle Logistics, 2018 carrier packet | $1 million per occurrence | $100,000 per occurrence | Lists sprinter or cargo vans. Circle must be a named insured on the cargo policy, which can't carry exclusions or restrictions that would block a cargo claim |
| DAT One | Set by each broker | Set by each broker | Lists cargo vans and Sprinters. An active USDOT number on your account. DAT validates an owner-operator's authority, and a leased operator needs the carrier's authorization |
| Load Work load board | Insurance required | Insurance required | Active MC authority and a DOT number. $65 to $249 a month on sale, $99 to $349 regular |
ODW Logistics asks for $1 million and $100,000 on US property loads, and it sets separate terms for expedited, parcel, courier and last-mile carriers.
Across all freight, 20 of the 21 brokers that publish a liability minimum on their own pages ask for $1 million or more. A van filed at $300,000 is legal to run, and it will still fall short of those brokers' minimums.
See where your van's coverage gets you in. Look up your DOT or MC number in the load-ready check. It lists the brokers and load programs that would set you up now, those that open up later and the coverage that would unlock the rest. Load-ready check
How to get quotes you can compare
- Price both limits. Ask for a quote at $300,000 and one at $1 million in liability with $100,000 in cargo. Then you'll know what the boards' limits cost before one of them asks.
- Send every agent the same request. Use the same van, freight and radius each time, and give the real numbers even when smaller ones would lower the price.
- Check what the policy covers. The one owner report above paid for general liability and auto. Read the deductibles and exclusions on every quote.
- Ask for the payment plan. Get the down payment, the monthly payment and the number of payments on each quote.
The quote comparison guide has a sheet for every line.
Keep your filing active
Your insurer reports a cancellation to FMCSA on a BMC-35, and the filings page explains how long the notice runs.
The van has to stay insured through that notice. Bind the renewal early and check that the new filing posted.
The cargo van startup guide covers the rest of the setup, and cargo van loads covers where the freight comes from.
Turn the van quote into a budget. Pick the cargo van in the startup cost estimator and add your quote and down payment to get your first-year costs and a cost per mile. Startup cost estimator
Frequently asked questions
How much is cargo van insurance?
One cargo van owner on trucking forums reported about $750 a month for general liability and auto insurance, with no limits stated. One report can't show a range, so get at least two quotes at the same limits.
What is the federal insurance minimum for a cargo van?
The federal minimum is $300,000 in liability when every vehicle under your authority is rated under 10,001 lb GVWR and hauls nonhazardous freight. Any vehicle rated 10,001 lb GVWR or more raises it to $750,000.
Do cargo van loads need $1 million in liability?
My Virtual Fleet and Circle Logistics both list cargo vans and ask for $1 million in liability and $100,000 in cargo. A van filed at $300,000 is legal to run, and it will still fall short of those minimums.
Does a cargo van need its own MC authority?
Hauling other people's freight across state lines for pay takes your own MC authority. The 10,001 lb weight line doesn't settle whether you need it.