Coverage guide

Motor truck cargo insurance

For for-hire truckers, owner-operators and movers: what cargo coverage pays when a load is lost or damaged, what it excludes, what it costs and which rules and broker contracts set the limit.

Independent brokerage: we compare several insurers
Licensed agents review every application
No cost and no obligation to buy

Get motor truck cargo insurance quotes

What similar businesses pay

Motor truck cargo: About $129 a month ($1,553 a year)
Trucking commercial auto, for context: About $816 a month

Published benchmarks, not quotes. Your price depends on underwriting.

Cost

What motor truck cargo insurance costs

About $129 a month ($1,553 a year)

Motor truck cargo

Insureon median for its trucking customers, updated June 23, 2025

About $816 a month

Trucking commercial auto, for context

Insureon median for its trucking customers, updated June 23, 2025

Insureon’s median of about $129 a month, or $1,553 a year, is what its trucking customers paid for cargo coverage. It is a small part of a trucking insurance budget: the same customers paid a median of about $816 a month for commercial auto. Your price moves with the limit you need, what you haul and how theft-prone it is, refrigerated loads, your radius and your cargo claims history. A dry van carrier needing the common $100,000 limit for broker freight should expect a different price from a reefer or high-value carrier, so compare quotes on the same limit and deductible.

What moves your price

The limit: brokers such as C.H. Robinson and Amazon Relay ask for $100,000.
Commodity: high-value goods such as jewelry, artwork or pharmaceuticals usually need an endorsement.
Refrigerated freight and whether you add refrigeration breakdown cover.
Theft exposure: CargoNet estimated average losses of $273,990 per theft in 2025.
Open perils versus named perils form.
Deductible and prior cargo claims.
Radius, lanes and where trucks park overnight.

Who it’s for

Who needs motor truck cargo insurance

Federal law makes you liable for the freight

Under the Carmack Amendment, 49 U.S.C. 14706, an interstate carrier is liable for the actual loss or injury to property it carries, from the first dollar. Cargo insurance pays those claims so they do not come out of your operating cash.

A whole load is stolen

Verisk CargoNet counted 2,646 confirmed cargo thefts in the US and Canada in 2025, up 18%, with estimated losses near $725 million and California the highest at 1,218 incidents, Work Truck reported. One stolen trailer can exceed a low cargo limit.

A reefer fails or the driver misses a temperature setting

Progressive Commercial says basic cargo coverage may not be enough for refrigerated loads. Spoilage from a reefer breakdown needs a refrigeration breakdown endorsement, and Progressive’s Cargo Plus adds driver error on temperature for customers who buy it.

Freight is damaged loading, unloading or in a crash

Insureon lists accidents that damage cargo during loading and unloading, removal costs when a load spills and lawsuits from clients over lost cargo among the losses a cargo policy covers.

You move household goods

Interstate household goods carriers cannot operate until FMCSA accepts proof of cargo insurance for individual shippers’ belongings, under 49 CFR 387.301T. This is the one federal cargo insurance filing still in force.

Coverage

What motor truck cargo insurance covers

Legal liability for freight in your custody

Progressive Commercial describes motor truck cargo as protection when a trucker is legally liable for damage to covered property in the trucker’s exclusive physical custody and control.

Loss or damage from loading to delivery

Insureon says cargo coverage applies from when you load a shipment to when you arrive at its destination, including accidents during loading and unloading.

Debris removal

Pays removal expenses when your cargo is accidentally spilled, according to Insureon.

Earned freight

When the policy includes earned freight coverage, Insureon says it pays the lost profits on freight you could not deliver.

Refrigeration breakdown

An endorsement for reefer carriers that covers goods damaged or spoiled by temperature changes when the refrigeration unit fails. Progressive Commercial sells reefer coverage only with motor truck cargo, not on its own.

Wetness, rust and corrosion

Some insurers now add these perils. Progressive’s Cargo Plus endorsement, launched in April 2025, expanded its cargo coverage for wetness, rust and corrosion and is included on new policies with cargo coverage.

Open perils or named perils

An open perils form covers every risk except those excluded; a named perils form covers only the risks listed, so check which one a quote uses.

What it doesn’t cover

Intentional misconduct by you or your drivers.
Inherent vice, such as perishable goods spoiling on their own.
Losses from market delays.
Wear and tear.
War and terrorism.
Reefer spoilage unless you add refrigeration breakdown coverage.
High-value or hazardous goods such as jewelry, artwork, live animals or hazardous materials, unless endorsed.

Rules

Requirements and filings

FMCSA dropped the federal cargo insurance filing for most for-hire carriers in 2011, but household goods movers still file, federal law still makes carriers liable for freight and freight brokers set their own minimums. These are the rules and contract terms that decide your cargo limit.

Requirement	Applies to	What it means
Household goods cargo insurance, 49 CFR 387.303T(c)	Interstate household goods motor carriers	$5,000 for loss or damage on any one vehicle and $10,000 for losses at any one time and place, filed on Form BMC-34 with a BMC-32 endorsement, or a BMC-83 bond (49 CFR 387.313T).
Household goods freight forwarders, 49 CFR 387.403T and 387.405	Household goods freight forwarders	Must file cargo security before operating, in the same minimum amounts as household goods motor carriers.
FMCSA cargo insurance rule, effective March 21, 2011	Other for-hire property carriers and freight forwarders	No federal cargo insurance minimum or filing. FMCSA eliminated the requirement and kept it only for household goods carriers and forwarders.
Carmack Amendment, 49 U.S.C. 14706	Interstate motor carriers and freight forwarders	Liable for actual loss or injury to the property. A carrier cannot allow less than 9 months to file a claim or less than 2 years to sue.
C.H. Robinson carrier requirements	Carriers hauling for C.H. Robinson	$100,000 cargo liability and $1,000,000 automobile liability.
Amazon Relay insurance requirements (February 2026)	Carriers booking Amazon Relay loads	$100,000 cargo coverage, $1,000,000 auto liability and $50,000 trailer interchange for semi operators.

Compare motor truck cargo insurance options.

One application, quotes from several insurers, reviewed by a licensed agent. Start with your email and finish later if you need to.

Pay less

How to lower the cost

Buy the limit your brokers and shippers require, commonly $100,000, and schedule higher limits only for loads that need them.
Avoid commodities your policy excludes or endorse them before hauling, instead of discovering a gap after a claim.
On reefer loads, keep temperature logs and unit maintenance records so a breakdown claim can be proven.
Park loaded trailers in secured, lit lots and use locks and GPS tracking to cut theft losses.
Raise your deductible if you can absorb small damage claims yourself.
Use a bill of lading with an agreed value where the law allows, since 49 U.S.C. 14706(c) lets carrier and shipper limit liability in writing.

Before you start

What underwriters ask for

Your USDOT and MC numbers and the authority you hold
The commodities you haul and the highest value of a single load
Trailer types, including reefers and their unit ages
The cargo limit your brokers and shippers require
Radius, main lanes and overnight parking arrangements
Theft prevention: locks, GPS tracking and secured yards
Cargo loss runs for the past three to five years
Whether you move household goods for individual shippers

Common questions

Motor truck cargo insurance: questions

Is cargo insurance required by FMCSA?

Only for household goods carriers and household goods freight forwarders. FMCSA eliminated the cargo insurance requirement for most for-hire property carriers effective March 21, 2011, though brokers and shippers usually require it by contract.

How much cargo insurance do I need?

Enough for your most valuable load and your contracts. C.H. Robinson and Amazon Relay both require $100,000, and household goods carriers must carry at least $5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 per occurrence under federal rules.

What is a BMC-34?

Form BMC-34 is the certificate of insurance an insurer files with FMCSA to prove cargo liability coverage for household goods carriers, used with the BMC-32 endorsement under 49 CFR 387.313T.

Does commercial auto liability cover the freight?

No. Auto liability pays for injuries and damage you cause to others, and Insureon lists motor truck cargo as a separate line with its own premium.

Does cargo insurance cover spoiled reefer loads?

Only with a refrigeration breakdown endorsement. Progressive Commercial says reefer coverage is not standalone and requires motor truck cargo coverage with refrigeration breakdown.

How long does a shipper have to file a cargo claim?

Under 49 U.S.C. 14706, a carrier cannot set less than 9 months to file a claim or less than 2 years to bring a lawsuit after the carrier disallows the claim in writing.

Who should compare cargo quotes for me?

An independent broker that compares options from several insurers can quote the same limit, deductible and commodity list side by side so the prices are comparable.

Get covered.

Tell us about your business once. We compare options and a licensed agent follows up, usually the same day.

Sources (14)

Figures are published third-party estimates, not quotes. Coverage depends on policy terms and underwriting, and rules vary by state. Updated October 2026.