$816 a month
Owner-operator commercial auto
Insureon median for owner-operators, updated July 2025
Trucking and transportation
New trucking authority insurance
For drivers and small fleets getting their own MC authority for the first time: the FMCSA filings and deadlines, broker minimums, typical costs and what underwriters ask for.
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What similar businesses pay
- Owner-operator commercial auto
- $816 a month
- For-hire transport truck auto
- $926 a month
- General liability
- $51 a month
Published benchmarks, not quotes. Your price depends on underwriting.
Cost
What new trucking authority insurance costs
$926 a month
For-hire transport truck auto
Progressive Commercial average per power unit, 2025
$51 a month
General liability
Insureon median for owner-operators, updated July 2025
No major source publishes a figure for first-year authorities alone, so treat these as reference points. Insureon’s numbers are medians for owner-operators who apply for quotes through it: $816 a month ($9,794 a year) for commercial auto and $51 a month for general liability. Progressive’s $926 is a 2025 average per power unit for new liability and physical damage policies with no driver violations, so a new carrier with a ticket or a short driving history should expect more. Costs are rising across the industry: ATRI’s 2026 update, as reported by FreightWaves, puts premiums at 10.6 cents a mile in 2025, up 3.9% from 2024. DAT notes premiums may come down after a first year of safe operation.
What moves your price
- The owner’s and drivers’ CDL experience and motor vehicle records, since a new authority has no loss history
- Commodities you list on the application
- Operating radius and the states you run
- Vehicle type and the value of the tractor and trailer
- Roadside inspection history once you start running
- The auto, cargo and general liability limits your brokers require
Risks
The risks insurers price for
No history for an underwriter to price
An insurer pricing an established carrier reads years of loss runs and inspections. A new authority has none, so the quote rests on the owner and drivers. One80’s June 2026 trucking program sheet asks businesses under 3 years old for a new venture profile and requires 2 years of CDL experience for every driver.
Application dismissed for a late filing
Under 49 CFR 365.109, your insurer’s filing and your BOC-3 are due within 90 days of the FMCSA Register notice. FMCSA says if nothing arrives within 20 days it warns that the application will be dismissed unless you comply within 60 days.
Authority revoked after a cancellation
Once authority is granted you must keep proof of insurance on file. A missed payment leads to a BMC-35 cancellation notice, and under 49 CFR 387.313 the filing ends 30 days later, after which FMCSA begins revocation.
Failing the new entrant audit
FMCSA lists operating without the required insurance as an automatic failure, alongside having no drug and alcohol testing program, using a driver without a valid CDL and running a vehicle placed out of service before repairs.
Brokers that will not load you yet
Authority alone does not book freight. C.H. Robinson requires 7 or more days of active authority as of June 2026, and Amazon Relay requires at least 180 days, each with insurance minimums above the federal floor.
Coverage
Coverage to consider
Primary auto liability
The policy your insurer certifies to FMCSA on Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X, with the MCS-90 endorsement kept at your principal place of business. It is the only coverage FMCSA requires for general freight.
How commercial auto works →Motor truck cargo
Pays for freight lost or damaged in your care. FMCSA requires $0 for general freight, but C.H. Robinson and Amazon Relay both ask for $100,000.
Physical damage
Collision and comprehensive on the tractor or truck, usually required when the equipment is financed.
How commercial auto works →Trailer interchange
Covers a trailer you pull under an interchange agreement. Amazon Relay asks semi operators for $50,000.
General liability
Covers claims that are not driving accidents, which auto liability does not pick up. Amazon Relay requires $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate.
How general liability works →Workers’ compensation
Insureon notes most states require it once you have employees. Amazon Relay also asks for $100,000 of employers liability.
How workers’ compensation works →Rules
Requirements and filings
FMCSA will not grant operating authority until your insurer’s filing is on file, and you must keep it there. FMCSA is moving registration into a new system called Motus during 2026, so check its registration pages for the current application path.
| Requirement | Applies to | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Operating authority fee | Each type of authority applied for | $300 per authority under 49 CFR 360.3, not refunded for mistaken applications. FMCSA says first-time applications take 20 to 25 business days, or 8 weeks or longer if reviewed. |
| Minimum liability, heavier trucks | For-hire general freight in vehicles of 10,001 lb or more | $750,000 under 49 CFR 387.9 and FMCSA’s filing chart. |
| Minimum liability, light fleets | Fleets made up only of vehicles under 10,001 lb | $300,000, per FMCSA’s filing chart. |
| Insurance filing and BOC-3 | Every new applicant; the insurer files BMC-91 or BMC-91X | Due within 90 days of the application’s publication in the FMCSA Register, under 49 CFR 365.109. |
| Cancellation notice | Any certificate of insurance on file | Cannot end until 30 days after Form BMC-35 is filed, under 49 CFR 387.313; 49 CFR 387.7 requires 35 days’ notice between you and the insurer. |
| New entrant monitoring | Every new interstate carrier | 18 months of monitoring under 49 CFR 385.307, with a safety audit FMCSA says usually happens within 12 months of starting operations. |
| Broker carrier criteria | Carriers hauling for C.H. Robinson or Amazon Relay | $1 million auto liability and $100,000 cargo at both; Relay also requires 180 days of active authority (C.H. Robinson June 2026, Amazon Relay February 2026). |
Compare new trucking authority 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
- Line up a quote before you apply: FMCSA tells registrants to be ready to have their insurer file right after they receive a docket number.
- Match your business name and address exactly across state records and the FMCSA application; FMCSA says any mismatch delays the grant.
- Set up drug and alcohol testing, including random testing, before your first load so the audit cannot fail on it.
- Hire drivers with at least 2 years of CDL experience, which some new venture programs require, and list only the commodities you actually haul.
- Share ELD data: Progressive says new truck customers in its Smart Haul program save an average of $1,261.
- Keep payments current, since a canceled policy starts a 30-day countdown to losing authority, and compare quotes through an independent broker that compares options from several insurers, such as Florin.
Before you start
What underwriters ask for
- USDOT number, docket number and the date FMCSA published your application
- Driver list with license numbers, CDL class, years of experience and dates of birth
- Motor vehicle reports dated within the last 90 days
- The owner’s past 2 years of experience in trucking or a related industry
- VINs, model years and stated values for each truck and trailer, plus any lienholder
- Commodities, operating radius and the states you plan to run
- Loss runs from any prior trucking policy and IFTA filings if you have them
- The limits your brokers or shippers require on certificates
Common questions
New trucking authority insurance: questions
Can I apply for authority before I buy insurance?
Yes, but FMCSA will not grant the authority until your insurer’s filing is on file. Under 49 CFR 365.109, the filing and your BOC-3 must arrive within 90 days of your application being published in the FMCSA Register.
What is the difference between a BMC-91 and a BMC-91X?
Under 49 CFR 387.313, a BMC-91 certifies the full required limit from one insurer, while a BMC-91X can show full coverage or one layer when several insurers combine to reach the limit. Both are filed by the insurer.
What happens if my policy is canceled after authority is granted?
The insurer files Form BMC-35, and the filing ends 30 days later under 49 CFR 387.313. Without a replacement filing, FMCSA begins revocation of your authority.
Does FMCSA require cargo insurance for a new authority?
Not for general freight: FMCSA’s filing chart lists $0 for cargo. Household goods carriers are the exception, and most brokers ask for $100,000 of cargo coverage anyway.
How long until big brokers will load a new authority?
It varies by broker. C.H. Robinson requires 7 or more days of active authority and an Unrated or Satisfactory safety rating as of June 2026, while Amazon Relay requires at least 180 days.
When will FMCSA audit a new carrier?
FMCSA says the new entrant safety audit takes place within 12 months of starting operations. Under 49 CFR 385.307 it generally comes after at least 3 months, once you have enough records to review.
Will my premium drop after the first year?
It can. DAT notes that premiums may come down after the first year of safe operation, which is why clean inspections and no claims in year one matter at the first renewal.
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Sources (19)
- FMCSA: insurance filing requirements
- FMCSA: get operating authority
- FMCSA: New Entrant Safety Assurance Program
- eCFR: 49 CFR 360.3, filing fees
- Cornell LII: 49 CFR 365.109, FMCSA review of the application
- eCFR: 49 CFR 385.307, new entrant safety monitoring
- eCFR: 49 CFR 387.7, financial responsibility required
- eCFR: 49 CFR 387.9, minimum levels
- eCFR: 49 CFR 387.313, forms and procedures
- Insureon: owner-operator insurance cost (updated July 2025)
- Insureon: box truck insurance
- Progressive Commercial: commercial truck insurance cost (2025)
- Progressive Commercial: commercial truck insurance
- Progressive Commercial: motor carrier insurance
- DAT: new authority truck insurance
- One80 Intermediaries: domestic trucking program (June 2026)
- C.H. Robinson: new carrier safety measures (June 2026)
- Amazon Relay: understanding insurance requirements (February 2026)
- FreightWaves: Trucking costs outpaced consumer inflation in ’25 (July 2026)
Figures are published third-party estimates, not quotes. Coverage depends on policy terms and underwriting, and rules vary by state. Updated October 2026.