$750,000
General freight
For-hire, interstate, nonhazardous property in vehicles rated 10,001 pounds or more.
New authorities & owner-operators
Trucking insurance
for your own authority.
Primary liability, cargo and physical damage for a first truck or a small fleet, reviewed around the freight you actually haul.
Trucking coverage
What the government requires
Federal minimum liability.
For-hire carriers operating across state lines must carry at least the liability limits set in 49 CFR 387.9. The amount depends on what you haul and the vehicle’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). These are floors, not recommendations; broker and shipper contracts often ask for more.
$1,000,000
Oil & listed hazmat
Oil, hazardous waste and other listed hazardous materials in vehicles rated 10,001 pounds or more.
$5,000,000
Higher-hazard loads
Hazardous substances in bulk and certain explosives, poison-inhalation and radioactive materials.
Passenger carriers follow a separate schedule in 49 CFR 387.33: $1.5 million for vehicles seating 15 or fewer including the driver and $5 million for 16 or more.
Getting your authority active
BMC-91 filings and the MCS-90.
The insurer files proof, not you
Your liability insurer files Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X with FMCSA as proof of bodily injury and property damage coverage. FMCSA does not grant operating authority until adequate proof is on file, so coverage needs to be arranged while your application is pending.
The MCS-90 protects the public
The MCS-90 endorsement on your liability policy guarantees payment of final judgments for public liability up to the required minimum, even where the policy might otherwise not respond. You agree to reimburse the insurer for those payments. It is not added coverage for your business.
Household-goods carriers also need a cargo filing (BMC-34). Brokers and freight forwarders have their own security requirements.
What a trucking program includes
Separate coverages for separate losses.
Primary auto liability
Injury and damage you cause to others. This is the coverage behind your BMC-91 filing and the limit brokers check before they tender a load.
Motor truck cargo
Loss of or damage to the freight you haul. Limits, excluded commodities, reefer breakdown and unattended-vehicle conditions vary a lot between policies.
Physical damage
Collision and comprehensive for your tractor and trailer. Usually required by the lender if the equipment is financed. Agree on stated values before a loss, not after.
Non-trucking liability
For leased-on drivers using the truck off dispatch, such as a personal errand after the last delivery. It does not replace the carrier’s primary liability.
Bobtail liability
Some insurers use this for driving without a trailer while still under dispatch. The two terms are used differently between policies, so read the definitions.
Trailer interchange & more
Trailer interchange, general liability and occupational accident coverage depend on your contracts and whether you hire drivers.
Leased on or on your own
Whose authority are you running under?
Leased on to a motor carrier, the carrier typically supplies primary liability while you are under its dispatch. Your lease then decides what you carry yourself: often non-trucking or bobtail liability and physical damage on your truck.
With your own MC number, you carry the primary liability, the filings and the cargo coverage your customers require. Progressive Commercial notes that leasing on is usually cheaper for that reason.
Why new authorities pay more
Insurers price on experience, and a new authority has no loss or inspection history under its own USDOT number. Underwriters lean on your CDL experience and driving record instead. Progressive Commercial reported 2025 averages for new for-hire policies of about $926 a month for transport truckers and $734 a month for specialty truckers; your price can be well above or below that.
When it can come down
There is no fixed date. FMCSA treats new carriers as New Entrants for 18 months, with a safety audit in the first 12. Clean inspections, a passed audit and claim-free loss runs give underwriters more to work with at each renewal, though trucking rates across the market have been rising.
What semi-truck insurance costs for a new authority →Get trucking coverage.
Start with your email. You can save and come back to the rest.
Before you start
What to have ready.
Missing a VIN or a loss run? Start anyway and mark it for follow-up. Vans, box trucks and service vehicles are covered on the commercial auto page; contractors hauling their own equipment can also see contractor insurance.
- USDOT and MC numbers, or where your application stands
- Years of CDL experience and motor vehicle records for every driver
- Year, make, model, VIN and value for each tractor and trailer
- Commodities hauled, including any hazmat, reefer or high-value loads
- Operating radius and the states you run in
- Loss runs from prior insurers, if you have them
- Lease agreements and broker or shipper insurance requirements
Common questions
Trucking insurance questions.
How much liability insurance does a new authority need?
Federal rules in 49 CFR 387.9 set $750,000 as the minimum for for-hire carriers hauling nonhazardous freight across state lines in vehicles rated 10,001 pounds or more. Oil and certain hazardous materials require $1 million and some hazardous substances $5 million. These are minimums; many brokers and shippers ask for more.
What is a BMC-91 or BMC-91X filing?
It is the form your insurer files with FMCSA as proof of your bodily injury and property damage liability coverage. The insurer files it, not you, and FMCSA will not grant operating authority until adequate proof of insurance is on file.
What does the MCS-90 endorsement do?
It is attached to a motor carrier’s liability policy for the public’s benefit. The insurer agrees to pay final judgments for public liability from the operation of covered vehicles up to the required amount, even in some situations the policy would not otherwise cover. You agree to reimburse the insurer for those payments. It is not extra coverage for your business.
Do I need my own insurance if I am leased on to a carrier?
Usually some. The motor carrier typically provides primary liability while you are under its dispatch, but your lease may require you to carry non-trucking or bobtail liability, physical damage on your truck and other coverage. Read the lease and share it for review.
Why is insurance so expensive for a new authority, and when does it go down?
Insurers price on history, and a new authority has none under its own USDOT number. There is no set date when rates drop. Time in business, clean inspections, completing FMCSA’s 18-month New Entrant period and a clean loss record give underwriters more to work with at each renewal, though market-wide trucking rates have been rising.
Does submitting the form start coverage?
No. Florin reviews your operation and compares options. Any coverage, start date and insurance filing must be separately confirmed.
Keep reading
Practical guides for the road ahead.
How much does semi-truck insurance cost for a new authority?
Your own MC authority means primary liability at federal minimums, plus cargo and physical damage. See costs, required limits and how new carriers save.
How much does commercial auto insurance cost, and how can I lower it?
Small businesses often pay a few hundred dollars per vehicle per month; trucking costs far more. See averages by business type and state, and ways to save.
Does personal auto insurance cover business use?
Commuting and errands are usually covered. Deliveries, hauling tools, client visits and paid passengers often are not. Here is where the line sits.