Commercial truck insurance explained

Federal rules for trucking insurance limits

What you must carry comes down to your cargo, your truck's weight, and whether you run across state lines. The FMCSA ties these minimums to the truck's class and weight plus the cargo it carries.

When your hauling stays within a single state, that state decides the liability minimum and the filing, and that often means a state proof-of-insurance form called a Form E, sent by your insurer.

A filing is the document your insurer sends to the government to show your coverage meets the requirement. When you need federal authority, it is submitted on Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X, the federal proof-of-insurance forms. The FMCSA also requires the MCS-90 endorsement on your policy.

How much is truck insurance per month?

Progressive's 2025 national average for for-hire trucks ran between $734 monthly for specialty truckers and $926 for other transportation truckers. For hotshot truckers, commercial auto insurance averages $896 monthly, which comes to $10,757 annually.

Trucker category	Typical monthly cost
Specialty operators (Progressive, 2025)	$734
Hotshot operators (Insureon)	$896
Other transportation operators (Progressive, 2025)	$926

Your actual price comes down to the kind of trucking you do, your typical distance from home, and your USDOT inspection record.

Call now to talk through your truck, loads and operating radius with an independent agent who writes truck policies, since your price may fall outside these averages.

How to get a commercial truck insurance quote

Call to talk with an independent agent who writes trucks. Having your truck, driver and load details ready will help them work through the coverage you need.

1. Write down each truck you want insured, because to cover several trucks on one policy you must list each truck and driver.
2. List every employee who gets behind the wheel as a permissive user.
3. Have your USDOT number handy, along with what you haul and how far you travel. The kind of trucking you do and your operating radius can affect your price.
4. Pick a deductible that fits your budget. A higher deductible can lower your premium, but it should not be more than you can comfortably pay.

Any interstate truck rated at 10,001 lbs or more needs a USDOT number. Getting an MC number, meaning operating authority, carries a one-time FMCSA fee of $300. For the 2027 registration year, UCR (Unified Carrier Registration) costs $55 when you have 0 to 2 power units.

Truck insurance brokers and agents

A truck agent lines up your limits with your loads and gets the insurer to send your filings. When you call, you'll reach an independent agent who writes trucks, who will match your limits to the loads you want and get your filing sent while your authority clock is running.

Insurance that freight brokers require

Plenty of load boards and freight brokers ask for more than the federal minimum before handing you freight.

Broker	Auto liability	Cargo	Extra
Amazon Relay	$1,000,000	$100,000	$1,000,000 per-occurrence general liability, plus $50,000 trailer and $100,000 employer liability
Uber Freight	$1,000,000	$100,000	$1,000,000 in general liability
C.H. Robinson	$1,000,000 in auto liability	$100,000 in cargo	None stated
TQL	$1,000,000	$100,000	None stated
J.B. Hunt	Federal minimum of $750,000	None required federally

For freight carriers, there is no federal cargo insurance requirement; that rule applies only to household goods movers. Still, most of these brokers look for a $100,000 cargo limit.

Coverage for leased drivers and bobtail

When you run under your own authority, personal use is covered under your policy too. Leasing on to a motor carrier is different: the coverage generally applies only to business use, and the carrier's filing protects you while under dispatch.

Non-trucking liability closes that gap for leased drivers using the truck personally while off the clock. Cause an accident off the job, and it covers injuries and property damage suffered by others. It is off the table when federal or state filings are required of you, when you drive for another company, or when a trailer interchange agreement applies.

• Bobtail insurance applies when a truck is driven without a trailer for business reasons.
• Trailer interchange insurance pays for loss or damage to trailers owned by others during the time those trailers are with you.
• Physical damage coverage on your own truck remains your responsibility while leased on.

Cargo, roadside, and downtime coverage

For Class 3, 4, or 5 trucks moving time-sensitive freight, hotshot policies from Progressive can package liability, cargo, and physical damage in one policy.

• Motor truck cargo pays when hauled goods are lost or damaged through accidents, theft, or other risks. Cargo Plus extends that to water, corrosion, and rust.
• Refrigeration breakdown covers reefer cargo that spoils if the cooling system quits.
• Comprehensive pays when a truck is stolen, vandalized, or burns, and it also covers broken glass and animal collisions.
• On leased or financed trucks, lenders frequently require collision coverage.
• Rental reimbursement with downtime covers a rental or, when no rental can be found, lost income for as long as 30 days. Some truck types do not qualify.

Questions truckers ask