Travelers trucking insurance
The call goes to an independent agency, not to Travelers.
- Liability limits: as much as $1,000,000 with Travelers commercial auto
- Owner-operators and fleets: handled by Northland Insurance, part of Travelers
- Where to buy: from an independent insurance agent
- Northland claims help: reachable 24/7
Maximum liability limit on Travelers commercial auto policies.
TravelersAM Best rating for the Travelers Reinsurance Pool.
TravelersMinimum self-propelled vehicles under 1 owner for a fleet.
TravelersFederal minimum liability for interstate general freight over 10,001 lbs.
49 CFR 387.9Hotshot and truck coverage cost per month
| A month | Applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|
| $665 to $1,165 | An established hotshot business with a clean driving record | Trucking Insurance Services |
| $1,000 to $1,800 | A hotshot in the first two years with your own new MC number | Trucker Path Insurance |
An agent prices your own truck, record and routes; Travelers quotes can land above or below these ranges.
Travelers trucking insurance comes in two forms. Its own commercial auto insurance offers liability limits of up to $1 million. For owner-operators and fleets, it points you to Northland Insurance, a division of Travelers. Travelers does not sell either one on its own. An insurance agent handles both sales.
How to buy Travelers trucking insurance
Travelers explains that you purchase its commercial auto insurance through an independent insurance agent. So for a new policy, an agent is the normal starting point rather than a Travelers sales line. Northland follows the same route. Its truck insurance goes only through wholesale general agents, and it does not appoint retail agents itself.
Think of a wholesale general agent as a middle layer. It works with local insurance agencies instead of dealing with the public directly. Your own agent then places your policy through one of those wholesale partners.
Our line connects you with an independent insurance agent, not Travelers. Tell the agent how you run, what truck and trailer you use, and the state where you're based. The agent can then review the programs and limits that suit your situation.
Reporting a claim
When your truck policy sits with Northland, you can reach its claims support team 24/7, so you can call in a crash or loss whenever you need to. For the right claims contact, check your policy papers or ask your agent.
Travelers also has a Special Investigations Group that handles theft. According to the company, the group has recovered over $37 million worth of stolen goods since 2009.
One thing to remember: Travelers says exclusions apply to its commercial auto coverage. Before a claim comes up, your agent can walk you through the gaps in your own policy.
Coverage types in a truck policy
LiabilityPays for injuries and damage your truck causes to other people. The federal minimum is $300,000 to $5,000,000.
Motor truck cargoPays for the load you haul if it is damaged or stolen. Most brokers ask for $100,000.
Physical damageRepairs or replaces your own truck and trailer after a crash, fire or theft.
Non-trucking liabilityCovers a driver working for a trucking company who uses the truck between loads, off the job.
BobtailCovers a truck you drive for a trucking company when it has no trailer, such as a pickup heading home after dropping a load.
Trailer interchangePays for damage to a trailer you pull for someone else under a written trailer-sharing agreement.
Travelers commercial auto coverage
This program provides liability limits of up to $1 million. The vehicle types it lists include:
- Light-duty trucks
- Heavy-duty and extra-heavy-duty trucks
- Truck trailers
- Vehicle fleets
Under Travelers, a fleet means 5 or more self-propelled vehicles sharing one owner. A lone pickup pulling a trailer does not meet that fleet definition.
Travelers also sells optional coverages called Select Auto CoveragePlus. One of them is blanket additional insured coverage. Ask your agent whether your contracts call for it.
Regarding financial strength, the Travelers Reinsurance Pool holds an A++ rating from AM Best.
Northland Insurance
Northland Insurance counts as a division of Travelers, not a separate outside insurer. The Travelers transportation page sends owner-operators and fleets to Northland, apart from its "Commercial Truck & Auto" and cargo choices. According to Northland, it has backed owner-operators and trucking fleets since 1948. Here are the 6 kinds of coverage Northland offers:
- Liability for commercial autos
- Motor truck cargo, covering the freight you carry
- Physical damage, which pays to fix or replace the truck you own
- General liability
- Roadside assistance and towing
- Deluxe coverage
Cargo insurance
Travelers' transportation page speaks to over-the-road truckers hauling cargo for other companies. The freight itself falls under a separate inland marine page, where motor carriers appear among the businesses needing cargo cover. Inland marine is simply the insurance label for protection on goods while they travel over land.
Two cargo programs are available: Cargo Pak and Cargo and Logistics Pak. Freight carriers have no federal cargo insurance rule; that requirement applies to household goods movers. Even so, plenty of brokers request cargo coverage anyway.
Federal liability minimums
Haul for hire across state lines and the law sets the smallest amount of liability you must carry. You can read the rules in 49 CFR 387.9 and 387.303.
| Cargo you haul and how it is rated | Least liability required |
|---|---|
| Freight in general, where the fleet consists only of vehicles below 10,001 lbs | $300,000 |
| Freight in general, with a vehicle rated at 10,001 lbs or above | $750,000 |
| Oil, hazardous waste, and other listed hazardous materials, carried by a vehicle rated at 10,001 lbs or above | $1,000,000 |
| Hazardous substances carried in bulk, including cargo tanks, rated at 10,001 lbs or above | $5,000,000 |
Travelers commercial auto can provide up to $1,000,000, which covers the first 3 rows but not the $5,000,000 needed for bulk hazmat.
Insurers that write small trucks and hotshots
One independent agent can quote several of these for the same truck. Logos belong to their owners; none of these companies runs this site.
Common questions
What liability limits do brokers ask truckers for?
Cargo brokers including C.H. Robinson, TQL, Uber Freight, and Amazon Relay typically require $1,000,000 of auto liability coverage plus $100,000 of cargo coverage. J.B. Hunt asks for no less than the federal minimum of $750,000. Compare the two lists: C.H. Robinson carrier page and TQL carrier page.
What does $1,000,000 in liability insurance cost each month?
Travelers does not publish prices. For a rough reference, hotshot truckers spend an average of $896 a month on commercial auto insurance, or about $10,757 a year. Progressive Commercial's national average sat between $734 and $926 a month, based on the kind of trucking involved.
Is general liability part of a Travelers policy?
Commercial auto liability and general liability are two different coverages. Northland lists both of them. For general liability, hotshot businesses spend about $32 each month.
Sources
Related
Compare Travelers with other quotes
Our line reaches an independent insurance agent, not Travelers. Tell them how you run, your truck and trailer, and the state you are based in.
Call an independent agent: +1 866 403 5064
Hotshot Insure passes your request to one truck insurance agency. We do not sell or quote insurance. An insurance agent quotes your truck.