Trucking insurance in Michigan

$750,000 Federal liability minimum for trucks 10,001 lbs or more

Monthly cost, national figures

$665 to $1,165 a month for an established hotshot with a clean record (Trucking Insurance Services)

$1,000 to $1,800 in the first two years of a new MC number (Trucker Path Insurance)

Own MC number

$300 for the OP-1 application; you name a BOC-3 process agent, UCR is $55 a year for 0 to 2 trucks, more for bigger fleets (UCR Plan), and your insurer files the BMC-91X within 20 days of FMCSA Register publication.

New authority checklist

For in-state damage, the trucking insurance Michigan mandates is a no-fault policy with property protection of up to $1,000,000. A truck over 10,001 pounds that carries for-hire freight across state lines needs federal liability of at least $750,000. Before your authority can go active, the insurer must file electronic proof as well.

Michigan intrastate trucking insurance requirements

To drive legally, your vehicle must carry no-fault auto insurance in Michigan, as state law requires. Operating in intrastate commerce means your loads are picked up and dropped off inside Michigan, and you never cross a state line.

Dually pulling a gooseneck flatbed of oilfield pipe on a West Texas caliche road, pumpjacks behind

(For any policy written no later than July 1, 2020, 20/40/10 was the legal minimum for bodily injury and property damage.) Hauling another person's freight for pay inside the state also calls for intrastate operating authority. That authority is the government's permission to operate as a for-hire carrier. You can call the Michigan Department of Transportation at 517-284-3250 for help with Michigan Intrastate Operating Authority. A truck insurance agent helps you, on day 1, bring your policy in line with state rules.

Michigan Property Protection: covers up to $1,000,000 when your vehicle damages someone else's property in Michigan.
The default bodily injury limit under the state's bodily injury rules starts at $250,000 per person.
The lowest bodily injury option a Michigan driver can buy is $50,000 per injured person and $100,000 per accident.
For damage to property outside Michigan, the state minimum includes a limit of up to $10,000.

Michigan highway permits and USDOT numbers

Your company's safety record gets tracked by a USDOT number, which is the identification number shown on your truck. The Michigan carrier rules cover carriers using any commercial vehicle heavier than 10,001 pounds, in-state or across state lines. Those carriers must get a USDOT number and show it. You can register by calling the Michigan State Police Traffic Safety Division, formerly the Motor Carrier Division, at (888) 464-8736.

Before tall or heavy loads roll, they need state clearance. Oversize or overweight permits for state and federal highways in Michigan, both single-trip and extended, come from the state's MiTRIP permit system. Permits are required for any vehicle or object over 13' 6" in height, and you can call 517-241-8999 with general permit questions. Check with a trucking insurance agent before you pull permits, and your policy is sure to cover oversized freight.

Do you need federal filings with Michigan commercial truck insurance?

Once your truck crosses a state line, federal liability rules apply. If the vehicle's rating is 10,001 pounds or more, a for-hire carrier hauling non-hazardous property must hold at least $750,000 in liability.

A for-hire property fleet with nothing but vehicles under 10,001 pounds gets a lower federal minimum for lighter vehicles: $300,000. When you haul hazardous materials, higher limits apply.

You'll also need a federal filing before your authority goes active. Your insurer sends electronic proof of liability coverage to federal regulators as Form BMC-91X under the federal filing requirements for insurance. (Form BMC-91 or a BMC-82 bond can also be filed by your insurer.) Delays in your paperwork are prevented when you work with an agent filing authorities every week.

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.

Carrier and cargo type	Minimum federal liability limit
For-hire property carrier, fleet only under 10,001 lbs	$300,000
For-hire non-hazardous property, 10,001 lbs or more	$750,000
For-hire oil, hazardous waste, or placarded hazardous loads	$1,000,000
For-hire or private: bulk hazardous tanks, poison gas, explosives, or radioactive	$5,000,000

Broker limits for Michigan trucking insurance

If you carry $750,000, you meet the federal requirement for general freight, but many brokers still refuse to load your truck at that limit. C.H. Robinson carrier requirements, for instance, call for auto liability of $1,000,000 plus cargo liability of $100,000. One practical step is asking a trucking insurance agent for prices at $750,000 and $1,000,000, which can help you avoid missing loads.

Dually pulling a tarped gooseneck load up a two-lane mountain pass in Colorado

Questions people ask

If you drive a truck without insurance in Michigan, what is the penalty?

Under state law, driving uninsured in Michigan is a misdemeanor. The fine can reach $500, and jail time can reach 1 year.

What rules cover the lettering on the doors of Michigan commercial vehicles?

Michigan Vehicle Code 257.723 requires commercial vehicles over 5,000 pounds registered in Michigan to display on each side the owner's name plus city and state, or else a registered logo. Letters have to be at least 3 inches tall and can't sit lower than the door's bottom edge. If a truck shows a USDOT number, meeting the federal 390.21 rules is enough.

At what point do Michigan trucks need a CDL or an annual inspection?

Inspections by a qualified inspector must happen no less often than once every 12 months for each commercial vehicle and trailer. A CDL is also required in Michigan for vehicles run above 26,001 pounds and for hauling hazardous materials.

Sources

Insuring a truck in Michigan

A trucking agent who places policies in Michigan can quote it by phone, or you can send your details.

A quote costs nothing, and you do not have to buy.

Call +1 866 403 5064 Send my details

Desk in a small insurance agency office with a phone and notebook, a dually and gooseneck parked outside the window