Trucking insurance in Utah

$750,000 Federal liability minimum for interstate freight over 10,001 pounds

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

Your trucking insurance Utah policy starts at $90,000 in state auto liability, and hauling across state lines for pay raises the floor to at least $750,000. You need a USDOT number before moving cargo, according to the Utah Department of Transportation, even if you never leave the state. An agent experienced with commercial trucks helps you fit coverage limits and filings to the way you actually operate.

Dually pickup with a gooseneck flatbed loaded with a skid steer and steel pipe on a highway shoulder, the rig hotshot insurance covers

Utah intrastate trucking insurance requirements

Hauling intrastate means you pick up and drop off loads within Utah and never cross into another state. Policies issued or renewed starting January 1, 2025 fall under Utah Insurance Code 31A-22-304. Split limits must be at least $30,000 if 1 person is injured or killed and $65,000 when the crash involves 2 or more people. Each accident also needs at least $25,000 in property damage coverage. Another choice is a combined single limit: 1 pool with at least $90,000 for each accident, paying injury costs and property damage alike.

The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles requires every vehicle to carry bodily injury, property damage liability, and No-Fault coverage throughout the registration period. Freight shippers almost always want more than the $90,000 state minimum, so talk with a commercial truck agent before you buy and you won't need to redo your policy for the 1st load you book.

Registration and USDOT rules for Utah trucking insurance

The Utah Department of Transportation says companies moving cargo in intrastate commerce or interstate commerce must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. They also need a USDOT number, and that includes freight brokers. Completing Form MCS-150 gets you a USDOT number, and the fee is $0. Form MCS-150 needs updating every 2 years for intrastate and interstate carriers alike. The same form must be updated whenever company information changes.

Utah intrastate rules mean you must register your power unit for one loaded gross weight: truck or tractor plus every trailer, combined. New owners avoid plenty of trouble here when a truck insurance specialist checks that the policy weight and company name line up with your state registration.

When does Utah commercial truck insurance need federal filings?

Once your truck crosses a state line, federal rules apply. A for-hire carrier pays a $300 application fee to seek interstate Motor Carrier Operating Authority, the federal permit for hauling another person's freight for pay. Proof that you meet federal insurance filing rules comes when your insurer submits Form BMC-91, BMC-91X, or a BMC-82 bond.

Your weight rating and the cargo you carry set the federal liability minimums. Brokers such as C.H. Robinson still ask for $1,000,000 in auto liability plus $100,000 in cargo coverage, even where the law requires less. An agent filing Form BMC-91X daily can help you pick a limit that satisfies both regulators and your brokers.

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.

Operation and cargo type	Minimum liability limit
Utah state auto minimum (policies issued or renewed starting January 1, 2025)	Split: $30,000 / $65,000 / $25,000; combined: $90,000
For-hire interstate property (only vehicles under 10,001 pounds in the fleet)	$300,000
For-hire interstate non-hazardous property (vehicles at 10,001 pounds or above)	$750,000
For-hire interstate: certain hazardous materials (oil, hazardous waste, placarded loads)	$1,000,000
Bulk hazardous tanks, explosives, poison gas, or radioactive materials, for-hire and private	$5,000,000

Driving without coverage: Utah penalties

If your policy lapses while the truck stays registered, the Utah DMV hands down penalties fast. Failing to provide insurance or operator's security is a Class B misdemeanor, which makes an agent who tracks your renewals valuable.

At minimum, a 1st uninsured-vehicle offense will cost you $400 in fines.
The minimum fine jumps to $1,000 for a 2nd or subsequent uninsured-vehicle offense.
If your registration was revoked for no insurance, getting it back costs $100, unless you prove the vehicle had coverage on the revocation date.
One way to reinstate your registration: a current Form SR-22 issued by an insurer or agent approved in Utah.

Dually pulling a gooseneck flatbed of strapped round hay bales on a gravel farm road at golden hour

Questions people ask

If a truck is from out of state, do Utah insurance rules apply?

Yes, they apply: a non-resident comes under Utah insurance requirements when their vehicle has been present in Utah for 90 days within the preceding 365 days. Crossing state lines as a Utah carrier also requires state notification, which keeps trucks properly registered for multi-state registration and fuel tax plans.

Can tow trucks get a weight exception under Utah rules?

For tow trucks, Utah makes an exception to the rule that a power unit must be registered for the truck and trailer's combined loaded weight. But if the tow truck and towed unit together exceed 80,000 pounds, the exception stops applying.

Must intrastate carriers in Utah obey federal safety regulations?

They do: intrastate carriers in Utah must meet applicable federal safety regulations, plus state and local requirements. If a private or exempt for-hire carrier crosses state lines using vehicles rated at least 10,001 pounds, federal registration plus Form MCS-150 is required too.

Sources

Insuring a truck in Utah

A trucking agent who places policies in Utah 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