Trucking insurance in Idaho

The first step to getting the trucking insurance Idaho requires is filing proof of liability coverage before you register your truck, or, for exempt local hauling, carrying a minimum of $25,000 for bodily injury.

26,001 lbsWeight rating requiring an Idaho intrastate DOT numberisp.idaho.gov

$750,000Federal liability minimum for interstate general freight49 CFR 387.9

Form BMC-91XFederal liability insurance filing for interstate carriersFMCSA

$25,000 / $50,000 / $15,000Basic Idaho minimum liability coverage limitsitd.idaho.gov

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)

What moves the price

Broker ask

$1,000,000 of auto liability and $100,000 of cargo cover, more than the law asks

Broker limits table

Own MC number

The OP-1 application costs $300, you name a BOC-3 process agent, UCR starts at $55 a year, and your insurer files the BMC-91X within 20 days of FMCSA Register publication.

New authority checklist

Once a vehicle rated over 10,001 pounds crosses state lines, you need an interstate DOT number and liability coverage of at least $750,000. Which filings you need comes down to three things: the cargo you carry, your weight rating, and whether your routes cross state lines.

Dually pulling a loaded gooseneck flatbed, trucking insurance in Idaho

Idaho intrastate trucking insurance requirements

When you haul only within the state, that's known as intrastate trucking. Idaho Code 49-1233 sets the steps before the department can register a motor carrier that hauls people or property. You need verification and a formal filing of property damage and liability insurance, self-insurance, or a surety bond. The Idaho Transportation Board sets the form. With a surety bond, a bonding company guarantees it will pay claims if you can't.

By rule, the Idaho Transportation Board decides how much liability coverage motor carriers must carry. The department must get at least 30 days of notice from your insurer before your policy or bond is terminated. (The insurance company also needs approval to operate in Idaho.) Every policy also has to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for bodily injuries, unless a named insured turns it down in writing. If another driver causes a crash and carries too little insurance, this coverage pays for the bodily injuries. Talking to an agent who writes truck insurance helps you get the board-prescribed filing in before registration stalls.

Who is exempt from Idaho trucking insurance filings?

Under state law, several local operations are excused from the Idaho Transportation Board's insurance requirement for motor carriers. When you haul only these items, you don't have to make that motor carrier filing:

Even so, exempt intrastate carriers must carry the basic coverage amounts that section 49-117 requires. Idaho vehicle coverage rules require at least $15,000 for property damage on every vehicle. Bodily injury liability minimums are $25,000 for 1 person per accident and $50,000 when 2 or more people are hurt. Since commercial crash repairs quickly pass $15,000, an agent who writes trucking insurance can help you compare higher coverage limits that protect your business.

Farm goods such as livestock, livestock feed, manure, or produce.
Products from forests.
Mine products, such as gravel, sand, and aggregates, but petroleum products are not exempt.
Tow trucks (called wreckers under state law) or household goods.
Farm equipment or farm supplies belonging to the farmer, carried in that farmer's vehicles.

DOT numbers and registering trucks with the state

Through Commercial Vehicle Services, the Idaho Transportation Department registers any commercial power unit over 8,000 pounds, and farm power units only when they are over 60,000 pounds. Every commercial vehicle also needs a mandatory DOT number displayed where it can be seen.

The maximum safe weight the manufacturer sets for a truck and its load is the vehicle's weight rating. An intrastate DOT number is required for intrastate-only vehicles under Rule 19, part of the Idaho Motor Carrier Rules, when the weight rating reaches at least 26,001 pounds. The same applies to vehicles with a combination weight rating, vehicles carrying more than 8 passengers, and vehicles hauling placarded hazardous materials. The intrastate DOT number rule doesn't apply to carriers hauling only agricultural commodities. Working with an agent who handles commercial truck insurance ensures your policy's weight class lines up with your state registration.

Federal limits for Idaho commercial truck insurance

An interstate DOT number is required once a carrier rated over 10,001 pounds operates outside Idaho, making it an interstate carrier. You apply for both intrastate and interstate DOT numbers online through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Interstate for-hire hauling calls for your insurer to file Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X, proving you carry the liability minimums federal rules set (a BMC-82 bond can be filed instead).

The federal minimum of $750,000 activates general freight authority, though freight brokers often ask for higher limits before booking a carrier. C.H. Robinson, for instance, requires auto liability of $1,000,000 plus cargo liability of $100,000. You can set coverage with a trucking insurance agent to satisfy federal rules plus the brokers who hire you.

Operation and cargo type	Minimum liability coverage
State basic auto liability for exempt local carriers	$25,000 / $50,000 / $15,000
For-hire interstate property where only vehicles under 10,001 pounds are used	$300,000
Non-hazardous property moved interstate for hire at 10,001 pounds or higher	$750,000
For-hire interstate oil, hazardous waste, or placarded hazardous shipments	$1,000,000
Interstate explosives, poison gas, radioactive items, or hazardous materials in bulk tanks	$5,000,000

Questions people ask

When is Heavy Vehicle Use Tax proof needed for registering my Idaho truck?

For any Idaho vehicle with gross combined weight reaching 55,000 pounds or more, registration requires evidence that the federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax was filed. Each tax period covers July 1 through June 30, and anyone with 25 or more taxable vehicles must file through an IRS-approved company online.

Before I have Form 2290 Schedule 1, can a heavy truck be registered in Idaho?

Yes, as long as you bought the truck recently. Rather than Form 2290 Schedule 1, Idaho will take a dated bill of sale when the vehicle was purchased within 60 days of when you register.

If my Idaho truck insurance lapses, what happens?

The Drive Insured program warns owners after 2 consecutive months with no insurance on record. They then have 30 days to show proof before the state suspends their registration. Getting a suspended registration reinstated takes proof of insurance plus a $75 fee, and your carrier registration can be revoked if motor carrier insurance is not kept in force.

Sources

Insuring a truck in Idaho

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

Call +1 866 403 5064 Send my details