Trucking insurance in Maryland

Maryland intrastate trucking insurance requirements

A carrier counts as intrastate when it operates only within Maryland and never moves freight across any state boundary. The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration will not register your vehicle until you present proof of the required insurance security; Maryland-registered vehicles may be covered only by insurers approved in Maryland.

The starting point for Maryland auto liability minimums is $30,000 for one person's injuries, $60,000 per accident for injuries, and $15,000 for damaged property. You are required to keep the coverage active, and that duty applies even while the truck is parked in your yard. Even so, Maryland adopted the bulk of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, Part 387 for commercial insurance among them. It also took on Parts 40, 382, 383, 390 through 399, plus portions of Parts 385 and 386. New owners often get stuck where the state rules and the commercial rules overlap, and we see it happen a lot. Before you register, it helps to talk with an insurance agent who writes truck policies so you set the right limit.

Do I need a DOT number for Maryland commercial truck insurance?

On public roads, each registered truck heavier than 10,000 pounds, each truck tractor, and each bus has to show either a USDOT number or a motor carrier ID number for intrastate use. Both interstate and intrastate carriers need to apply for a DOT number through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the State Highway Administration says. For a Maryland number, a Maryland DOT brochure also identifies MCIR-150 as the application form and routes you through SHA Motor Carrier Division in Maryland's Office of Traffic and Safety. Every 2 years, it requires the information on your application to be updated.

Some vehicles driven only inside Maryland can skip displaying a DOT number, yet Maryland-registered trucks in a qualifying class or weight still fall under the Preventive Maintenance Program in COMAR 11.22.02 to 11.22.04. An agent who writes policies for commercial trucks ensures your policy name and DOT number match the lettering on your door.

• Vehicles still within 15 days of purchase, when operated only intrastate.
• Farm-area motor vehicles, farm truck tractors, and farm trucks, when run only intrastate.
• Intrastate-only emergency vehicles.

Liability limits for Maryland trucking insurance

For-hire freight that crosses state lines brings federal liability minimums into play, set by the truck's weight rating and the cargo. Your insurer submits Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X to the federal agency to activate your authority. That electronic filing shows you have enough liability coverage. Or your insurer files a BMC-82 bond instead.

Federal authority goes active only after $750,000 is on file for any truck rated 10,001 pounds or more. Fleets running only vehicles under 10,001 pounds need $300,000 in liability coverage. Even so, big freight brokers such as C.H. Robinson want to see $1,000,000 of auto liability plus cargo coverage of $100,000. When an agent writes trucks every day, they can submit your federal filing and get certificates to brokers, so paperwork won't hold you up.

Operation or cargo type	Minimum liability limit
Maryland's base auto liability: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage	$30,000 / $60,000 / $15,000
For-hire interstate freight where the fleet's vehicles are only under 10,001 pounds	$300,000
For-hire interstate non-hazardous freight in trucks of 10,001 pounds or more	$750,000
For-hire oil, hazardous waste, or placarded hazardous materials	$1,000,000
Standard requirement from brokers like C.H. Robinson	$1,000,000 auto + $100,000 cargo
Bulk hazardous substances, explosives, poison gas, or radioactive materials	$5,000,000

Interstate truck plates and registration requirements

Crossing state lines often means trucks need apportioned registration, the International Registration Plan plate program that divides registration fees among the states you travel through. In Maryland, you qualify when your power unit has 2 axles and tops 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. You also qualify with any power unit that has 3 or more axles, whatever the weight. You can still apply if your vehicle or combination on 2 axles weighs no more than 26,000 pounds (applying is optional at that weight).

Maryland's role in the federal PRISM safety program lets state officials deny or suspend your commercial registration once the federal agency has barred you from interstate commerce. Talking with an agent who knows truck insurance helps you keep your filings active, so a preventable lapse doesn't cost you your plates.

Questions people ask