Trucking insurance in Nebraska

Nebraska intrastate trucking insurance requirements

Intrastate commerce means picking up and delivering loads within the state, without ever crossing a border. If someone pays you to haul their freight, that makes you a for-hire carrier. The Nebraska Motor Carrier Safety Regulations brochure says the state brings intrastate for-hire motor carriers, and carriers hauling certain hazardous materials, under federal Part 387 insurance rules.

Nebraska defines a commercial motor vehicle as a business vehicle whose weight rating, alone or combined, tops 10,000 lbs. Your truck's factory weight limit plus your trailer's factory weight limit gives you the combined weight rating. State law gives its own category to intrastate pickups with trailers where the combined rating tops 10,000 lbs (a CDL isn't always needed). Part 387 insurance limits still apply to those rigs. Agents who write truck policies daily can total the ratings on your truck and trailer, so you get the right policy before you hit the road.

Minimum limits for Nebraska commercial truck insurance

What you haul, whether you haul for hire, and your combined weight rating all decide the liability limit you need. Every registered vehicle needs at least the base state auto limits in Nebraska Statute 60-509, plus uninsured and underinsured motorist limits of $25,000 per person and $25,000 for each accident. Hauling for hire or carrying hazardous materials brings the commercial Part 387 limits into play.

Even when $750,000 satisfies the law, freight brokers often want higher limits before putting freight on your trailer. As one example, C.H. Robinson carrier rules ask for $100,000 in cargo coverage and $1,000,000 in auto liability. A policy that meets state enforcement rules and fits the brokers you prefer is easier to set up with help from a trucking insurance agent.

Vehicle or carrier category	Minimum liability limit	Rule source
Standard registered Nebraska vehicle	$25,000 property damage, plus bodily injury of $25,000 for 1 person and $50,000 for 2 or more people	State Statute 60-509
For-hire property carrier (fleet under 10,001 lbs)	$300,000	49 CFR Part 387
For-hire non-hazardous property carrier (10,001 lbs or more)	$750,000	49 CFR Part 387
Hauling hazardous materials for hire (placarded loads, hazardous waste, or oil)	$1,000,000	49 CFR Part 387
Private or for-hire carrier hauling poison gas, explosives, bulk hazardous tanks, or radioactive materials	$5,000,000	49 CFR Part 387
C.H. Robinson broker requirement	$1,000,000 auto liability and $100,000 cargo	Broker contract

Where do you file Nebraska trucking insurance and permits?

Separate state offices take care of your authority paperwork, truck tags, and safety numbers. Operating authority means the government has officially allowed your business to haul loads for pay. Nebraska Statute 75-303, together with sections 75-301 through 75-322, lets the Nebraska Public Service Commission grant intrastate authority only to passenger and household-goods carriers. The commission cannot set rates for hauling livestock. A truck insurance agent with real experience can help you line up your insurance paperwork with the specific state offices you deal with.

• County Treasurer: When you register your truck, you show proof of financial responsibility here, and that proof must stay in the vehicle at all times. Trailers don't need separate proof of insurance under Nebraska DMV rules, but the trailer must be covered by the pulling truck's policy.
• Nebraska State Patrol Carrier Enforcement Office: Intrastate carriers can get a DOT number application by calling (402) 471-0105. A DOT number is also required for all trucks that must be placarded under State Statute 75-364.
• Nebraska DMV Motor Carrier Services: The Nebraska Truck Information Guide says this office manages online registration renewal, IRP, IFTA, UCR, and 72-hour fuel and prorate permits.

Hauling across state lines and federal insurance filings

If your freight crosses into another state, proof of liability coverage must be filed by your insurer with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The insurer files Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X electronically (a BMC-82 bond also works) ahead of your interstate authority going active.

If you run interstate with commercial motor vehicles, you must also complete UCR registration in Nebraska and pay a fleet-size-based fee every year. An agent with daily BMC-91X filing experience keeps small paperwork errors from holding up your authority.

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