Trucking and delivery insurance
From a single box truck doing local deliveries to a small fleet running interstate, trucking insurance is a set of separate policies that have to fit together — and the filings have to be right or you don't move. Here's how it's built.
The policies that make up trucking cover
- Primary auto liability — injuries and property damage you cause on the road. The policy with the federal or state filing attached.
- Physical damage — collision and comprehensive on the truck and trailer; required by your lender.
- Motor truck cargo — the freight.
- General liability — off-the-road exposures: loading docks, your yard, customer premises. Shippers often require it.
- Non-trucking and bobtail liability — for leased owner-operators: personal use, and driving without a trailer, respectively.
- Trailer interchange — for damage to trailers you pull but don't own.
- Workers' compensation or occupational accident — depending on whether you have employee drivers.
- Umbrella — for larger shipper contracts and any fleet over a couple of units.
Filings
| Operation | Typical filing |
|---|---|
| Interstate for-hire (own authority) | BMC-91/91X filing (with the MCS-90 endorsement on the policy); UCR registration |
| Intrastate New York for-hire | NYS DOT requirements and, where applicable, state financial responsibility filing |
| Leased to a motor carrier | Carrier's authority and filings; you carry non-trucking and physical damage |
| Private carriage (hauling your own goods) | No for-hire authority; commercial auto with appropriate limits |
New authority is insurable, at a price
Carriers price new authorities (under two years) sharply higher, and the market is smaller. Clean CDL records, prior experience as a company driver, newer equipment and ELD/telematics all help. Premiums usually ease materially after the first two renewals with no claims.
What carriers look at
- Radius of operation and commodities hauled.
- Driver MVRs, CDL years, age, and turnover.
- Equipment: year, value, GVW; trailers.
- Years under authority; FMCSA safety scores if you have them.
- Telematics, cameras, maintenance program.
- Loss runs — five years, from every prior carrier.
What I need to quote
- DOT and MC numbers (if any), and how long you've had authority.
- Vehicle and trailer list with VINs and values.
- Driver list with licence numbers and dates of birth.
- Commodities, typical routes, radius, and annual mileage or revenue.
- Shipper or broker contracts with insurance requirements.
- Loss runs and current declarations.
Request a quote — I place owner-operators, small fleets and delivery businesses across the Capital Region and will tell you upfront what the market looks like for your operation.
- 49 CFR §387.9 — minimum levels of financial responsibility (eCFR) — $750,000 general freight
- Insurance filing requirements (FMCSA)
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
What limits do I need for interstate hauling?
For for-hire carriers subject to federal rules (vehicles over 10,001 lb), at least $750,000 in liability for general freight, and most shippers and brokers require $1 million. Hazmat is higher. Your insurer makes the BMC-91 or BMC-91X filing with the FMCSA as proof, and the MCS-90 endorsement is attached to the policy — your authority isn't active without the filing.
What is motor truck cargo insurance?
Cover for the freight you're hauling if it's damaged, stolen or lost. Shippers and brokers typically require $100,000 per load, sometimes more for high-value goods. Watch exclusions for specific commodities and for unattended vehicles.
What is non-trucking liability?
For owner-operators leased to a motor carrier: the carrier's policy covers you while you're under dispatch; non-trucking liability covers qualifying personal, non-business use of the truck. Bobtail liability — driving without a trailer — is a related but separate cover. Don't assume trips between loads are covered by either; the policy wording decides.
I do last-mile delivery in cargo vans. Is that trucking insurance?
It's commercial auto in a delivery class, with hired and non-owned cover if drivers use their own vehicles. Delivery-contractor programs (Amazon DSP and similar) have specific limit requirements; send me the contract and I'll match it.
Do I need occupational accident cover?
If you're an owner-operator without employees, you're not covered by workers' comp unless you elect in. Occupational accident policies are a lower-cost alternative that many leased owner-operators carry; if you have employee drivers, New York requires workers' compensation.
Let's talk it through
A phone call or a message is all it takes. The first conversation is just a conversation.
Where I work
I'm based in Clifton Park and work across four Capital Region counties, in person or by phone.