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. I work with owner-operators and small fleets from Clifton Park and Albany across the Capital Region.
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 license 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; checked October 14, 2026
- Insurance filing requirements (FMCSA)
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
Still have a question? Call (518) 902-8822 or book a 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 drives the cost of truck insurance?
Mostly the drivers and the operation. Carriers look at each driver's record and years with a CDL, how long you've had your own authority (new authorities under two years pay sharply more), your radius and what you haul, the year and value of the trucks and trailers, and five years of loss runs from every prior carrier. The limit matters too: federal rules set a $750,000 minimum for for-hire general freight in vehicles of 10,001 lb or more, but most shippers and brokers ask for $1 million, and cargo and physical damage are priced on top. Telematics, cameras and a written maintenance program help. I don't publish a typical premium because two operations of the same size can price very differently.
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.
Get a quote for your business
Tell me what you do, where, and roughly what payroll looks like. Quotes come from the private carriers I represent, usually within days.
Where I work
I'm based in Clifton Park and work in person across six counties, the four on the map plus Warren and Washington, or by phone.
Close to the Clifton Park office: Clifton Knolls, Country Knolls, Rexford, Vischer Ferry, Jonesville, Groom's Corners and Halfmoon across Route 9 — I'll come to you at home.
Auto, home and business insurance by town
Medicare has its own county and town pages.