What insurance does a new trucking company need?

What does federal law require a new trucking company to carry?

One thing for most carriers: public liability. Under 49 CFR 387.7, no motor carrier may operate a motor vehicle until it has obtained, and has in effect, the minimum levels of financial responsibility set in 49 CFR 387.9.

Those minimums, from the 387.9 schedule of limits (checked October 12, 2026), are:

Those are regulatory floors, not prices. They tell you the least coverage you can legally have, not what your customers will accept, and not what a loss could cost you.

The hazmat rows are a summary. The regulation sets out which materials, quantities, and vehicle types fall into each row, so read the table if you haul anything regulated as hazardous.

Federal cargo insurance is not required for general freight carriers. FMCSA's filing chart lists a cargo requirement of $0 for for-hire carriers of nonhazardous property. Household goods carriers are different: FMCSA lists $5,000 of cargo coverage for them. Cargo coverage is commonly a contract requirement instead, which is the next section.

What do brokers, shippers, and lenders usually ask for on top of the federal minimum?

The federal minimum is what keeps you legal. Contracts decide what keeps you working. These are the requests that come up most for a new authority, and each is a conversation with your own agent, not a rule we can state for you.

• Cargo coverage. Brokers and shippers commonly require proof of cargo coverage before they tender a load, with a limit and commodity restrictions written into their carrier agreement. See motor truck cargo.
• Higher liability limits. Some customers ask for more than $750,000. That requirement lives in the contract, not in federal rules.
• Physical damage. If you finance a truck or trailer, the provider will usually require the unit to be insured, often with the provider named on the policy. See physical damage.
• General liability. Shippers, facilities, and landlords sometimes ask for a general liability certificate. See general liability.
• Protection if you are hurt. If you drive alone and have no employees, a workers' compensation policy may not cover you, and an owner-operator may look at occupational accident instead.

The tool below walks through five questions about your operation and shows which coverages usually come up, which a federal rule covers, and which contracts commonly ask for. It shows no prices.

Who files what with FMCSA?

You do not file your own proof of insurance. Your insurer or surety files it for you. FMCSA's filing chart for property carriers lists the forms as a BMC-91, BMC-91X, or BMC-82 surety bond, and FMCSA lists an MCS-90 endorsement as the endorsement form for policies of all for-hire and interstate motor carriers. FMCSA also says it will not grant operating authority until the minimum level is on file.

Two details trip people up:

• The BMC-91 represents the full minimum limits while it is in force. The BMC-91X can represent the full limits or specific limits shown on the form, and if limits are combined it must show whether a policy is primary or excess (49 CFR 387.311).
• Federal rules call for continuous coverage until terminated, and either side cancels with 35 days of written notice (49 CFR 387.7). FMCSA says carriers must keep proof of insurance on file to avoid revocation proceedings, so a lapse you do not catch puts your authority at risk.

Our post on how insurance gets filed with FMCSA goes through the forms, and how to get your own trucking authority shows where the insurance filing fits in the timeline.

What if I am leased onto another carrier?

Then the rules look different. Under the federal leasing regulations (49 CFR 376.12), the lease must clearly specify the authorized carrier's legal obligation to maintain insurance for the protection of the public, and it must specify who provides any other coverage for the equipment, "such as bobtail insurance." The carrier also has exclusive possession, control, and use of the equipment for the length of the lease.

In practice, read the insurance section of your lease before you sign for any coverage. It should tell you what the carrier carries, what you must carry, and what is deducted from your settlements. Our post on bobtail and non-trucking liability covers the coverage owner-operators carry in that setup.

What about state rules and smaller vehicles?

The federal minimums above cover the kinds of operations in 49 CFR 387.3: for-hire interstate carriers of property, and hazardous materials carriers in interstate, foreign, or intrastate commerce. The rule excludes vehicles with a GVWR under 10,001 pounds, with exceptions for certain dangerous materials, and it excludes non-bulk oil and non-bulk hazardous materials in intrastate commerce.

That does not mean a smaller vehicle needs nothing. States set their own minimums for in-state hauling, and brokers and shippers set their own contract terms. Hotshot, box truck, and courier operators in particular should ask their agent what rules reach their vehicle weight and their state, and should not assume a federal figure covers them. If you run intrastate only, check your state's agency.

How do I figure out what I need before my first load?

Work from the outside in:

1. Federal floor. Confirm whether your vehicle and cargo put you under 387.9.
2. Your contracts. Read what each broker, shipper, or lessor requires in writing: limits, commodities, certificate holders, and additional insured wording.
3. Your lender. If you finance a unit, ask what coverage the provider requires.
4. Your own exposure. Think about what a loss would do to you: your truck, your freight, you.
5. Then call a licensed agent. Insurance partners handle coverage options. We do not.

The primary auto liability page explains the liability coverage itself and what usually affects it, without prices.