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What coverages come up for my trucking operation?

Answer five short questions to see which coverages come up for an operation like yours, what federal rules require, and what contracts commonly ask for. A guide, not advice, with no prices.

What this leaves out

  • Prices. We do not show premiums or cost ranges, and BreadRoute does not quote or sell insurance.
  • Your state. State rules on insurance, bonds, and workers' compensation differ and are not modeled here.
  • Your contracts. A shipper, broker, lessor, lender, or carrier you lease to can ask for more than this list shows, or for specific limits and wording.
  • Your vehicles. Federal liability rules depend on vehicle weight and what you haul. The checklist asks about neither beyond the cargo type.
  • Your lender or lessor. Financing and lease agreements often set their own insurance terms.
  • Coverage details. This guide does not say how much to carry or which policy form fits.
  • If you are leased onto a carrier, the checklist leaves off general liability, umbrella, and workers' compensation, because the carrier you lease to holds those for its own operation.

Your numbers

Example: an owner-operator with their own authority, running interstate general freight.

Pick the closest match.

Whose authority do you run under?
Where do you haul?
What do you haul?
Does a shipper, broker, or lessor ask for certain coverage?

Coverages

Example only

Required by federal rule

Where a federal regulation says so for your answers. Read the rule, and ask your agent how it fits your vehicles.

  • Primary auto liability

    Federal rules require a for-hire carrier of property in interstate commerce to have minimum financial responsibility in effect before it operates: $750,000 for nonhazardous property in a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,001 pounds or more.

    Read about primary auto liability

Commonly required by contracts

Federal rules do not set these for most operations. Shippers, brokers, lessors, lenders, and the carriers you lease to often do. Your own contract controls.

  • Motor truck cargo

    The federal liability minimums cover harm to the public, not the load, so shippers and brokers set cargo limits in their contracts.

    Read about motor truck cargo

  • Physical damage

    Lenders and lessors commonly require it on a financed or leased unit. The federal rules we cite cover liability to the public, not your own equipment.

    Read about physical damage

  • Trailer interchange

    Comes up if you pull trailers you do not own under a written interchange agreement. The agreement often sets the coverage you are required to carry.

    Read about trailer interchange

  • Commercial umbrella

    Contracts commonly set liability limits above a base policy, and an umbrella is one way to close the gap. Whether one can sit over trucking auto liability varies by insurer.

    Read about commercial umbrella

Worth asking your agent about

We found no rule we can cite that makes these a requirement for your answers. They come up for operations like yours.

  • Occupational accident

    A private policy, mainly for independent owner-operators who are not covered by workers' compensation. Some carriers require it of owner-operators they lease. No law we cite requires it.

    Read about occupational accident

  • General liability

    Covers injury or damage tied to your premises or operations, not your trucks on the road. Some shippers, brokers, and landlords ask for a certificate.

    Read about general liability

  • Workers' compensation

    Set largely by state law. Which employers must carry it and who counts as an employee vary by state. If you have employees, ask your state workers' compensation agency.

    Read about workers' compensation

See all coverages and bonds

Not a requirements list. Confirm with a licensed agent.

Example answers, not your operation.

Ready to take this list to someone who handles coverage? Start one insurance request.

Assumptions and sources

  • Federal rules cited. The federal rules cited are for for-hire carriers of property in interstate or foreign commerce, and for carriers of certain hazardous materials. We read them from the Code of Federal Regulations. The amounts shown are regulatory floors, not prices. As of . 49 CFR 387.9 as amended at 91 FR 45660, and 49 CFR 387.3.
  • Smaller vehicles. Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating under 10,001 pounds are generally outside the federal liability minimum, with exceptions for certain dangerous materials. As of . 49 CFR 387.3.
  • Commonly required by contracts. This tier reflects what shippers, brokers, lessors, and lenders often ask for. It is not a rule, and it does not say what your contract asks. As of . Industry practice, as described on our coverage pages.
  • Examples. The examples shown before you answer are an example operation, not a typical one. As of . Example.

How the guide works

Each of the five answers narrows a list of coverages and bonds we already explain on this site. For every coverage, we check your answers against a short set of rules. If a federal regulation covers your situation, the coverage goes under "Required by federal rule" with the rule named. If the coverage is usually driven by shippers, brokers, lessors, or lenders, it goes under "Commonly required by contracts". Everything else that tends to come up for operations like yours goes under "Worth asking your agent about", with no claim that you have to carry it.

The guide does not look at prices, insurers, or your records. It does not choose a policy and it is not advice about what to carry. Use it to know what to ask, then check the rule, your contracts, and a licensed agent.

Related coverage pages

Frequently asked questions

Does this tell me what I have to carry?

Only where it names a federal rule, and even then the rule depends on your vehicle's weight, what you haul, and where. Everything else is what commonly comes up. State rules and your contracts can add to the list.

Why are so few coverages marked "Required by federal rule"?

Federal rules set minimum financial responsibility for many for-hire motor carriers and a bond or trust fund for property brokers. Most other coverages are set by contracts, lenders, lessors, or state law. For example, the federal liability rules cover harm to the public, not your cargo or your own truck.

I lease onto a carrier. What changes?

The carrier you lease to is the one that must maintain public liability coverage for hauls under its authority, and federal lease rules require the lease to say so and to say who provides other coverage, such as bobtail insurance. Read your lease first. Then bobtail or non-trucking liability, physical damage, and occupational accident are usually the ones to ask about.

Is a broker bond insurance?

No. A surety bond is a guarantee to a third party. For a property broker, federal rules require a $75,000 surety bond or trust fund in effect. It protects the shippers and carriers a broker owes, not the broker. See surety bonds.

Does this show what coverage costs?

No. BreadRoute is not a licensed insurance agency and does not quote or sell insurance. Prices are set by insurers and the licensed agents you work with, and we do not publish them.

Are my answers saved or sent to you?

While you use the page, your answers stay in your browser. We do not receive them unless you start an insurance request.

Sources

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