Business Lines · Trucking & Logistics
Trucking insurance in Texas: what motor carriers actually need.
New authorities welcome. Filings handled in-house, so your authority goes active without you chasing anyone.
The short version
A Texas motor carrier running interstate needs auto liability at the federal minimum for its cargo type, and the filing must be on record with the FMCSA before the authority is active. For a for-hire property carrier that minimum is $750,000 under 49 CFR § 387.9 — though shippers and brokers routinely require $1,000,000, which has become the practical standard.
Liability is only the part the government checks. Three coverages decide whether a bad week ends the business: physical damage on the tractor and trailer, motor truck cargo on the freight, and — for owner-operators under a lease — non-trucking liability, which covers the truck when it isn't under dispatch. The motor carrier's policy usually stops the moment you're off the load.
Authority & Filings
The part that stops you working.
Interstate carriers operate under FMCSA authority, and the insurance side of that is a filing, not just a policy.
A policy is not a filing
Your insurer files proof of financial responsibility with the FMCSA. The authority isn't active until it's on record. Ask specifically whether the filing has been made and accepted.
Lapses are public
Your insurance status is part of your FMCSA record. Brokers check it before tendering a load, so a lapse costs freight, not just compliance.
Intrastate is a different rulebook
If you never cross a state line, Texas requirements apply instead of the federal minimums. But hauling freight that is itself moving interstate can count even if your truck never leaves Texas — worth confirming rather than assuming.
Hazmat is its own tier
Higher federal minimums apply to certain hazardous materials, and the jump is large. Price the insurance before you commit to the freight.
Coverages
What actually decides whether you survive a loss.
Liability is the one everyone buys. These are the ones that determine whether a claim ends the business.
- Physical damage — your tractor and trailer; usually required by your lienholder
- Motor truck cargo — the freight; check the limit and the exclusions
- Reefer breakdown — commonly excluded without a specific endorsement
- Trailer interchange — trailers you pull but don't own
- Non-trucking liability — the truck when it's not under dispatch
- General liability — off-truck exposures brokers often require
- Workers' comp — optional in Texas by law, required by nearly every contract
- Umbrella — when a shipper or broker requires excess limits
Non-trucking liability is the most common gap in leased owner-operator programs. The motor carrier's policy generally covers you only while under dispatch — without it, you are uninsured every mile that isn't a load.
Pricing
What actually drives your premium.
Trucking is underwritten more tightly than almost any other commercial line, and the inputs are knowable.
Loss runs
Your claims history over the last three to five years is the dominant factor. Nothing else moves the number as much.
Driver quality
MVRs, experience, and CDL tenure. A single driver with a bad record can reprice a fleet, and some carriers will decline over one.
Radius and commodity
Local, intermediate, or long-haul often matters more than mileage. General freight prices very differently from hazmat, autos, or high-value targeted goods.
Safety scores
BASIC scores and inspection history are visible to underwriters and read as a proxy for how the operation is run.
Straight Talk
When you need less than you think.
A new authority doesn't need the biggest limit
Buy what the filing requires and what your brokers actually demand — commonly $1M — rather than the largest number quoted. Excess makes sense when a contract requires it.
Leased owner-operators are often oversold
If the motor carrier provides primary liability and cargo under the lease, what you need is non-trucking liability and physical damage, not a duplicate primary policy. Read the lease first.
Intrastate-only shouldn't buy to federal minimums
If you genuinely never operate in interstate commerce the requirement is different. Check carefully — “interstate” is broader than most operators assume.
Year one may just be expensive
That's the market pricing missing data, not a reason to keep shopping forever. Buy sensibly, run clean, and re-market at first renewal with a year of loss history.
Get Started
Request a trucking insurance quote.
New authority or established fleet — tell us what you haul and how far, and we'll tell you where the market is.
Reach us directly
You'll hear back from a real person on our team, not a call center.
Plano, TX 75074
Trucking FAQ
Questions we hear often.
How much liability insurance does a trucking company need?
For a for-hire property carrier the federal minimum is $750,000 under 49 CFR § 387.9, but shippers and brokers commonly require $1,000,000, which has become the practical standard. Certain hazardous materials require substantially more.
What is an insurance filing and why does my authority say inactive?
Your insurer files proof of financial responsibility with the FMCSA. The authority isn't active until that filing is on record, and if the policy cancels the insurer files notice and the authority goes inactive. Having a policy is not the same as having the filing accepted.
Will anyone insure a brand-new authority?
Yes. Many agencies won't take on new ventures because they're harder to place, so new carriers often get turned away several times. Insurance Partner Group writes new authorities and handles the FMCSA filing in-house.
What is non-trucking liability, and do I need it?
It covers your truck when it is not under dispatch. If you're an owner-operator leased to a carrier, that carrier's policy generally covers you only while under dispatch — without non-trucking liability you're uninsured on personal use.
Does cargo insurance cover refrigeration breakdown?
Usually not without a specific endorsement. Reefer breakdown is a common exclusion, and a refrigeration failure can spoil an entire trailer of product.
Do I need workers' comp for my drivers in Texas?
Not by state law — Texas is the only state where private employers can opt out. But brokers, shippers, and contracts almost always require it.
Why is insurance so expensive for a brand-new trucking authority?
Because there's no loss history to price. It's the absence of data, not a judgment on the operator, and it typically improves after one clean year.
Am I an interstate carrier if my truck never leaves Texas?
Possibly. Hauling freight that is itself moving in interstate commerce can put you under federal rules even if you never cross a state line. Worth confirming rather than assuming.