Core Liability · Calculator, Comparison & Guide

Trucking & Motor Carrier Insurance: Calculator, Comparison Table & Guide

For-hire trucking: auto liability, cargo, physical damage, and general liability.

Prong 1 · Interactive Calculator

Motor Carrier Insurance Estimator

For-hire trucking: auto liability, cargo, physical damage, and general liability.

Results
LineEstimate
Auto liability base ($1M) —
Authority-age factorNew ventures (< 2 yrs) pay 40%–80% more and face limited markets. —
CSA factor —
Auto liability —
Motor truck cargo —
Physical damage —
Truckers general liability —
Estimated annual program —
Per power unit —

Illustrative math only. Rate ranges are planning bands, not quotes. Your policy wording, carrier appetite, loss history, and state decide the real number. This tool stores nothing and sends nothing.

Get the real number — Start Smart Intake

Prong 2 · Comparison Table

Motor Carrier Policy Forms

Truckers vs. motor carrier vs. non-trucking.

CriterionMotor Carrier Form (CA 00 20)Business Auto (CA 00 01)Non-Trucking / Bobtail
For-hire operationsIncludedLimitedExcluded
MCS-90 / BMC-91 filingsIncludedOptionalExcluded
Covers leased owner-operatorsIncludedExcludedN/A
Trailer interchangeOptionalExcludedExcluded
Coverage when under dispatchIncludedIncludedExcluded
Coverage when NOT under dispatchIncludedIncludedIncluded
Best fitAuthority holdersPrivate carriageOwner-operators leased on
Included
covered in base form
Excluded
not available
Optional
available by endorsement
Limited
sublimited or conditional

Prong 3 · Deep-Dive Guide

Trucking Insurance: Authority, Filings, and the Five Policies

What FMCSA requires, what shippers require, and how to survive the new-venture years.

Federal minimums vs. reality

FMCSA requires $750K for general freight, $1M–$5M for hazmat. Shippers and brokers require $1M auto liability and $100K cargo nearly universally.

  • MCS-90 endorsement makes the insurer guarantee public liability
  • BMC-91X filing for authority
  • Texas intrastate: TxDMV filings at $500K–$1M

The five policies

Auto liability, motor truck cargo, physical damage, general liability (truckers GL), and occupational accident/WC.

  • Cargo: watch the theft, reefer breakdown, and unattended-vehicle exclusions
  • Physical damage: stated amount vs. ACV
  • Occ-acc for owner-operators; WC for employees

New venture survival

Markets for < 2-year authorities are thin and expensive.

  • Hire drivers with 2+ years CDL and clean MVRs
  • ELD and camera systems earn credits
  • Keep CSA scores clean — inspections matter more than miles

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between primary and contingent cargo?

Primary covers the carrier's legal liability for freight. Contingent is the broker's backstop if the carrier's policy fails.

Do I need trailer interchange?

If you haul trailers you don't own under an interchange agreement, yes — it's physical damage for non-owned trailers in your possession.

Why did my premium double at renewal?

Nuclear verdicts have pushed trucking auto liability up 10%–25% annually. A single at-fault accident or CSA alert compounds it.

Related: trucking insurance Texas · motor carrier liability · MCS-90 · cargo insurance

Turn the estimate into a quote

The Smart Intake takes about two minutes. A licensed advisor reviews your trucking & motor carrier exposure against 30+ Texas and Florida markets. Nothing from the calculator above is stored or sent.

Start Smart Intake

Or call (281) 671-0069

All numeric rates are 2026 Texas/Florida planning bands compiled by the agency for illustration; they are not filed rates and must be reviewed by a licensed agent before publication. Coverage descriptions are summaries only and are subject to the terms, conditions, and exclusions of the actual policy. Submitting a request does not bind coverage.