Trucking Insurance

Auto liability, motor truck cargo, physical damage, and non-trucking liability.

Get a trucking insurance quote Ask a question

Trucking insurance is its own world. Owner-operators, motor carriers, and fleets in Texas have to satisfy FMCSA filings, state requirements, broker and shipper certificate requests, and lender requirements on the truck and trailer — all at once. The right policy covers your legal liability, your equipment, the cargo you're hauling, and the gaps that open up when you're bobtailing or under dispatch for someone else's authority. We work with owner-operators leased on, those running under their own MC number, and small fleets across Texas's major corridors.

What's typically covered

Primary auto liability

Federally required for any truck running for hire — minimum $750,000 for general freight, $1M+ for many shippers and brokers. Pays for bodily injury and property damage you cause to others in a covered accident.

Motor truck cargo

Covers the freight you're hauling against loss or damage. Most brokers and shippers require at least $100,000 in cargo coverage; refrigerated and high-value freight often need more.

Physical damage

Pays to repair or replace your tractor and trailer after a covered loss — collision, fire, theft, vandalism, weather. Required by virtually every truck and trailer lender.

Non-trucking liability (bobtail)

Covers an owner-operator's liability when driving the truck for non-business purposes (no dispatch, no load) under someone else's motor carrier authority. Inexpensive, often required by the carrier you're leased to.

What's typically NOT covered

Hauling commodities outside the radius or commodity types listed on the policy
Use without a valid CDL or while disqualified
Mechanical breakdown of the truck or trailer
Cargo claims caused by improper loading by the shipper, in some policies
Pollution liability beyond a small built-in limit (often needs an MCS-90 or pollution endorsement)

Common claim scenarios

Rear-end collision on I-10

A driver hauling general freight rear-ends a sedan in stop-and-go traffic outside Houston. Bodily injury claims and the totaled vehicle come to $480,000. Primary auto liability pays the claim and the legal defense — and the truck stays in service.

Refrigerated load goes warm

A reefer unit fails outside Amarillo and a $42,000 load of frozen product spoils before the driver can get help. Motor truck cargo with reefer breakdown coverage pays the shipper for the lost freight.

Truck stolen from a yard

A tractor is stolen overnight from a yard in the DFW area. Physical damage on the tractor pays the actual cash value, minus the deductible, so the owner-operator can replace the truck and get back to running.

What affects your price

Radius of operation — local, intermediate, or long-haul (50, 200, or 500+ miles)
Commodities hauled — general freight vs. hazmat, autos, reefer, or oilfield
Driver MVRs and CDL experience
Truck and trailer value, year, and lender requirements
Loss runs from the prior 3–5 years
Authority age — new MC numbers pay more for the first 12–24 months

How Klever Coverage helps

We quote across multiple trucking-specific carriers — not a generic auto market.
We handle FMCSA filings (BMC-91 / MCS-90) and lender loss-payee requests as part of binding the policy.
We send certificates directly to your brokers and shippers, so you don't lose loads waiting on paperwork.

Frequently asked questions

How much primary auto liability do I need?

Federal minimum is $750,000 for general freight, $1M for many shippers and brokers, and $5M for hazmat. Most owner-operators carry $1M to meet broker requirements without overpaying.

Do I need bobtail coverage if I'm leased on?

Almost always, yes. The motor carrier's liability policy only covers you under dispatch. Bobtail (non-trucking liability) covers the gap when you're driving the truck off-dispatch.

What's an MCS-90?

A federal endorsement that guarantees payment for public injury and property damage up to your liability limit, even when a policy exclusion would otherwise apply. It protects the public, not the carrier — and the FMCSA requires it.

Will my new MC number pay more?

Yes — new authorities (under 12–24 months old) almost always pay a 'new venture' surcharge until they build a clean loss history. Rates drop noticeably once you're past that window.

Can I add my truck and trailer to one policy?

Yes. Most fleets and owner-operators carry auto liability, physical damage, cargo, and non-trucking liability under a single commercial trucking package for simplicity.