The Complete Guide to Commercial Truck Insurance in 2025

Commercial truck insurance is a type of business auto insurance that protects owner-operators, trucking companies, and businesses that use large vehicles for their operations. Unlike a personal auto policy, it’s built for the unique risks of hauling cargo, driving long distances, and operating heavy machinery on public roads.

The right semitruck insurance policy helps you meet state and federal insurance requirements and keeps you on the road after an accident. This guide breaks down what commercial trucking insurance covers, what it doesn’t, how much it costs, and how to get the most affordable coverage for your operation.

Commercial Truck Insurance Explained

Large trucks come with big risks. They’re heavier, harder to maneuver, travel longer distances, and often carry valuable or hazardous cargo. A single accident involving a commercial truck can lead to catastrophic damage and lawsuits that can easily exceed millions of dollars.^[1] In fact, around 20% of trucking industry lawsuits that go to trial result in verdicts of more than $10 million.^[2]

That’s where commercial truck insurance comes in. It’s a comprehensive policy that protects your trucking business from financial losses resulting from accidents, injuries, property damage, and cargo claims.

You can tailor your coverage to meet your trucking company’s specific needs, meet your state’s minimum limits, and stay compliant with federal insurance requirements if your trucks travel across state lines or transport certain materials.

Types of Businesses That Need Commercial Truck Insurance

You need commercial truck insurance if your business uses large trucks to transport goods, equipment, or people for compensation. The most common types of businesses that need trucking insurance are:

• For-hire motor carriers

• Private carriers

• Owner-operators

Industries like construction, delivery, and logistics rely heavily on trucks and usually require commercial truck insurance that meets or exceeds your state’s minimum insurance requirements.

Even if you’re just starting out, having the right truck insurance policy is necessary to remain compliant, protect your assets, and maintain your operating authority if you’re driving across states.^[3]

Types of vehicles commercial truck insurance covers

Commercial truck insurance covers a wide range of vehicles used for business operations, including:

• Semitrucks

• Dump trucks

• Tractor trailers

• Flatbed trucks

• Box trucks

• Tow trucks

• Refrigerated trucks

• Tank trucks

• Cargo vans

• Cement mixers

• Log carriers

• Heavy equipment haulers

• Pickup trucks

• Car carriers

• Rollbacks

• Food trucks

• Agricultural trucks

• Front loaders

• Bucket trucks

• Garbage trucks

Insurers may not cover all business types, vehicles, and locations. For example, commercial truck policies usually don’t cover leased or rented vehicles, for-hire passenger transportation, tour vehicles, double-decker buses, farming tractors, exhibition, or emergency vehicles.

Make sure you understand what your trucking company insurance policy covers and what it doesn’t so you can protect your business on and off the road.

What Commercial Truck Insurance Covers

Commercial truck insurance includes standard coverages like liability coverage and physical damage insurance. But you can customize your policy to cover risks specific to your business with coverages like:

• Motor truck cargo insurance: Provides cargo coverage for the stuff you’re hauling.

• Refrigeration breakdown coverage: Covers equipment breakdown losses resulting from sudden and accidental refrigeration or heating system breakdowns during transit.

• Bobtail coverage: Covers your truck when you drive it without a trailer.

• Trailer interchange insurance: Covers non-owned trailers you’re using.

• Motor truck general liability coverage: Provides liability protection for incidents related to your business operations, but not directly involving your truck, like damage or injuries while loading or unloading.

• Non-trucking liability: Covers your truck for personal use if you permanently lease someone else’s vehicle.

• Hired and non-owned auto coverage: Covers vehicles you borrow, hire, lease, or rent to use for your business.

• Roadside assistance: Provides access to a network of roadside service providers to get you back on the road quickly, whether you need fuel delivery, help changing a tire, or a tow.

• Rental reimbursement with downtime: If your truck is in the shop for accident repairs, this coverage can help pay for the cost of renting a replacement truck and compensate you for lost income due to vehicle downtime.

What commercial truck insurance doesn’t cover

Commercial truck insurance usually doesn’t cover:

• Maintenance costs

• Normal wear and tear

• Intentional damage

• Employee and third-party vehicles and personal property

• Non-approved drivers

• Personal use (without a specific coverage endorsement)

• Business property inside the vehicle

• Employee injuries not related to a car accident

• Operating outside of your approved radius

• Cargo claims if you don’t have cargo coverage

For more comprehensive protection, consider adding other types of insurance, like a business owners policy (BOP), workers’ compensation, vehicle breakdown coverage, or a commercial umbrella policy.

Commercial Truck Insurance Costs

Commercial truck insurance cost varies widely by industry, vehicle details, truck insurance coverage options, and insurance company. Your industry and the type of cargo your trucks haul are two of the primary factors insurers use to calculate rates. Insurance premiums average $740–$950 per month.

Insurance rates are typically lower for larger fleets. Companies with five or fewer trucks usually pay between $.10 and $.20 per mile, while fleets of 1,000 or more trucks typically pay $.5–$.9, according to the American Transportation Research Institute.^[4]

That said, insurance companies use many other factors to determine premiums, including:

• Operating radius

• Business location

• Coverage limits and deductibles

• Driving records

• Truck type, usage, weight, and condition

• Years in business

• Claims history

• U.S. Depatment of Transportation compliance

• Inspection history

How to Get the Right Commercial Truck Insurance

Take these steps to find the right commercial truck insurance policy for your business:

1. Assess your needs. Consider your truck types, usage, cargo, routes, and insurance requirements.

2. Gather key information. Collect vehicle details, driver’s license numbers, and specifics about your business to help tailor your coverage.

3. Review policy options. Compare coverage limits, deductibles, and exclusions so you have an idea of what you need when you start getting quotes.

4. Shop around. Compare quotes from multiple commercial insurance companies to find the best coverage and insurance rates.

5. Ask about discounts. Look into bundling options with other insurance products like a BOP or general liability policy.

6. Choose a company and buy your policy. Pick a company that has strong customer service, flexible payment plans, and a long track record in the trucking industry.

How to Get Cheaper Commercial Truck Insurance

You don’t have to cut corners or sacrifice coverage to get cheaper commercial truck insurance. If you’re a business owner or fleet manager, here are a few ways to save:

• Invest in risk management. Invest in driver safety training, implement strong safety policies, track driver performance, and promote a safety-first culture to minimize risks and accidents.

• Pay your bill in full. You can avoid payment plan charges by paying your bill annually.

• Insure your entire fleet. Companies often provide savings for vehicle fleets when you insure them with the same insurer.

• Raise your deductibles. Higher deductibles lower your insurance costs. But be prepared to cover extra expenses if you need to file a claim, as you’ll pay more out of pocket.

• Ask about other ways to save. Insurers offer various discounts, including for safe driving, GPS tracking, and dash cam usage.

Commercial Truck Insurance Filing Requirements

It’s crucial that your business meets the minimum car insurance requirements to stay in compliance and keep your trucks on the road. If your trucking business operates across state lines, you may have to meet both state and federal insurance requirements. You must be able to prove you have the minimum amount of liability coverage.

You may need one or more of the following insurance filings for your business:

• Certificate of insurance (COI): Brokers, clients, shippers, and potential customers may require a COI to verify your truck insurance policy coverage.

• Form MCS-90: A mandatory endorsement for interstate carriers exceeding 10,000 pounds, proving financial responsibility for public liability in case of an accident. Insurers must file proof with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

• State-specific filings: Even if you operate only within your state, there may be required additional state-specific filings, like proof of cargo insurance or liability insurance.^[5]

You can work with experienced insurance companies familiar with trucking regulations to stay compliant. They can help you file the proper forms and stay audit-ready, so you can avoid delays, fines, or loss of operating authority.

Commercial Truck Insurance FAQs