Trucking insurance in Florida for trucking companies
Trucking insurance combines separate coverages: primary liability for the injuries and damage a truck causes, physical damage for your tractors and trailers, and motor truck cargo for the freight. Most for-hire interstate carriers of nonhazardous freight must also meet a federal minimum of $750,000 in liability.
Example: insurance for a Florida trucking company
Trucking insurance needs to protect three different things: your business’s liability, your equipment, and the freight you haul. One policy does not automatically cover all three.
Example: You own a Florida trucking company with five tractor-trailers, employee drivers, and your own operating authority. You haul general freight across state lines and sometimes pull trailers owned by others.
| Policy or coverage | Why you need it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Auto / Primary Liability | Helps protect your business when a covered truck accident injures someone or damages their property. | Your driver rear-ends a vehicle, causing injuries and vehicle damage. |
| Physical Damage — Comprehensive & Collision | Protects your insured tractors and owned trailers against covered damage. | Your tractor is damaged in a collision, stolen, or catches fire. |
| Motor Truck Cargo | Covers your liability for customers’ freight lost or damaged by covered causes. Limits should match the loads you carry. | A collision damages a shipment of furniture. |
| Truckers General Liability | Addresses certain business-related injuries or property damage outside the auto policy. Loading and unloading exposures need careful review because coverage can overlap or be excluded. | A visitor trips at your trucking office and sues. |
| Trailer Interchange / Non-Owned Trailer Coverage | Protects against covered damage to trailers you do not own. The correct coverage depends on your contracts and how you use the trailers. | A customer’s trailer is damaged while in your possession. |
| Rental Reimbursement / Downtime | Helps with eligible rental costs or lost income after covered truck damage, subject to the coverage purchased. | Your tractor is being repaired after an accident and cannot earn income. |
| Heavy Truck Roadside Assistance | Helps with specified emergency services, such as towing or winching. | Your rig breaks down on the interstate. |
How much liability insurance does a trucking company need?
It depends on where you operate and what you haul. Federal rules set the minimum for most interstate for-hire carriers, Florida sets its own for heavier trucks, and contracts often ask for more.
| Rule | Applies to | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| 49 CFR 387.9 (opens in a new tab) | For-hire interstate carriers of nonhazardous property, vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more | $750,000 |
| Fla. Stat. 627.7415 (opens in a new tab) | Commercial motor vehicles, 26,000 to under 35,000 pounds | $50,000 per occurrence |
| Fla. Stat. 627.7415 (opens in a new tab) | Commercial motor vehicles, 35,000 to under 44,000 pounds | $100,000 per occurrence |
| Fla. Stat. 627.7415 (opens in a new tab) | Commercial motor vehicles, 44,000 pounds or more | $300,000 per occurrence |
Proof of coverage
Federal rules require carriers to keep proof of financial responsibility (opens in a new tab) at their principal place of business, usually an MCS-90 endorsement on the policy. Carriers operating in interstate commerce also need USDOT registration (opens in a new tab). Our motor truck cargo guide covers the freight side.
Sources, checked October 20, 2026
- 49 CFR 387.9, minimum financial responsibility (opens in a new tab)
- 49 CFR 387.3, applicability (opens in a new tab)
- Fla. Stat. 627.7415, commercial motor vehicle liability (opens in a new tab)
- 49 CFR 387.7, financial responsibility required (opens in a new tab)
- 49 CFR 390.201, USDOT registration (opens in a new tab)
Owner-operators: non-trucking liability and bobtail
If you lease on to a motor carrier, ask whose policy covers you when you are not under dispatch, because the carrier's coverage may not.
Primary liability
Often provided by the motor carrier while you run under its authority. Your lease agreement should say so.
Non-trucking liability
Generally for when the truck is used for personal purposes and not under dispatch.
Bobtail
Generally for driving the tractor without a trailer. Insurers do not all use this word the same way.
Physical damage
Damage to your own truck is usually your responsibility to insure, and a lender may require it.
These terms vary from one policy to another. Read the wording, and check with a licensed agent what applies under your lease.
What affects the price of trucking insurance?
There is no standard price, because insurers rate each operation on its own risk. A new authority usually has less history for them to look at.
Time in business
How long your authority has been active and your experience running trucks.
Drivers
Licenses, years of experience and driving records.
Routes
How far you travel and which states you run in.
Freight
What you haul, its value, and whether it needs refrigeration.
Equipment
The number, age and value of tractors and trailers.
Claims history
Loss runs from prior insurers, usually for the last three to five years.
Frequently asked questions
What insurance do I need for my trucking company?
Most trucking companies start with primary liability, physical damage and motor truck cargo. Depending on the operation, they add truckers general liability, trailer interchange, rental reimbursement and workers' compensation. Your authority, contracts and the freight you haul decide what is required. A licensed agent can review your operation.
How much is insurance for a trucking company?
There is no standard price. Insurers look at your time in business, drivers, routes, freight, equipment and claims history, and a new authority usually has less history to rate. The way to know is to get quotes based on your own operation. We compare several insurance companies for you.
How much liability insurance does a trucking company need?
Most for-hire interstate carriers of nonhazardous property with vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more must carry at least $750,000 under federal rules. Some hazardous materials require more. Florida sets lower minimums for heavier commercial vehicles, and shippers or brokers can ask for higher limits by contract.
Can I self-insure my trucking company?
Federal rules list an FMCSA self-insurance authorization among the accepted forms of proof of financial responsibility, alongside the MCS-90 endorsement and a surety bond. It takes approval from FMCSA, so it is not simply a decision to go without a policy. Ask FMCSA or an attorney about eligibility.
What is the difference between bobtail and non-trucking liability?
Non-trucking liability generally applies when the truck is used for personal purposes and is not under dispatch. Bobtail generally refers to driving the tractor without a trailer. Insurers do not all use these words the same way, so read the policy wording and check it against your lease.
What is an MCS-90?
An MCS-90 is an endorsement to a trucking liability policy that serves as proof of financial responsibility under federal rules. Carriers keep it at their principal place of business. It is a filing about the public's protection, so it does not replace the coverages your own business needs.
Does trucking insurance cover the freight I haul?
Only if you have motor truck cargo coverage. Liability covers injuries and damage you cause to others, and physical damage covers your equipment. Cargo covers your liability for customers' freight lost or damaged by covered causes, and its limit should match the loads you carry.
Do I need workers' compensation for my drivers?
Florida generally requires workers' compensation for non-construction employers with four or more employees. Whether a driver counts as an employee or an independent owner-operator depends on the facts of the relationship, so check with a licensed agent or an attorney before you decide.
This page is general information, not a coverage recommendation. Requirements and policies vary; a licensed Assure US agent will review your vehicles, drivers and operations.
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