Trucking insurance that works as hard as your fleet
Owner-operator or 50-truck fleet, your insurance should fit your operation, not the other way around. We shop 35+ carriers to build the right program.
Why trucking companies switch to Coverwatch
01 - Stop Getting Rejected by Carriers
We Shop 35+ Markets
New authority, limited experience, adverse loss history. Most carriers won’t even quote you. We access 35+ trucking markets, including specialty and surplus lines insurers that write risks other brokers can’t place.
02 - Coverage That Keeps Up With Your Routes
No More Year-End Audit Surprises
Added a truck? Changed your operating radius? Picked up hazmat authority? Your policy needs to reflect that before a claim, not after. Ongoing adjustments throughout the year so your coverage matches your actual operation.
03 - Someone Answers at 2am
Claims Advocacy From First Notice
A jackknifed truck on I-40 at 2am doesn’t wait until business hours. Neither do we. Towing coordination, driver support, third-party communication. Your claims get handled, not processed.
How we protect your fleet
Audit Your Fleet’s Coverage
Policies / Risk Assessment
Risk Assessment
Overall Score
Coverage Gaps
4
Policies
4
Risk Exposure by Category
Auto Liability
Cargo Damage
Driver Risk Profile
FMCSA Compliance
Recent Activity
Start with a complete picture of your risk
Before we shop a single carrier, we make sure you understand where you stand.
Policy audit
Every current policy reviewed for gaps, exclusions, and redundancies, especially where liability, cargo, and physical damage interact across your fleet schedule.
Market benchmark
Your premiums compared against what similarly sized fleets with comparable loss history and operating radius actually pay. Know if you’re overpaying before renewal.
Risk plan & recommendations
A clear report: what to keep, what to change, where limits are too low, where deductibles can save you money. Plus FMCSA filing status and compliance checks.
The risks trucking companies actually face
Your broker should understand these. And have a plan for each one.
Nuclear verdicts
Jury awards over $10M in trucking cases jumped 52% in 2024 alone. The trucking and automotive sectors saw 15 substantial verdicts totaling over $4.1 billion last year.
Cargo theft
3,625 cargo thefts in 2024, a 27% jump over 2023. Average stolen value per incident: $202,364. Strategic theft using identity fraud is up 1,500% since 2021.
DOT compliance violations
FMCSA fines increased 3.24% in 2024. Operating under an out-of-service order now costs up to $29,980 per day. Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse violations exceed $5,000 per offense.
Reefer breakdown and spoilage
A refrigeration failure en route can destroy an entire load of perishables in hours. Standard cargo policies exclude temperature-related losses unless you carry a reefer breakdown endorsement.
Environmental spills
Standard GL excludes pollution. A tanker rollover or fuel spill from a diesel saddle tank can trigger cleanup costs, regulatory fines, and third-party lawsuits that your auto policy won’t touch.
Rising premiums from poor loss history
Insurance hit a record $0.102 per mile in 2024. One bad year of claims can push premiums up 30-50% at renewal, or get you non-renewed entirely and forced into high-risk surplus lines markets.
Built for every type of trucking operation
Different operations, different exposures. The insurance program should reflect that.
Owner-Operators
Running under your own authority or leased onto a carrier, your insurance needs are different. One truck, every dollar matters. The program has to be right.
Small Fleet Operators
5 to 50 trucks means managing driver risk, vehicle schedules, and compliance across the fleet. Group pricing starts to matter, and so does getting the fleet schedule right.
Long-Haul / OTR
Cross-country routes mean multi-state compliance, higher liability exposure, and fatigue-related risk. Coverage needs to work in every state your trucks roll through.
Refrigerated & Specialized
Reefer breakdown, temperature-sensitive cargo, pharmaceutical hauling. Standard policies miss these exposures. Specialized endorsements are not optional here.
Last-Mile & Local
Higher frequency of stops, more urban driving, more loading-dock exposure. Different risk profile than OTR, and the policy should be priced accordingly.
Coverage built for trucking
Every policy a motor carrier needs, shopped across the full market.
Commercial Auto Liability
Bodily injury and property damage from truck accidents. The core of every trucking program.
Motor Truck Cargo
Protects the freight you’re hauling against damage, theft, and loss in transit
General Liability
Third-party injury and property damage from non-driving operations
Physical Damage
Collision and comprehensive coverage for your trucks and trailers
Workers Compensation
Covers employee injuries on the job. Required in nearly every state.
Umbrella / Excess Liability
Additional liability limits above your auto, GL, and employers liability
Non-Trucking Liability (Bobtail)
Covers your truck when you’re off-dispatch: personal use, deadheading home.
Occupational Accident
Medical, disability, and death benefits for independent contractors
Pollution / Environmental Liability
Cleanup costs and third-party claims from spills your auto policy excludes
Need coverage not listed here? Let's talk about your specific exposures.
Trucking insurance across the U.S.
Every state has different filing requirements. Here's what matters in the biggest markets.
Texas
Intrastate carriers must carry $500K CSL minimum (vs. $750K federal interstate). Texas does not require workers compensation, but most shippers and motor carrier contracts mandate it. Cargo theft surged 39% in Texas in 2024, the highest incident count of any state.
California
Requires $1M liability for intrastate trucking, higher than the federal $750K minimum. California accounts for the second-highest cargo theft rate nationally, and nuclear verdict payouts in the state totaled $6.9B across all industries in 2024.
Florida
Interstate carriers follow FMCSA $750K minimum; intrastate under 10,001 lbs can qualify for $300K. Florida’s 2023 tort reform dropped it from #2 to #10 in nuclear verdict volume, a meaningful shift for trucking insurers and premiums.
Georgia
Ties with New Jersey for the highest average trucking premiums nationally at ~$20,255–$20,641/yr. High premiums driven by Atlanta metro congestion, severe weather, and historically plaintiff-friendly courts.
Illinois
Follows federal FMCSA requirements for interstate carriers. Illinois, along with Texas and California, accounts for 46% of all U.S. cargo theft incidents. Chicago-area operations face elevated premium rates due to urban density and theft risk.
Pennsylvania
Requires filing with PennDOT and PAPUC (Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission) for intrastate authority. Pennsylvania ranked third nationally in nuclear verdict payouts at $3.4B in 2024.
Ohio
Monopolistic workers compensation state. All WC must be purchased through the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC), not private carriers. This affects fleet operators who are used to bundling WC with their commercial package.
New Jersey
Ties with Georgia for the highest average trucking premiums (~$20,255/yr). Port Newark operations typically require $1M liability minimums. Dense corridors and high claim frequency drive rates above the national average.
Keep your trucks moving.
Let us handle the risk.
New authority or 20-year veteran, the process starts the same: tell us about your operation, and we'll shop 35+ carriers for the best fit.
Common questions about
trucking insurance
Coverwatch charges a flat fee, not a percentage of your premium. That means when we find lower rates, we don’t earn less. We shop 35+ carriers including specialty trucking markets, manage your program year-round (driver changes, vehicle adds, endorsements), and handle claims from first notice. Most brokers place you with one or two carriers and check in at renewal.
At minimum: commercial auto liability ($750K FMCSA minimum, $1M recommended), motor truck cargo ($100K+ per industry standard), and physical damage (if your truck is financed). Most owner-operators also need non-trucking liability if leased to a carrier, occupational accident insurance, and an umbrella policy for high-value freight. The exact package depends on whether you operate under your own authority or are leased on.
Three factors: nuclear verdicts (jury awards over $10M increased 52% in 2024), rising claim severity (average fatal truck crash costs $3.6M), and tightening carrier appetite (fewer insurers willing to write trucking risk). The result is fewer carriers competing for your business and higher premiums across the board. Shopping the full market, not just the two carriers your broker has, is the most effective way to find competitive pricing.
It depends on your operation: radius, cargo type, loss history, driver experience, and state all factor in. The spread between the cheapest and most expensive quote for the same risk can be 40% or more, which is why shopping 35+ carriers matters. Send us your current dec pages and we’ll benchmark your rates against comparable operations.
$750,000 combined single limit for general freight over 10,001 lbs. $5,000,000 for hazardous materials. Cargo insurance minimums are $5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 per occurrence for household goods carriers, though most shippers require $100K+. You must file Form BMC-91 (insurance carrier filing) or BMC-34 (surety bond filing) with FMCSA to maintain your operating authority.
Yes, but your options narrow significantly. Most standard carriers won’t write new authority (under 2–3 years) or operations with adverse loss history. That’s where access to 35+ markets matters. Specialty and surplus lines insurers exist specifically for these situations. Rates will be higher, but the gap between the best and worst quote can be 40% or more. Start with a coverage review so we can see what markets are available for your risk.