Commercial Trucking Liability Insurance
Commercial trucking liability isn’t just part of your policy; it is your policy. It’s the piece that keeps you legal, protects your business, and allows you to get paid. No liability, no authority, no freight, no paycheck. Whether you're an owner-operator or managing a fleet, this coverage is non-negotiable.
What Is Commercial Trucking Liability Insurance?
• Bodily injury
• Property damage
• Pollution cleanup
If you or one of your drivers causes a crash, this part of your policy kicks in. It helps cover medical bills, repairs, and legal costs if you’re sued.
What It Covers:
• Medical bills for other people
• Damage to someone else’s car or property
• Cleanup costs if a crash causes a spill
• Legal fees and court costs
• Settlements if you're found at fault
This is what keeps your business protected when accidents happen.
What It Doesn’t Cover:
• Damage to your truck (you’ll need physical damage for that)
• Injuries to your employees (that’s workers’ comp)
• Cargo in the trailer (gotta have cargo insurance)
• Anything done on purpose or outside the law
• Hauling restricted hazmat
• Theft or vandalism (again, physical damage)
Every policy has limits. Know what yours doesn’t cover before you need it.
Liability Coverage Symbols: What That Little Number Really Means
Your commercial auto policy doesn’t just list limits, it also lists symbols that control what’s actually covered. Those little numbers next to your liability coverage? They matter more than you think.
Here’s the most common symbols for trucking and what they mean.
Symbol 1 (Any Auto)
The unicorn, the white whale. This symbol means every vehicle tied to your business and/or operated under your authority is automatically covered. Be it owned, leased, rented, borrowed, newly acquired or any other situation you can dream up.
Sounds great, right? Too bad you’ll probably never get it and wouldn’t want the price tag if you could.
Symbol 1 is usually reserved for large, established fleets with spotless loss histories and tight safety controls. Most insurance companies won’t offer it to small fleets, new ventures, or anyone they consider a higher risk.
Symbol 7 (Specifically Described Autos)
This is what most trucking companies get. It only covers the trucks listed on your policy via VIN number. If you buy a new truck and don’t tell your agent? It’s not covered.
Symbol 7 works fine. As long as you’re on top of updating your units fast. If you're slow to report changes, you’ve got coverage exposure.
Symbol 8 (Hired Autos)
Covers vehicles you rent, borrow, or use for business.
Think: You buy a truck over the weekend and drive it before calling your agent to add it to the policy. You borrow a friend’s truck to finish a load. Or you grab a rental while yours is in the shop.
If you don’t have Symbol 8, none of that is automatically covered, you’re rolling uninsured.
Please note: hired auto liability coverage DOES NOT extend physical damage or cargo coverage to vehicles covered under hired auto! This is why I think of hired auto as a tool for temporary vehicles. If you operate vehicles under this coverage long term, we also need to talk about hired auto physical damage and hired auto motor truck cargo coverage. More on that in a later post.
Symbol 9 (Non-Owned Autos)
Covers employee owned vehicles used for business. This is not really a thing with smaller carriers.
Think: You send a dispatcher out running paperwork in their personal car. Or sending an admin employee to the bank or post office. If they have an accident in their car while on a business errand, symbol 9 kicks in.
These symbols fill important gaps in coverage. They’re often rated and quoted separately, with limits that match your main liability. If there’s even a chance you’ll use a vehicle not listed on your policy, Symbol 8 should be on your radar.
FMCSA Filings
FMCSA Filings: No (Electronic) Paperwork, No Authority
If you're running under your own MC number, your insurance doesn’t just need to be active. It needs to be filed with the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration).
If it’s not filed? Your authority is either inactive or getting shut down.
What Is a Filing?
A filing is your insurance company’s way of telling the government, “Yes, this carrier has the proper coverage in place.” You can’t file it yourself. The insurer files it directly with FMCSA.
Key Insurance Filings You Might Need:
• BMC-91 or BMC-91X:
Confirms you have public liability coverage for bodily injury, property damage, and environmental restoration.
Required for:
- For-hire motor carriers
- Freight forwarders (vehicle-operating only)
- Limits range from $750,000 to $5 million, depending on what you haul.
- Hazmat? You might be in the $5M club.
- Smaller, non-hazmat units under 10,001 lbs? $300K may apply.
• BOC-3 (Process Agent Filing):
Appoints your legal contact in each state. This is the person who receives service of legal documents.
Required for:
- All motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders
-Must be filed before your authority can be granted.
• MCS-90 Endorsement:
The MCS-90 is not insurance itself, but it guarantees that the insurance policy will cover certain public liability claims, even if the policy would otherwise deny coverage.
Required for:
- Motor carriers operating across state lines
What Happens If a Filing Is Missing?
• Your authority can’t be activated (or gets revoked)
• You’ll show up as “not authorized” in FMCSA systems
• Brokers and load boards may block you
• You may get stopped or fined at roadside inspections
How to Keep It Tight:
• Make sure your entity name and DOT/MC numbers match exactly
• Work with an agent who knows which filings you need and where
• Don’t assume your insurer automatically filed, ask for confirmation. Hey, you can check this yourself on the FMCSA’s license & insurance link on your DOT profile!
Why It’s Expensive (and Worth It):
Auto liability premiums are also the most expensive coverage on your policy. Rightfully so! Every time you turn the key, the insurance carrier could potentially lose a minimum of $1,000,000. This risk is what you are paying for.
The Details Matter. Certain operation types inherently carry more liability exposure. So tell us:
• Are you intrastate or interstate?
• Where do you run and what do you haul?
• Any driver involvement in loading and unloading?
• Do you operate in or over oilfields?
• Any hazmat, containers, oversized/overweight loads?
• Do you haul motor vehicles?
• Do your brokers or contracts require specific limits?
• Do you allow passengers in the vehicle?
What Underwriters (and Everyone Else) Look For:
• Clean driving records
• Truck details and VINs
• Proof of safety practices. Written safety programs, monthly safety meeting and electronics (like ELDs or dash cams)
• Your claims history
• Filings and DOT compliance
• Hazmat or specialty freight details
The more we know, the better we can match you with the right policy. Good info means better rates. It’s that simple.
You already know liability coverage isn’t optional, but just having a policy doesn’t mean you’re fully protected. Limits, symbols, filings, endorsements... the details matter. One wrong box checked, one VIN missing, one filing not submitted and you’re exposed.
Not 100% sure your policy’s got you covered the way it should?
