Long haul (OTR)
Over-the-road freight that regularly runs more than 500 miles from where the truck is kept, often across several regions.
Underwriters look at
- Driver experience and MVRs
- Radius and states run
- Safety record and out-of-service rates
- Cargo type
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability
- Motor truck cargo
- Physical damage
- Trailer interchange if pulling others' trailers
Get a quote for this operation
Regional
Freight that usually stays within a few neighboring states, typically 200 to 500 miles from the home terminal.
Underwriters look at
- Radius and garaging location
- Driver experience
- Safety record
- Commodities hauled
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability
- Motor truck cargo
- Physical damage
Get a quote for this operation
Local and intermediate
Short-radius work, usually within 50 to 200 miles of where the truck is kept, with frequent stops.
Underwriters look at
- Radius (a wrong radius can cause problems at claim time)
- Number of daily stops
- Driver experience
- Garaging address
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability
- Motor truck cargo
- Physical damage
- General liability for some contracts
Get a quote for this operation
Intermodal and port (drayage)
Moving shipping containers on chassis between ports, rail ramps and warehouses. Many terminals require the carrier to be in the UIIA program.
Underwriters look at
- Port and rail terminals served
- UIIA participation
- Equipment interchange exposure
- Driver experience in port work
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability
- Motor truck cargo
- Trailer interchange (container and chassis)
- General liability
- Physical damage
Get a quote for this operation
Dry van
Enclosed trailers hauling general freight that doesn't need temperature control, from pallets to floor-loaded goods.
Underwriters look at
- Commodities (some are higher theft risk)
- Radius
- Driver experience
- Safety record
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability
- Motor truck cargo
- Physical damage
- Trailer interchange for drop-and-hook
Get a quote for this operation
Reefer (refrigerated)
Temperature-controlled freight such as produce, meat, dairy and frozen goods.
Underwriters look at
- Commodities and their values
- Reefer unit age and maintenance
- Temperature-record practices
- Radius and driver experience
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability
- Motor truck cargo with reefer breakdown coverage
- Physical damage
- Trailer interchange if applicable
Get a quote for this operation
Flatbed and step deck
Open-deck hauling of steel, lumber, building materials and machinery that must be secured with chains, straps and tarps.
Underwriters look at
- Commodities and load securement
- Oversize or overweight work
- Driver experience on open deck
- Safety record
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability
- Motor truck cargo
- Physical damage
- Trailer interchange if pulling others' trailers
Get a quote for this operation
Heavy haul and oversize
Oversize or overweight loads such as construction equipment that need permits, route planning and sometimes escorts.
Underwriters look at
- Load sizes and weights
- Permit and escort practices
- Equipment (lowboys, RGNs)
- Driver experience
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability, often at higher limits
- Motor truck cargo for high-value equipment
- Physical damage
- General liability
Get a quote for this operation
Amazon Relay and load boards
Carriers booking loads through Amazon Relay or similar load boards, which set their own insurance minimums for carriers.
Underwriters look at
- Platform insurance requirements
- Authority age
- Safety record
- Trailer interchange for Amazon trailers
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability at the platform's required limit
- Motor truck cargo
- Trailer interchange
- Physical damage
Get a quote for this operation
Hotshot
Expedited loads hauled with heavy-duty pickups and gooseneck or flatbed trailers, often under 26,000 lbs combined.
Underwriters look at
- Truck and trailer weights
- Radius
- Driver experience and age
- Authority age
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability
- Motor truck cargo
- Physical damage for truck and trailer
Hotshot truck insurance details →
Get a quote for this operation
Box truck
Straight trucks for local delivery, final mile, moving and expedited freight.
Underwriters look at
- Gross vehicle weight (under or over 26,000 lbs)
- Delivery type and radius
- Driver experience
- Who you contract with
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability
- Motor truck cargo
- Physical damage
- General liability
Get a quote for this operation
Dump truck, sand and gravel
Hauling dirt, aggregate, asphalt and debris for construction and site work, usually short-radius.
Underwriters look at
- Job-site and off-road exposure
- Radius
- Equipment age
- Driver experience
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability
- Physical damage
- General liability
- Motor truck cargo when required by contract
Get a quote for this operation
Tanker
Bulk liquids such as food-grade products, fuel or chemicals hauled in tank trailers.
Underwriters look at
- What's in the tank (hazmat or not)
- Tank endorsement and driver experience
- Wash and inspection records
- Radius
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability, higher for hazmat loads
- Motor truck cargo
- Physical damage
- Pollution coverage where required
Get a quote for this operation
Hazmat
Loads that require placards under federal hazardous materials rules. Federal minimum liability is $1 million or $5 million depending on the material.
Underwriters look at
- Hazmat classes hauled
- Driver hazmat endorsements
- Safety record
- Radius
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability at $1M or $5M
- Motor truck cargo
- Physical damage
- Pollution coverage
Get a quote for this operation
Car hauler
Transporting vehicles on open or enclosed car-carrier trailers for dealers, auctions and private owners.
Underwriters look at
- Number and value of vehicles per load
- Open or enclosed trailers
- Loading and inspection practices
- Driver experience
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability
- Motor truck cargo sized to the load value
- Physical damage
Get a quote for this operation
Tow truck and roadside
Towing, recovery and roadside service, from light-duty wreckers to heavy rotators.
Underwriters look at
- Light, medium or heavy-duty work
- Motor club and police rotation contracts
- Storage lot exposure
- Driver experience
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability
- On-hook coverage
- Garagekeepers for stored vehicles
- Physical damage
Get a quote for this operation
New authority (new venture)
Carriers with a USDOT and MC number less than about two years old. Insurance has to be on file before the authority can go active.
Underwriters look at
- Driver CDL experience
- Planned operation and radius
- Equipment
- Business plan and prior experience
Coverages usually involved
- Primary auto liability with federal filing
- Motor truck cargo
- Physical damage
Get a quote for this operation
Leased-on owner-operator
Owner-operators running under another carrier's authority. The motor carrier usually covers primary liability; the owner-operator often needs their own coverage when not under dispatch.
Underwriters look at
- Lease agreement terms
- What the motor carrier provides
- Truck value
- Driver record
Coverages usually involved
- Non-trucking liability (bobtail)
- Physical damage
- Occupational accident
How bobtail and primary liability fit together →
Get a quote for this operation
General information, not a quote or coverage advice. Coverage needs depend on your contracts, cargo, radius and state. A licensed agent at Assurance Group of America will go over your operation with you. Call (305) 200-5065 · Se habla español.