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Commercial auto for trucking companies
Published 2026-06-05 · Updated 2026-06-11 · by Brokly
Required if you haul for hire — federal rules (49 CFR Part 387) require interstate carriers using vehicles of 10,001 lbs or more to carry at least $750,000 in public-liability coverage, rising to $1M for oil and $5M for the most dangerous hazmat; intrastate-only haulers follow their state's minimums instead, EXCEPT BULK oil and hazardous-materials hauling, where the federal limits apply even in intrastate commerce.
What it covers for trucking companies
Covers the carrier's legal liability when its trucks injure people or damage property. The federal 'public liability' requirement spans bodily injury, property damage, and environmental restoration; carriers satisfy it through insurance, surety bonds, or FMCSA-authorized self-insurance. The truck is the trade's core instrument and its largest liability exposure — federal law makes minimum limits a condition of operating for hire.
Sources: 49 CFR § 387.9 — minimum levels of financial responsibility (govinfo) (as of CFR 2023 edition, retrieved 2026-06-06) · FMCSA — New Entrant Program, proof of insurance (retrieved 2026-06-06)
What it costs — benchmark in progress
The same treatment our workers’-comp benchmarks already get: real filed-rate and quote data for commercial auto, by state and business size, fully sourced and dated. As quote data accumulates, this page becomes the commercial auto benchmark for trucking companies — same URL, real numbers.
Until then, see what trucking companies need state by state: Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · all states →
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