Commercial auto, cargo, warehouse liability and workers’ compensation for trucking fleets, freight brokers, logistics companies and distribution operations across California. We work with carriers that specialize in transportation risks so your fleet stays compliant and competitively priced.
Covers injuries and damage your vehicles cause to others. Federal MCS-90 filings and California state filings are required for interstate and intrastate carriers. We handle the filing process.
Covers the freight you transport if it’s damaged, lost or stolen in transit. Coverage limits and deductibles are tailored to the commodities you haul.
Covers claims at your terminal, warehouse, distribution center or customer locations — slip and falls, loading dock incidents and property damage.
Shippers, freight brokers and warehouse clients will ask for proof of coverage before they tender a load or sign a contract. Common requests include certificates showing your auto liability and cargo limits, the shipper or broker named as additional insured, and evidence of workers’ comp. Send us the contract requirements and we’ll turn around your certificate quickly and handle mid-term endorsements.
Every carrier rates differently. These are the factors that matter most.
Local, regional or long-haul operations.
The type and value of your cargo.
Driving records and years of experience.
Number, age and value of your units.
A loaded truck can cause serious injury and damage in a single accident, and the rules around trucking add paperwork that other businesses don’t face. Trucking insurance in California has to handle both.
Auto liability is the core of a trucking policy. For interstate for-hire carriers, the policy usually carries an MCS-90 endorsement. Under that federal form, the insurer agrees to pay final judgments for public liability caused by negligent operation of covered vehicles, even if a vehicle isn’t specifically listed on the policy. The form also says you must reimburse the insurer for any payment it would not have owed under the policy itself. In other words, the MCS-90 protects the public, not you, so listing every unit and driver correctly still matters.
Cargo coverage often comes with commodity exclusions or limits, plus conditions for unattended trucks, theft and reefer breakdown. If you haul electronics, alcohol, tobacco, livestock or temperature-controlled loads, make sure each is named or allowed. Broker contracts may also ask for higher cargo limits than you carry.
Collision and comprehensive for your equipment, usually written on a stated value basis. Review stated values each year so they match what your units are worth.
If you lease onto a motor carrier, that carrier’s liability usually covers you while you’re under dispatch. You may still need non-trucking liability for personal use, and some carriers require trailer interchange coverage when you pull trailers you don’t own. Ask the carrier what its lease requires.
Employee drivers and yard staff need workers’ compensation once you reach California’s threshold. General liability covers claims that don’t involve driving, like a visitor hurt at your yard.
Federal minimums. FMCSA sets minimum liability for interstate carriers. For for-hire carriers of general (non-hazardous) freight, the minimum is $750,000 for vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more GVWR, and $300,000 for lighter vehicles. Hazardous materials carry higher requirements. FMCSA does not require a cargo filing for general freight carriers, though brokers and shippers often require cargo coverage by contract.
Federal filings. Proof of liability coverage is filed with FMCSA by your insurer, usually on Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X. Your authority depends on that filing staying active.
California intrastate carriers. the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) requires intrastate carriers to get a USDOT number when they operate vehicles over 10,000 pounds GVWR, and for certain passenger and hazardous materials operations. For-hire intrastate carriers registering as a California Motor Carrier also need a Form E, which must be filed by the insurance company, not the agent.
Workers’ compensation. California law requires workers’ compensation coverage for all employees. It treats an owner-operator who meets the state’s definition as an independent contractor, not an employee. Corporate officers and LLC members can exempt themselves within limits.
Trucking premiums are usually shaped by the units you run, their values, your radius, what you haul, your drivers’ records and experience, and your safety and claims history. Some policies are rated per unit and others on miles or revenue, and those may be audited after the term.
For workers’ compensation, driver payroll goes in a trucking class code and office staff in a clerical code. Keep payroll records clean and collect certificates from anyone you pay who isn’t on your payroll.
Read broker agreements before you sign. Some require coverage your policy doesn’t include, like certain commodities or refrigeration breakdown.
With trucking insurance in California, the policy and the filings are tied together. If a policy cancels, for nonpayment or any other reason, the insurer may notify FMCSA or the state, and your authority can be affected. Paying on time and responding to carrier requests protects more than the policy.
A few habits help keep coverage running smoothly:
If you also run a dump truck or hauling side to a construction business, see our contractors page for the coverages that usually go with it.
As an independent broker, we can approach multiple carriers that write trucking, since appetite varies by operation, years in business and what you haul. We coordinate with the carrier on the filings your operation needs, review broker contracts, and go over units, drivers and values at each renewal.
Need proof of coverage for a broker? Use our certificate request form, and we’ll review the request before anything is issued.
Send us the requirements from your contract, lease or credentialing packet, including the certificate holder, additional insured and waiver of subrogation, so we can review your request.
Some carriers write new authorities and some don’t. Tell us about your operation and we’ll let you know what’s available.
Filings are handled by the carrier that writes your policy. We’ll coordinate the filings your operation needs.
Not always. Cargo policies can exclude certain commodities. Tell us what you haul so we can match the coverage.
It’s a federal endorsement on many interstate for-hire trucking policies. The insurer agrees to pay final judgments for public liability caused by negligent operation of covered vehicles, even in some situations the policy wouldn’t otherwise cover, and you agree to reimburse the insurer for those payments.
Your insurance company files it. the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) instructions say the filing must come from the insurer, not the agent, and the details must match your registration.
Not for general freight carriers. FMCSA’s filing chart shows no cargo requirement for them, but most brokers and shippers require cargo coverage by contract, often at a set limit.
It’s liability coverage for a leased owner-operator when the truck is used outside of dispatch for the motor carrier, such as personal use. Exactly when it applies depends on the policy wording, so read it closely.
Possibly. the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) requires intrastate carriers to have a USDOT number when they operate a vehicle over 10,000 pounds GVWR or meet certain passenger or hazardous materials criteria.
Many policies require you to report new units, and some give only a limited window for automatic coverage. Tell us before you put a new unit on the road so it can be added.
Tell us about your business and team. We’ll compare options from multiple carriers.
Tell us about your operation. A licensed broker will follow up.
