How to sell trucking insurance to new authorities
Selling trucking insurance to new authorities comes down to timing and preparation: reach the carrier between its FMCSA Register publication and its grant, when it has to buy a policy to start hauling, ask the questions new-venture markets underwrite on, and quote fast. Most are one-truck owner-operators who answer their own phone.
Who you're calling
64% of new authorities in our data ran a single power unit and 88% ran two or fewer. Expect an owner-operator, often leaving a company driving job or a lease to another carrier.
New ventures have no loss history, so markets underwrite the driver and the operation instead. Have the questions below ready before you dial.
Timing: the buying window
The carrier can't be granted authority until its insurer files the liability certificate, so it is buying now. In our data the median gap between Register publication and grant was 14 days. Call order: published with no insurance on file, then filed with no insurance, then recent grants for a first-renewal conversation. See how to find them.
Every new FMCSA applicant, scored and flagged by whether insurance is on file, the same morning FMCSA publishes it. $79/month, every state, every business day.
Paid plans add phone and email from FMCSA filings where available.
Start your 7-day free trial Download a free sample (no email)
Discovery questions new-venture markets ask
- Years of CDL experience, and driving history for every driver
- Commodities hauled and any hazardous materials
- Radius of operation and the states they'll run
- Power units and trailers: year, make, value, and any lender (loss payee)
- Garaging address
- Own authority or leased on to another carrier
- Coverage the broker or shipper contracts require (cargo limits, trailer interchange)
Which markets write new ventures
Not every insurer writes new authorities. The monthly New Venture Insurance Market Report shows which insurers filed for new trucking companies, from FMCSA's public filings.
Compliance basics
Calling, texting and emailing businesses is regulated: the TCPA, the National Do-Not-Call Registry, state telemarketing rules and CAN-SPAM for email. This guide isn't legal advice. Buyers are solely responsible for TCPA and Do-Not-Call compliance.
A daily routine that works
- Each morning, open the day's new applicants for your states, hot leads first.
- Call before noon; leave one short voicemail and follow with an email.
- Log the outcome and set the follow-up date the same day.
- Re-check any carrier that hasn't been granted yet: when the filing appears, the window has closed.
CarrierDaily gives you a call brief and a prospect profile on every carrier, a 0-100 lead score and a pipeline in the same workspace. Download a free sample to see the columns.
Questions
How do I get trucking insurance clients?
Reach new trucking companies while they're applying for authority, before they've bought a policy; work insurance cancellation notices; and call active carriers 30 to 60 days before their renewal.
What do insurers need to quote a new trucking authority?
Driver experience and records, commodities, radius, equipment details with values, garaging address, and the coverage limits the carrier's contracts require.
When is the best time to call a new trucking company about insurance?
Between FMCSA Register publication and the grant: the carrier must file liability insurance before its authority is granted, so it is buying a policy now.
Every new FMCSA applicant, scored and flagged by whether insurance is on file, the same morning FMCSA publishes it. $79/month, every state, every business day.
Paid plans add phone and email from FMCSA filings where available.
Start your 7-day free trial Download a free sample (no email)
Get tomorrow's list free
The newest applicants for your state, in your inbox each business day.
Related guides
- How to find new trucking companies before they buy insurance
- New authority trucking insurance requirements
- Trucking insurance X-dates from FMCSA filings
Sources and method. CarrierDaily analysis of public FMCSA data, Sep 22 to Oct 22 (30 feed days). Companies, not events: a published application already counted when filed is counted once. Source: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data published on data.transportation.gov. CarrierDaily is not affiliated with or endorsed by FMCSA or the U.S. Department of Transportation.