Insurance for a new trucking authority: what FMCSA requires and how the filing works
What FMCSA requires before it grants operating authority, who files it, how long the filing takes, and the coverage shippers and brokers ask for on top of it. CarrierDaily does not sell insurance or give insurance advice.
What FMCSA requires
| Operation | Minimum liability (BIPD) | Form |
|---|---|---|
| For-hire, non-hazardous freight, vehicles 10,001 lbs or more | $750,000 | BMC-91 or BMC-91X |
| For-hire, non-hazardous freight, vehicles under 10,001 lbs | $300,000 | BMC-91 or BMC-91X |
| Oil, and hazardous materials listed in 49 CFR 387.9 | $1,000,000 | BMC-91 or BMC-91X |
| Certain hazardous materials (explosives, poison gas, radioactive) | $5,000,000 | BMC-91 or BMC-91X |
| Household goods carriers and freight forwarders: cargo | $5,000 per vehicle / $10,000 per occurrence | BMC-34 |
Most new carriers file at the $750,000 level: of the filings in our last 30 feed days with an amount on record, 10,794 were at $750,000 and 862 at $1,000,000. Brokers and shippers often require $1,000,000 in their contracts even when FMCSA's minimum is lower, and a motor truck cargo policy (commonly $100,000) that FMCSA does not require at all.
Who files it, and how
You do not file the insurance form. Your insurer files the BMC-91 or BMC-91X electronically with FMCSA after the policy is bound, and FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance system shows it within a business day or two. Ask the agent for the filing confirmation. A BMC-91X is the form for a policy that covers only part of the required amount or that is written by more than one insurer; most one-truck carriers see a BMC-91.
If you later change insurers, the old policy's cancellation (Form BMC-35) is filed with 30 days' notice, and the new filing must be on record before the old one ends, or the authority is suspended for lack of insurance.
Enter your USDOT number for a free launch checklist built from FMCSA's records: application, Register date, protest period, insurance filing, BOC-3, MCS-150 due date, UCR, Clearinghouse, ELD, IFTA/IRP and your new-entrant audit window, with an email when the status changes.
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Why the filing decides your grant date
71% of applicants in the last 30 feed days had no insurance on file when they applied. Carriers published to the FMCSA Register in the last 90 feed days were granted a median of 14 days later (half within 12 to 14 days; 1,999 grants). The protest period is 21 days of that, so applicants who bind coverage while the protest period runs are typically granted as soon as it ends.
Getting quoted as a new authority
New authorities are a specialty market: the insurer has no loss history to go on, so premiums depend on the driver's record and experience, the truck, the cargo, the radius and the state. Agents who write new ventures quote them every day; a general agent may not. Getting two or three quotes before you apply, with your MVR and a plan for the first year's loads in hand, is the single thing that most shortens the wait above.
Questions
Does FMCSA require cargo insurance?
Only for household goods carriers and freight forwarders (Form BMC-34). Brokers and shippers usually require a motor truck cargo policy anyway, so most new carriers carry one.
Can I apply before I have insurance?
Yes, and most applicants do. FMCSA will not grant until the filing is on record, so applying first and binding during the protest period is common. Applying with insurance already bound is faster still.
What is a BMC-91X?
The insurance filing form used when the required amount is written by more than one insurer or a policy covers part of it. A BMC-91 covers the full amount under one policy. Either satisfies the requirement.
Enter your USDOT number for a free launch checklist built from FMCSA's records: application, Register date, protest period, insurance filing, BOC-3, MCS-150 due date, UCR, Clearinghouse, ELD, IFTA/IRP and your new-entrant audit window, with an email when the status changes.
Free for carriers. USDOT numbers are public; nothing is sent until you ask. Agents set their own terms; CarrierDaily doesn't sell insurance or give insurance advice.
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Related guides
- How long does it take to get your MC authority?
- What to do after your MC number is approved
- Why you get so many calls after applying for an MC number
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.