Commercial Truck Insurance for New Authority: 4 Quote Routes

Compare the route first: direct carrier, multi-market agency, owner-operator specialist or agent-only trucking insurer. Then compare the same limits, deductibles, filings and effective date.

First Load HQ is an independent publisher. We are not affiliated with FMCSA or DOT, and no provider paid for placement, ordering, or wording on this page.

There is no universal best commercial truck insurance for a new authority. The useful decision is not "which company," but which quote route fits how you want to shop: a direct carrier that quotes and services you itself, a multi-market agency that shops one submission across many insurers, an owner-operator specialist tied to an association, or an agent-only trucking specialist you reach through an appointed independent agent. Price only becomes comparable after you send every route the same operating profile and request identical limits, deductibles, coverages, filings, and effective date.

Two jobs run in parallel. One is buying a policy that fits your operation. The other is getting the required federal financial-responsibility filing onto your current FMCSA record — FMCSA will not grant operating authority until that filing is in effect, and a quote, binder, paid premium, or certificate of insurance does not by itself make your authority active. Most for-hire carriers hauling non-hazardous freight file at $750,000, or $300,000 if the whole fleet is under 10,001 pounds GVWR; the full tier table is below. No route below guarantees eligibility, price, filing speed, or activation.

Best-fit picks by situation:

• Best for one baseline quote directly from the insurer: Progressive Commercial — the direct-carrier route.
• Best for one submission shopped across multiple markets: Tivly — a licensed agency route; expect your information to reach quoting partners.
• Best for owner-operator specialization with association ties: OOIDA / OOSI — membership and access conditions apply.
• Best if you already work with an appointed independent agent: Cover Whale — a conditional pick; availability varies by state and product.
• Wait — check the official filing requirement first if you have not yet identified which federal filing and minimum applies to your operation.

Choose the direct-carrier route first if you want to know exactly who would underwrite and service your policy before you hand over your operating profile. Choose the multi-market agency route if your new-venture profile may be hard to place and you would rather have one licensed agency shop several markets — accepting that your information will be shared with quoting providers. Choose a specialist route if trucking-specific service matters most and you can meet the access condition: current membership for OOIDA/OOSI, or an appointed independent agent for Cover Whale. And if your operation, truck, start date, or required filing is not yet settled, wait: no route can produce a comparable quote from a moving profile, and buying a policy early does not activate your authority.

On this page

• Quick fit: direct carrier, agency, specialist, or agent-only
• Before you compare: the federal filing and authority-status gate
• How we selected and compared these options
• Commercial truck insurance: the Four Quote Routes compared
• Four quote routes: best for and not ideal for
• Terms on your quote, defined
• How to compare quotes apples to apples
• Why new-authority quotes differ and the red flags to catch
• Which truck insurance route fits your situation
• When none of these routes fits yet
• Frequently asked questions
• Compare the route, then verify the filing
• About this page

Quick fit: direct carrier, agency, specialist, or agent-only

Route facts below were checked July 21, 2026, against each provider's own pages; recheck before you buy. No prices appear here because every published number is profile-specific.

Route	Example	Best when	Watch for	First move
Direct carrier	Progressive Commercial	You want a direct quote-and-service path and broad truck-operation coverage.	Not every vehicle, coverage, or state is available; the quoted premium is individual.	Get one baseline quote with locked inputs.
Multi-market agency	Tivly	You want one licensed agency to shop a broad provider network.	Your information may be shared with providers and partners; identify the actual insurer.	Ask which markets received your submission.
Owner-operator specialist	OOIDA / OOSI	You value owner-operator specialization and association-linked service.	Confirm membership, state, product, and underwriting eligibility.	Verify current membership and quote prerequisites.
Agent-only specialist	Cover Whale	You already work with an appointed agent and value a trucking-focused digital program.	State/product availability and agent appointment; telematics and data terms.	Ask an appointed agent to confirm current availability.

Before you compare: the federal filing and authority-status gate

FMCSA sets minimum financial-responsibility requirements under 49 CFR Part 387, and it will not grant operating authority registration until the required minimum is in effect and on file. The minimum depends on your operation, cargo, and vehicles. For the requirement-by-requirement breakdown of what a new carrier must carry, see the new authority insurance requirements guide.

As of August 8, 2026, FMCSA routes registration and carrier-record activity through Motus, its current USDOT Registration System, which replaced the legacy registration systems from May 14, 2026. Check the FMCSA Registration page for current alerts rather than older instructions that point to retired systems.

Official first action. Check the official FMCSA Insurance Filing Requirements before you buy. After your insurer or its electronic filer submits the required filing, verify it two ways: your operating authority status on the SAFER Company Snapshot by USDOT or MC number, and the filing itself with the party who submitted it, in the system they submitted it in — and, while FMCSA's registration transition lasts, cross-check the L&I public search, which the agency's registration alerts still name authoritative for authority status. Do not operate solely because you have a quote, binder, or certificate of insurance.

One caveat before you click through. FMCSA's Insurance Filing Requirements page is the correct source for what must be filed and by when, but its filing-mechanics section was last updated March 26, 2026 and still describes filing through the FMCSA Portal and the Licensing & Insurance system. FMCSA's own transition notice says the opposite: registration options in L&I — including filing insurance and BOC-3 — sunset permanently on May 14, 2026 and moved to Motus, with L&I left for viewing historical records. Both pages are FMCSA. Use the requirements page for the requirement and the deadline; assume your insurer or its filer works in Motus, and ask them to confirm which system they filed in. Checked August 8, 2026.

You do not submit the federal insurance form yourself. Your insurer — or its authorized electronic filer — files it on your behalf after you obtain your docket number, and FMCSA states that applicants may not file insurance forms on their own behalf. You remain responsible for two things: monitoring that the filing actually posts to your record, and making sure your legal business name and address match exactly across your formation documents and your authority application. FMCSA cautions registrants that the name and address in pre-registration filings such as the secretary of state must match the application exactly, and the regulation requires the MCS-90 endorsement and surety bond to be issued in the exact name of the motor carrier. A mismatch gets filings rejected, which stalls the grant. If you find a mismatch after the fact, FMCSA charges a $14 processing fee for a name change — cheap compared with a dismissed application, and worth fixing before your insurer files anything.

One more boundary keeps the rest of this page honest: the federal minimum is law; everything above it is a private requirement. A broker, shipper, or lender can demand $1 million in auto liability, $100,000 in cargo coverage, or specific endorsements as a condition of doing business with you. Those are contract and market-access terms set by private counterparties — not federal rules — and they vary, so verify them with the customers and lenders you actually plan to work with.

Who this federal filing applies to, and who it does not

This page covers interstate for-hire operating authority: hauling regulated property for compensation across state lines. That is the operation the federal filing on this page attaches to.

Three groups are outside it:

• Intrastate-only carriers. If every load starts and ends inside one state and is not part of a through movement, you generally are not applying for FMCSA operating authority, and this federal filing is not what governs you. Your state's motor carrier, public utilities, or DMV agency sets intrastate registration and insurance requirements, and both the required limits and the filing mechanics differ by state. Start at where to begin if you operate intrastate only.
• Private carriers. If you haul only your own goods, you are not a for-hire carrier and normally do not hold operating authority, though you may still need a USDOT number and must meet the financial-responsibility rules in 49 CFR 387.3 if you carry hazardous materials.
• Exempt-commodity for-hire carriers. Hauling only federally exempt commodities changes which registration applies to you.

If you are not certain which of these you are, settle that before you request a single quote. Every quote on the wrong operation type is wasted, and so is a filing at the wrong limit. Start with how to get trucking authority — insurance is one step in that sequence, not a substitute for it.

If you operate intrastate only: where to start

Intrastate motor carrier registration and insurance are state law, not federal law, and the pattern differs by state: a different agency, a different certificate, different limits, and a different filing form. What repeats across states is the structure — an agency grants the authority, your insurer files proof directly with that agency, and you may not operate until the authority is issued.

What this table covers. Three states, verified from the administering agency's own pages on August 8, 2026. Each row identifies the agency, the filing route, and the official portal; a required limit appears only where the agency published it on the page we read, and where it did not, ask the agency rather than assuming the federal number applies. First Load HQ has not verified the intrastate agency, limits, or filing form for the remaining 47 states and the District of Columbia, and does not publish rows it has not verified — a wrong number here is worse than no number. If your state is not listed, use the routing line below the table.

State	Agency that grants intrastate authority	What your insurer files	Official portal
Texas	Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Carrier Division — TxDMV Number certificate	Texas law requires intrastate carriers to register with TxDMV and keep proof of insurance on file; only your insurance company can file proof of insurance or a cancellation	TxDMV Number
California	California Department of Motor Vehicles — Motor Carrier Permit (MCP) for carriers of property	A Certificate of Insurance (MC 65 M) from your insurance provider; required liability levels run from $300,000 to $5,000,000 combined single limit depending on vehicles and property carried	Motor Carrier Permits
New York	New York State Department of Transportation, Office of Modal Safety and Security	Form E, endorsed and sent by your insurance company — NYSDOT states it is not a form you or your insurance agent can send, and it must be filed in the exact name on your authority application	Registration & Licensing

If your state is not in the table. FMCSA's own instruction to carriers is to contact the regulatory agency in each state you operate in or through; there is no federal list that answers it for you. Start with your state's transportation department, public utilities or public service commission, or DMV — those are the three agency types that administer intrastate motor carrier authority — and ask two questions: does my operation need state authority, and what insurance form does my insurer file with you.

For anything about the insurer or agent rather than the authority — checking that a company or agent is licensed in your state, or filing a complaint — every state, the District of Columbia and five territories are covered by the NAIC state insurance department directory. That is the regulator that licenses insurance companies and agents, and the one to use before you send an operating profile to anybody.

One New York detail is worth borrowing whatever state you are in: NYSDOT warns that filing an application does not allow you to operate, and operating before authority is issued may result in denial and a $5,000 civil penalty. The federal gate and the state gate work the same way. Neither one opens because you paid.

Federal minimum financial responsibility by operation

These are the filing limits for for-hire property carriers registering with FMCSA. They are set by 49 CFR 387.303T — the operative version of § 387.303, which has been suspended — and the parallel schedule in 49 CFR 387.9 sets the financial-responsibility minimums a carrier must maintain. Passenger-carrier tiers are set separately and are not covered here. Regulation checked August 8, 2026.

Operation	Equipment	Federal minimum	Regulation
For-hire, non-hazardous property	Freight vehicles of 10,001 lbs GVWR or more	$750,000 public liability	387.303T(b)(2)(i)
For-hire, non-hazardous property	Fleet including only vehicles under 10,001 lbs GVWR	$300,000 public liability	387.303T(b)(1)(i)
Oil, hazardous waste, and hazardous materials not in the tiers below	Freight vehicles of 10,001 lbs GVWR or more	$1,000,000	387.303T(b)(2)(iii)
Bulk hazardous substances in cargo/portable/hopper tanks over 3,500 water gallons; bulk Division 1.1–1.3, 2.1, 2.2, or 2.3 Hazard Zone A; highway route controlled quantities of Class 7	Freight vehicles of 10,001 lbs GVWR or more	$5,000,000	387.303T(b)(2)(ii)
Any quantity of Division 1.1–1.3, Division 2.3 Hazard Zone A, Division 6.1 Packing Group I Hazard Zone A, or highway route controlled quantities of Class 7	Freight vehicles under 10,001 lbs GVWR	$5,000,000	387.303T(b)(2)(iv)
Household goods — cargo liability	Any	$5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 per occurrence	387.303T(c)

What these limits are not. They are not a coverage recommendation — they are the floor that activates your authority, and a single serious injury claim can exceed $750,000. They are not the limits your brokers, shippers, or lenders will ask for; those are private terms and commonly higher. They are not cargo coverage, except in the household goods row. And they are not a state requirement — if you also run intrastate, your state sets its own.

The table settles two things the market gets wrong. First, the $300,000 tier is real: a hotshot or box-truck operation whose entire fleet sits under 10,001 pounds GVWR files at a different level than a tractor-trailer, and filing the wrong limit will not activate your authority. Second, cargo insurance is a federal filing requirement only for household goods carriers. If you haul general freight, the $100,000 cargo limit you keep being asked for is a broker or shipper requirement, not federal law — worth carrying, but for a different reason.

How long you have to get the filing in

The clock starts when your application is published in the FMCSA Register, not when you pay. FMCSA states that once you apply for operating authority, a financial responsibility provider must file the insurance forms on your behalf, and that if you fail to comply within 20 days of publication, FMCSA serves a decision that your application will be dismissed unless you comply within 60 days. A dismissed application is expensive twice over: you start again, and the $300 per-authority filing fee is non-refundable.

The same window governs your process agent. FMCSA's form page states that only a process agent may file Form BOC-3 on a motor carrier's behalf, and authority is not granted until both the insurance filing and the BOC-3 are on record. FMCSA is not internally consistent on this point: its form page says only a process agent may file for a carrier, while its answer to "Who files the Form BOC-3?" says either the applicant or the process agent may. Both were checked August 8, 2026. Use a process agent — it is the reading the form page supports, it is what blanket companies exist to do, and a rejected designation costs you the same 20-day window an insurance filing does.

Source conflict, disclosed. FMCSA publishes at least four versions of this deadline, and they disagree on both the length and the starting event:

FMCSA source	What it says	Document date
Insurance Filing Requirements page	Fail to comply within 20 days of publication in the FMCSA Register and a decision is served dismissing the application unless you comply within 60 days	Page last updated March 26, 2026
OP-1 application form	Filings must be received within 90 days of publication, with a warning letter at 20 days	Form posted September 2025
Licensing & Insurance FMCSA Register help text	Applications not supplemented by the 20th day after publication will be dismissed; dismissal notices issue on the 30th day	Undated
Dismissed-application FAQ	An application is dismissed if insurance and BOC-3 are not provided approximately 90 days from the date of filing — a different clock from publication	Undated

All four were checked August 8, 2026. Plan to the earliest trigger on the earliest clock: have your insurer's filing submitted well inside 20 days of publication, and treat every later date as cure time you would rather not need. If your timeline is tight enough that the difference matters, call FMCSA at 1-800-832-5660 rather than working from any one document alone.

What a filing lapse does to your authority

The filing is not a one-time hurdle. FMCSA requires that the security accepted on your behalf remain in effect at all times — § 387.301T is the operative version, § 387.301 having been suspended — and states that once authority is granted, entities must keep proof of insurance and process-agent designation on file to avoid revocation proceedings. Non-payment, mid-term cancellation, or a switch handled badly can drop the filing and put your authority at risk — which in practice means brokers stop tendering you loads long before any formal action concludes.

Your process agent is the other half of that sentence, and it is the half new carriers forget. The designation is not a one-time pre-grant chore: FMCSA treats a valid designation as a condition of keeping registration active, and suspends operating authority registration for an invalid process-agent designation. If your blanket company drops you or lapses, that is the same problem as an insurance lapse, arriving from a different direction.

Know both notice periods before you switch or cancel anything:

• A certificate of insurance on file with FMCSA cannot be cancelled or withdrawn until 30 days after written notice on the prescribed form (BMC-35) is filed, and that clock runs from the date FMCSA actually receives the notice, under 49 CFR 387.313T(d).
• The underlying policy carrying the MCS-90 endorsement stays in effect continuously until terminated, and cancellation between you and your insurer runs on 35 days' written notice — a clock that starts when the notice is transmitted, not when it arrives, with proof of transmission sufficient, under 49 CFR 387.7(b).

If you replace a policy, the safe sequence is new filing on first, old filing off second — never the reverse. And if an authority has already been revoked over a lapse, a new quote is not the fix: reinstatement is its own FMCSA process, currently an $80 request that requires an active USDOT number with current contact information, plus a current insurance filing and BOC-3 on record before the request will process. One door closes entirely in either of these cases: FMCSA states you cannot request reinstatement if you have been placed out of service as an imminent hazard or on a final unsatisfactory safety rating. Sort the reinstatement path with FMCSA first, then shop. And note that your proof of financial responsibility is public: 387.7 makes it producible on reasonable request, and your authority and insurance status are visible to any broker who looks you up. Your filing history is part of your record, not a private matter between you and your insurer.

How we selected and compared these options

Who you are actually buying from: provider operating models

The four routes are four different transactions. This matters for price, escalation, data handling, and cancellation.

Model	Who you are actually contracting with	What the model changes for the buyer
Direct insurer (Progressive)	The insurer group itself; the policy is issued by one of its underwriting companies.	One brand handles quote, policy, filings, and claims; your data stays inside that insurer's process.
Licensed agency / marketplace (Tivly)	Whichever insurer the agency places your coverage with; the agency is an intermediary.	One submission can reach many markets, but you must identify the actual underwriting company, and your information is shared with quoting partners.
Association-linked specialist agency (OOIDA / OOSI)	The insurer whose policy the association's licensed insurance-services affiliate places; membership conditions govern access.	Trucking-specialist service and association context, with membership and eligibility conditions on top of normal underwriting.
Agent-only program (Cover Whale)	The program's underwriting carrier, sold only through appointed independent agents.	Your agent is the access and escalation path; telematics and data program elements can be part of the deal.

Whichever model you use, the insurer at the end of it has to be legally able to write your policy. FMCSA will not accept a certificate of insurance unless the issuing company is authorized to issue such policies in the relevant state, or eligible there as an excess or surplus lines insurer. Ask which it is — it is a fair question and a licensed agent will answer it.

The inclusion gates

This shortlist was built before any provider received a "best for" label, using these gates:

1. Current first-party evidence. A route is included only when the provider's own current pages confirm a commercial trucking product and a usable quote or access path.
2. Identified role. Each option is labeled by what it actually is — direct insurer, licensed agency/marketplace, association-linked specialist agency, or agent-only program — because those are different transactions.
3. Equal fields. Every option is compared on the same fields: role, quote path, listed coverages, availability, admitted-or-surplus basis, filing support, price status, data and telematics practices, and a material limitation.
4. No assumed new-authority acceptance. Marketing to truckers is not the same as guaranteed new-venture appetite. Acceptance is treated as unverified unless the provider or an appointed agent confirms it in current written documentation, so every option is labeled quote-required.
5. No commission-led ordering. The order on this page is the route taxonomy, not a ranking. We use no scoring model, points, or weights — there is no hidden rubric — and affiliate or compensation status never changes inclusion, order, or wording. The page reads the same with every commercial link replaced by a neutral one.
6. Exclusion rules. Options are excluded when they lack a current trucking product, cannot actually be accessed by a new-authority reader, lack current first-party evidence, or duplicate a route without a distinct reader benefit.

Refresh cadence: federal filing and status sources are rechecked on publication day, then quarterly and whenever FMCSA posts a registration alert; provider rows are rechecked on publication day and at least every 90 days, with availability-sensitive rows checked more often.

Considered but not included

• Sentry — reviewed as an established trucking specialist with appointed-agency distribution; not included because its current public pages did not establish a distinct new-authority access path or a reader benefit beyond the agent-only route already covered, as of July 21, 2026.
• A local independent trucking agent — not one comparable national entity, so it cannot sit in an equal-field matrix; it appears instead as a non-ranked alternative in When none of these routes fits yet.
• Instant-quote lead forms without an identifiable legal entity — excluded because the insurer/agency role, license, and data recipient could not be verified as of July 21, 2026.

Commercial truck insurance: the Four Quote Routes compared

Provider facts below were checked July 21, 2026, against each provider's own current pages; federal filing, regulation, and status sources were re-verified August 8, 2026.

Price status is the same for all four routes: quote-only. No published rate applies to a new-authority profile, every premium is individually underwritten, and none of the four discloses a rate you can compare before submitting. Treat any number you are shown as a quote on your inputs, not a price.

Table 1 — the four routes: role, access, and coverages listed

Option	Role	Quote path	Core coverages listed by the provider
Progressive Commercial	Direct carrier	Online or by phone, directly with the insurer	Primary liability, physical damage, motor truck cargo, trailer interchange, non-trucking liability, plus state and federal filing support
Tivly	Licensed agency / multi-provider marketplace	One phone or web submission shopped to its network — 350+ providers, per Tivly	Liability, physical damage, cargo, non-trucking liability and related truck coverages, via the insurers it places with
OOIDA / OOSI	Association-linked owner-operator specialist agency	Member-route quote through OOIDA's licensed insurance-services affiliate	Primary liability, motor truck cargo, general liability, and physical-damage options
Cover Whale	Agent-only trucking specialist program	Through an appointed independent agent only	Liability, motor truck cargo, physical damage, general liability, non-trucking liability, with filing support

Table 2 — the same four routes: availability, licensing basis, filings, and evidence

Option	Role	Availability	Admitted or surplus lines	Filings	Material limitation	Evidence status
Progressive Commercial	Direct carrier	Varies by state, vehicle, and coverage; quote required	Not disclosed on public pages — ask which underwriting company issues the policy and on what basis	States it offers state and federal filings	Telematics and usage data can affect renewal; underwriting is individual; new-venture acceptance is not guaranteed	Verified, Jul 21, 2026; new-venture appetite and licensing basis not disclosed
Tivly	Licensed agency / marketplace	Depends on which network insurers quote your profile	Depends on which insurer places the risk; not disclosed before you submit	Handled by the placing insurer — confirm who files and when	Quote information may be shared with one or more providers and partners, and calls may be recorded, per Tivly's privacy policy; Tivly is not the insurer	Verified with limitation, Jul 21, 2026; placing insurers and filing handling not disclosed pre-submission
OOIDA / OOSI	Association-linked specialist agency	Confirm membership, state, and product availability	Depends on the placing insurer; not disclosed on public pages	Confirm with OOSI which filings are handled and by whom	Membership and access conditions apply; public pages do not guarantee new-venture acceptance	Partial, Jul 21, 2026; membership cost, licensing basis, and filing handling unresolved
Cover Whale	Agent-only program	Varies by state and product; coverage map dated Q1 2026 — confirm with an appointed agent	Both, by state — the program's own announcements describe auto liability written as admitted in some states and as excess and surplus in others	Coverage page lists federal and state filing support	Agent-only access; telematics/dashcam elements; no public new-authority guarantee	Verified with limitation, Jul 21, 2026; map dated Q1 2026, needs a current check

Four quote routes: best for and not ideal for

Each of the Four Quote Routes gets the same treatment below: where it fits, where it does not, what is still unverified, and what to settle in writing first. None of it implies your profile will be accepted.

Progressive Commercial — the direct-carrier route

Verdict: the best baseline direct-carrier quote for a reader who wants to deal with the insurer itself rather than start with a marketplace.

Who issues your policy: the insurer group itself, through one of its underwriting companies. You are contracting with the company that also handles the filing and the claim.

What is verified: Progressive's current truck-insurance pages list trucking operations, primary liability, physical damage, motor truck cargo, and related coverages, along with state and federal filing support. Facts checked July 21, 2026. Evidence status: verified from provider pages; new-venture appetite not publicly disclosed.

Admitted or surplus lines: not disclosed on public pages. Ask which underwriting company would issue your policy and whether it is admitted in your state or writing as surplus lines — FMCSA accepts either within the conditions in 49 CFR 387.315, but the answer changes your position under your state's guaranty arrangements.

Best fit: an operator who wants one direct quote to anchor the comparison and values online/phone access plus an established filing workflow inside a single company.

Not ideal for: a profile outside Progressive's available states, vehicles, or coverages; a reader who wants one agent to shop many insurers at once; or a reader unwilling to weigh how telematics and usage data may affect pricing at renewal.

Time to quote or bind: not disclosed as a commitment on public pages; ask for the underwriting and filing timeline in writing.

Record impact: the filing made under this policy attaches to your docket; a lapse here is a lapse on your record, not the insurer's.

Verify before purchase: Which underwriting company would issue the policy, is it admitted in your state or writing as surplus lines, and are your state, vehicle, and coverage set available? Who submits the federal filing, on what form, in which system, and when relative to your effective date? What are the payment plan, fees, deductible, telemetry enrollment terms, and cancellation provisions?

Revisit when: your fleet, radius, or loss history changes enough that a single-market quote stops being competitive.

Tivly — the multi-market agency route

Verdict: the best multi-market agency route for a reader who wants one submission to reach several possible insurance markets.

Who issues your policy: not Tivly. Whichever insurer in its network accepts the risk issues and services the policy; Tivly is the licensed intermediary that placed it.

What is verified: Tivly identifies itself as a licensed agency, describes commercial truck insurance across common trucking coverages, and says it works with a broad provider network of 350+ providers. Its privacy policy states that quote information may be disclosed to one or more insurance providers and other partners, and that calls may be recorded. Facts checked July 21, 2026. Evidence status: verified with limitation; the placing insurers and filing handling are not disclosed before you submit.

Admitted or surplus lines: depends entirely on which insurer places the risk, and is not knowable before submission. Make it the first question you ask once a quote comes back.

Best fit: a new-venture profile that may benefit from market shopping — limited history, a tougher state, or unusual equipment — or a reader who wants an agent to explain why quotes differ.

Not ideal for: a reader who wants to know the underwriting company before submitting anything, wants minimal partner data sharing, or prefers a direct relationship with one insurer.

Time to quote or bind: depends on which markets respond; no committed timeline is published.

Record impact: none from the quote itself; the eventual insurer's filing, and any lapse in it, attaches to your docket rather than to the agency.

Verify before purchase: Which insurers actually received your submission, which one would underwrite the policy, and is it admitted in your state or writing as surplus lines? What is the consent scope for data sharing and follow-up contact? Who handles the federal filing, in which system, and what fees, cancellation terms, and effective date apply to the quote you accept?

Revisit when: your profile is hardest to place — a marketplace route earns its data trade-off most in a difficult year, least in an easy one.

OOIDA / OOSI — the owner-operator specialist route

Verdict: the best owner-operator specialist route for a reader who values an association-linked insurance service and trucking-specific conversations.

Who issues your policy: the insurer whose policy the association's licensed insurance-services affiliate places. Membership governs access to the route, not the underwriting itself.

What is verified: OOIDA Truck Insurance's owner-operator page lists primary liability, motor truck cargo, general liability, and physical-damage options, and OOIDA identifies OOSI as the licensed insurance-services vehicle for members. Facts checked July 21, 2026. Note that a statement on a provider page that many brokers want $1 million in liability is a private-market observation, not a statement of federal law. Evidence status: partial; membership cost and filing handling are not resolved on public pages.

Admitted or surplus lines: not disclosed on public pages, and it will depend on the placing insurer. Ask before you pay dues on the strength of an expected quote.

Best fit: a single-truck owner-operator who wants an industry-specialist quote and is willing to confirm current membership and access requirements first.

Not ideal for: a nonmember who does not want to join, an operation outside current state or product availability, or a profile that needs many carrier markets shopped simultaneously.

Time to quote or bind: gated by membership verification first; no committed timeline is published.

Record impact: the placing insurer's filing attaches to your docket; membership status does not change your federal obligations either way.

Verify before purchase: What are the membership requirement and dues, and which agency and insurer are actually involved? Is your state, product, and new-venture profile currently eligible? Who handles filings, and what are the limits, fees, payment terms, and claims/service route?

Revisit when: you add trucks or drivers and single-truck specialization stops matching the operation.

Cover Whale — the agent-only specialist route

Verdict: the best conditional agent-only route for a reader who already works with an appointed independent agent and wants a trucking-focused digital program.

Who issues your policy: the program's underwriting carrier, not Cover Whale itself. The company describes itself as operating as a managing general agent and distributes through appointed agents, so ask your agent to name the issuing company in writing before you bind.

What is verified: Cover Whale's current coverage page lists auto liability up to $1 million, motor truck cargo up to $250,000, physical damage, general liability, non-trucking liability, and filing support, and its business access runs through licensed appointed agents. Its published coverage map was labeled Q1 2026 at review, so state and product availability requires a current check. Cover Whale advertises fast binding; treat that as a provider claim subject to underwriting and availability, not an expected timeline. Facts checked July 21, 2026. Evidence status: verified with limitation; the availability map is dated Q1 2026 and must be re-checked before you rely on it.

Admitted or surplus lines: both, depending on the state — the program's own expansion announcements describe auto liability written as admitted in some states and as excess and surplus lines in others. This is the one option on this page where the basis is publicly documented to vary, so confirm which applies to your state before you bind.

Best fit: a reader whose state and product are currently available and whose agent can access the program, explain the telematics and dashcam elements, and confirm new-venture appetite in writing.

Not ideal for: a reader without an appointed agent, an operation in an unavailable state or product line, or an operator who does not want telematics- and data-linked program elements.

Time to quote or bind: the provider advertises fast binding; no verified timeline applies to a new-authority profile, and access depends on your agent's appointment.

Record impact: the program's underwriting carrier makes the filing that attaches to your docket; your agent is the escalation path if it does not post.

Verify before purchase: Is your state and product on the current availability map, and does your agent have appointment? Which underwriting company issues the policy, is it admitted in your state or writing as surplus lines, and is your new-authority profile eligible? What are the telematics requirements, filing handling, fees, cancellation terms, and effective date?

Revisit when: the coverage map changes, or at renewal, when telematics-linked pricing from the first term is repriced.

Terms on your quote, defined

Quotes get compared badly because the words on them are not plain English. These are the ones that decide money.

Federal filing terms

These are the forms and endorsements that connect your policy to your authority. Get them wrong and the policy is fine but the authority is not.

• MCS-90 — an endorsement attached to your liability policy, not a coverage you buy separately. It is the proof of financial responsibility a carrier must keep at its principal place of business under 49 CFR 387.7, and it must be issued in the exact legal name of the motor carrier.
• BMC-91 and BMC-91X — the certificates of insurance your insurer files with FMCSA to evidence your public-liability minimum. Under 49 CFR 387.311, a BMC-91 always represents the full required limits; a BMC-91X may represent either the full limits or any level of aggregation across insurers, as shown on the face of the form.
• BMC-34 — the cargo-liability certificate, filed only by household goods carriers. If you haul general freight, no cargo filing is required of you federally.
• BMC-35 — the notice of cancellation form. It is what starts the 30-day clock before a filing comes off your record.
• BOC-3 — your designation of process agents in every state you operate in or through, under 49 CFR Part 366. It is not insurance and it is not filed by your insurer, but authority does not activate without it, and it must stay valid afterwards.

Coverage terms

These are commercial policy terms, not federal definitions — the exact scope is set by the policy wording you are quoted, so read the form, not just the label. This is where two quotes at the same premium stop being the same policy.

• Primary liability — the auto liability that satisfies your federal minimum. This is the number on your filing.
• Motor truck cargo — covers the freight you are hauling. Not the same as liability, and normally excludes some commodities outright.
• Physical damage — covers your own truck and trailer. Ask whether it is written on agreed value (a figure fixed at binding), stated amount (the lesser of the stated figure and actual cash value), or actual cash value (market value less depreciation at the time of loss). The same premium can buy very different payouts here.
• Non-trucking liability, sometimes called bobtail — covers the truck when it is not under dispatch. Relevant mainly if you also run under someone else's authority.
• Trailer interchange — covers a trailer you are pulling under an interchange agreement but do not own.
• General liability — covers premises and operations exposures away from the vehicle. Often required by facilities, not by FMCSA.

Money terms

These decide what you actually pay and what leaving costs you. They are the fields most often missing from a verbal quote.

• Down payment — cash due at binding. It is not a share of your annual cost; it is a financing term.
• Minimum earned premium — the portion of premium the insurer keeps even if you cancel early. A policy with a high minimum earned is expensive to leave.
• Short-rate cancellation — cancelling mid-term at a penalty rate rather than a straight pro-rata refund.
• Admitted versus surplus lines — an admitted insurer is licensed by your state's insurance department; a surplus lines insurer is not admitted there but may be eligible to write. Admitted policies are generally within the scope of that state's guaranty association, subject to that state's own limits and exclusions, and surplus lines generally are not — confirm the position with your state insurance department rather than assuming. FMCSA accepts either, within the conditions in 49 CFR 387.315. It is a legitimate difference to ask about, not a red flag by itself.

How to compare quotes apples to apples

This is the Same-Profile Rule — a First Load HQ editorial framework, not a legal requirement. It exists because the most common new-authority insurance mistake is comparing quotes that quietly describe different policies. One profile, one coverage request, one comparison window, every route.

1. Freeze the operating profile. Legal name, garaging state and address, authority status, power units, truck and trailer values, drivers with CDL and experience details, radius, lanes, commodities, annual miles, and start date.
2. Freeze the coverage request. Liability limit, cargo limit and deductible, physical-damage basis and value, deductibles, general liability or non-trucking coverage where applicable, required filings, and endorsements.
3. Send the same profile to each route within a short window, and record the actual insurer or underwriting company on every quote — the agency brand is not enough.
4. Normalize the price. Annual premium, down payment, installment count, installment and finance fees, taxes, broker fees, deductible, and cancellation terms.
5. Read exclusions and conditions. Commodities, radius, states, driver restrictions, trailer interchange, unattended-theft and security conditions, named-driver rules, and telematics or loss-control requirements.
6. Confirm the filing and effective-date sequence in writing. Who files, on what form, in which system, when it will be submitted, the policy effective date, and what happens if authority activation is delayed.
7. Verify the record. After the filing is submitted, check your own SAFER Company Snapshot. Do not dispatch from a certificate of insurance or an agent email alone.

Same-Profile Rule worksheet. Fill one column per quote; a quote missing a field is not yet comparable.

Worksheet field	Instruction
Provider route / actual insurer	Record the underwriting company and legal name, not just the agency brand. Verify the agency or agent is licensed in your state through your state insurance department before you send an operating profile.
Admitted or surplus lines	Ask which, and in which state the company is authorized to write.
Quote date / expiration	Quotes change; keep the comparison window tight.
Policy effective date	Must align with equipment and start timing; it does not imply authority activation.
Auto liability limit	Same limit on every quote; note which portion is federal minimum versus a customer requirement.
Cargo limit / deductible	Same limit, commodities, and deductible; note exclusions.
Physical damage	Agreed value, stated amount, or actual cash value; covered equipment and deductible.
Other coverages	General liability, trailer interchange, non-trucking/bobtail, rental reimbursement — only if relevant.
Federal/state filings	Form(s), filing party, filing system, any fee, expected submission date, and the status-check step.
Annual premium	The base comparison number, before calling any quote cheaper.
Down payment	Cash needed now — not the same thing as annual cost.
Installments and fees	Count, amount, and installment, finance, broker, and tax charges.
Cancellation / minimum earned	Refundability, minimum earned premium, and short-rate terms if applicable.
Telematics / dashcam	Required, optional, or discount program; renewal impact and data terms.
Driver / vehicle / radius assumptions	Confirm the quote used your exact inputs and all intended drivers and units.
Exclusions / conditions	Commodity, geography, theft and security, named-driver, garaging, and loss-control conditions.
Filing verified in the FMCSA record	Date checked and record status after the provider says the filing was submitted.

Decision rule: lowest comparable annual cost — not lowest down payment. First eliminate quotes that do not meet your operation's federal, state, customer, lender, and equipment requirements. Then compare annual premium plus mandatory fees at the same coverage and deductible. Use the down payment only as a cash-flow constraint: a low down payment can still hide a higher annual cost or weaker coverage.

What drives your first payment

Every quote you receive reduces to two numbers, and they answer different questions. Run both on each quote before you compare anything:

• Cash due at binding = down payment + policy fees + taxes + any broker or agency fee.
• Total annual cost = cash due at binding + (number of installments × installment amount) + per-installment finance charges.

No real premium figures appear on this page, because every input — down-payment percentage, installment count, finance charge, fee schedule — is quoted individually, and no defensible published average exists. What the arithmetic does is fixed, though, and it is worth seeing once.

Worked example — illustration only. The numbers below are not quotes, not samples from any market, and not averages. They are round figures chosen to show how the two formulas behave when three quotes describe the same coverage on the same profile. Run this on your own quotes with your own numbers.

Input	Quote A	Quote B — lowest cash today	Quote C — lowest cost over the year
Annual premium	$12,000	$12,600	$11,700
Down payment	25% = $3,000	10% = $1,260	30% = $3,510
Policy, broker and tax fees	$150	$300	$150
Installments	9	9	9
Finance charge per installment	$10	$35	$10
Cash due at binding	$3,150	$1,560	$3,660
Installment amount	$1,010	$1,295	$920
Total annual cost	$12,240	$13,215	$11,940

Quote B needs $2,100 less cash to start than Quote C and costs $1,275 more over the year. The premium gap between them is $900 of that; the fee and finance-charge gap adds the other $375. That is the whole trap in one line: the quote that is easiest to start is not the quote that is cheapest to hold, and the headline premium alone will not tell you which is which. The first number tells you whether you can start this month; the second tells you which quote is actually cheaper. Get all four inputs in writing and do this arithmetic yourself.

Why new-authority quotes differ and the red flags to catch

Two honest quotes on the same profile can land far apart, because underwriting is individual. The inputs that move new-authority pricing most are garaging state and territory, radius and lanes, commodity, driver history and years of CDL experience, equipment age and value, coverage selections and deductibles, prior insurance history, and each insurer's current appetite for first-year authorities. Many insurers price a new venture higher in year one. That is underwriting practice, not a law and not a fixed waiting period.

Structure matters as much as the premium. Separate the annual premium from the down payment, installment count, and the installment, finance, broker, and tax charges — a payment plan can change your real annual cost at identical coverage. Insurance down payments and early premiums are usually the largest single cash item when launching an authority, so budget them alongside your filing fees, permits, and working capital — the authority cost guide maps that full startup stack — rather than treating the quote in isolation. Telematics and dashcam programs can discount today and reprice at renewal, so read the data terms before enrolling.

This page publishes no "average new-authority premium," because no defensible one exists across states, vehicles, coverages, and driver histories. Any figure you see should name its population, period, coverage set, and assumptions — or be treated as marketing.

Red flags worth walking away from:

• A quote that got cheaper because the limit, deductible, cargo coverage, valuation basis, or radius quietly changed.
• Any "FMCSA-approved insurer" or government-affiliated framing — FMCSA does not endorse insurers.
• Guaranteed acceptance, guaranteed activation, or "instant authority" promises tied to buying a policy.
• A quote path where you cannot identify the legal entity, its license, or who receives your data.
• Pressure to pay before your operating profile, truck, or start date is settled.
• Anyone treating a certificate of insurance or binder as proof that your authority is active.

Which truck insurance route fits your situation

Use this section after you have checked the official filing requirement above; it assumes the federal gate comes first, and that you have settled which of the operation types in Who this federal filing applies to describes you.

Your situation	Shortlist move	Confirm before you sign or pay
New interstate authority, one truck, standard dry-van freight	Run the direct-carrier and agency routes on the same worksheet profile	Which underwriting company issues the policy and whether it is admitted in your state; who submits the federal filing and when; total annual cost including fees versus down payment; cancellation and minimum-earned terms
Authority pending, cash tight, truck purchase not final	Collect quotes with a stated effective date, but do not bind until the profile is final	What happens if the effective date moves; installment and finance fees; deposit refundability; filing timing relative to the 20-day publication trigger
Harder-to-place profile or a difficult state	Use the agency route plus a specialist, and ask each which markets saw your submission	Which insurers quoted versus declined; data-sharing and consent scope; telematics requirements; any exclusion that made a quote cheaper
Single-truck owner-operator who wants specialist service	The owner-operator specialist route, after confirming membership and eligibility	Membership cost and terms; which agency and insurer are involved; state and product eligibility; who handles filings
You already work with an appointed independent agent	Add the agent-only specialist program to your quote set	Current availability map version; your agent's appointment; telematics and dashcam obligations; which company underwrites, and on an admitted or surplus-lines basis
Hotshot or a fleet made up only of vehicles under 10,001 lbs GVWR	Direct carrier plus agency, quoted and filed at the $300,000 tier	That each quoting market writes this equipment class, and that the filing limit matches your fleet — a filing at the wrong tier will not activate authority
Hazardous materials or placarded loads	Specialist routes first; expect a much smaller market. None of the four routes on this page is evidenced for hazmat appetite, so treat all four as unverified for this operation	Your commodity class and which federal tier it triggers, before you request quotes; whether the market writes your exact commodity
Intrastate only, single state	None of the four yet — settle the operation type first, then start at where to begin if you operate intrastate only	Whether your state requires its own registration and insurance filing, and which agency administers it. FMCSA operating authority and this federal filing govern interstate for-hire operation
Prior lapse, cancellation, or revocation on your record	The agency route, with the history disclosed in the first submission	Your current status on the SAFER Company Snapshot before you shop; whether the prior filing was cancelled or replaced; what each market needs to see to write you
Filing submitted, but your record still shows NOT AUTHORIZED	No new quote — escalate the filing you already have. Go back to the insurer or filer first, then FMCSA	Which form was submitted, on what date, and in which system; whether the legal name and address matched exactly; how many days remain on your publication clock
Your insurer sent a cancellation notice mid-term	Quote a replacement immediately and sequence new filing on before old filing off	The date the 30-day BMC-35 clock started; your replacement policy's effective date; whether any minimum earned premium or short-rate penalty applies to the policy you are leaving

When none of these routes fits yet

Sometimes the right move is to pause. If every quote comes back unusable, the problem is often the profile, not the market: an unsettled start date, an equipment value that does not match the coverage request, a commodity or radius the quoting markets will not touch, or a driver history that needs one more year. Refining the operating plan and re-quoting later can beat forcing a policy that does not fit.

A local independent trucking agent licensed in your state is a legitimate additional route, especially in difficult states or profiles — verify the license through your state insurance department, ask which markets they can access, and run them through the same worksheet. And if first-year insurance economics change the underlying business decision, it is worth re-reading the leased on vs own authority comparison before committing: operating under a carrier's authority for a season is a different insurance picture than running your own. No pressure either way — a policy bought before the operation is ready is just an expense.

Frequently asked questions

What insurance do I need for new trucking authority?

It depends on your operation, cargo, and vehicles. FMCSA will not grant operating authority until the required minimum financial responsibility is on file, and most for-hire operations also buy coverage beyond the filing — cargo, physical damage, and endorsements — to meet customer and lender terms. For what a new carrier must actually carry, operation by operation, see our guide to new authority insurance requirements.

Is $1 million liability required by FMCSA?

Not universally. Under 49 CFR 387.303T the federal minimum depends on operation and commodity: $750,000 for for-hire non-hazardous property in vehicles of 10,001 lbs GVWR or more, $300,000 where the entire fleet is under that weight, and $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 for various hazardous-materials operations. The common $1 million liability and $100,000 cargo figures are typically broker, shipper, or lender requirements — private market-access terms, not federal law — so verify them with your actual counterparties.

Who files my insurance with FMCSA?

Your insurer or its authorized electronic filer submits the federal form after you have your docket number; FMCSA states that applicants may not file insurance forms on their own behalf. You are still responsible for confirming the filing posts to your record and that your legal name and address match exactly across your registrations. Ask which system your filer used — registration filings moved from Licensing & Insurance to Motus on May 14, 2026. If the record does not update, go back to your insurer first, then FMCSA at 1-800-832-5660.

Can I get a quote before my authority is active?

Often, yes — most routes can quote a pending authority. What varies is binding, the policy effective date, and the filing sequence, and no provider can guarantee activation. Get the sequence in writing: when the policy binds, when the filing goes in, and what happens if the authority grant is delayed. Do not operate until the official record shows active authority.

How long does the insurance and filing step take?

There is a deadline, and it is short. FMCSA states that if the insurance filing is not made within 20 days of your application's publication in the FMCSA Register, it will serve a decision dismissing your application unless you comply within 60 days — and the $300 filing fee is not refunded. Three other FMCSA documents describe the same deadline differently, including one that runs 90 days from the date of filing rather than from publication; the table above sets them side by side, and the safe plan is the 20-day trigger. Actual activation timing then depends on underwriting, your insurer's submission, and FMCSA's processing. A mismatched legal name or address is the most common self-inflicted delay. Whatever the timing, do not operate until the current record shows your authority is active.

How do I check whether my authority is actually active?

Use the SAFER Company Snapshot and search by USDOT number, MC number, or company name. FMCSA defines the operating authority statuses there as AUTHORIZED FOR (listing passenger, property, or household goods), NOT AUTHORIZED, or OUT-OF-SERVICE. One current caveat matters: FMCSA states that as of May 14, 2026, the Licensing and Insurance (L&I) system is available only for reviewing historical motor carrier records, and Motus filings are not reflected in L&I — while its registration alerts page (updated June 29, 2026) still names L&I the authoritative record of authority status. The two statements conflict; that conflict is the transition. If you check L&I and see nothing, that is not proof your filing failed. Check SAFER and L&I together, ask your filer which system they filed in, and call FMCSA at 1-800-832-5660 if the answers do not agree.

How much does new-authority truck insurance cost, and what does the government charge?

There is no defensible universal average — premiums depend on state, equipment, drivers, coverage, and each insurer's appetite, and any published figure describes only its own population. What you can compare is your own quotes, using the two formulas and the worked example above. On the government side, FMCSA charges no separate carrier fee for the insurance filing itself; the related registration cost is the one-time, non-refundable $300 fee per operating authority, verified August 8, 2026, with $14 for a name change and $80 to request reinstatement of a revoked authority.

Do I need this federal filing if I only haul inside one state?

Generally no — FMCSA operating authority and the filing on this page govern interstate for-hire operation. Intrastate-only carriers answer to a state agency instead, and the agency, the certificate, the limits, and the insurance form all differ by state. Texas, California, and New York are set out in where to begin if you operate intrastate only; for other states, contact your state transportation department, public utilities or public service commission, or DMV, and confirm before you request a single quote.

Compare the route, then verify the filing

Three steps finish this job. First, confirm the exact federal filing and minimum for your operation on the official FMCSA insurance filing requirements page, and note the date your application publishes in the FMCSA Register — your 20-day clock starts there. Second, run two or three of the routes above through the Same-Profile Rule worksheet and compare lowest comparable annual cost, not lowest down payment. Third, after you bind, confirm the filing posted and your authority shows as authorized on the SAFER Company Snapshot before you dispatch. Insured and verified, your next stop is the new trucking company checklist to get from active authority to a first load.

About this page

First Load HQ is an independent publisher. We are not FMCSA, DOT, an insurance company, an insurance agency or broker, a motor-carrier registration service, a lender, or a financial adviser, and nothing here is individualized legal, insurance, or financial advice. Corrections go to hello@firstloadhq.com.

How this page is built: options are included on the gates published above, before any "best for" label is assigned. There is no scoring model, no points, and no weights. Compliance claims are sourced to FMCSA or the Code of Federal Regulations; provider claims are sourced to that provider's own current pages; where evidence could not be closed, the field says so rather than guessing.

How this page is funded: First Load HQ is supported by advertising and, on some pages, disclosed referral links. No provider has paid for placement, ordering, or inclusion on this page, and compensation never determines what is included or how it is ranked. If a compensated link is added to this page, it will be disclosed here.

What is not on this page, deliberately: premium figures, because no defensible average exists and a quote sample is not a market rate; intrastate limits for states we have not verified from the administering agency; and any claim that a provider will accept a new-authority profile.

Refresh cadence: federal filing, regulation, and status sources on publication day, then quarterly and on any FMCSA registration alert; provider rows on publication day and at least every 90 days. Federal sources on this page were last reviewed August 8, 2026; provider pages July 21, 2026.

Sources and last verified date

Last verified: August 8, 2026 Next review: November 8, 2026, and on any FMCSA registration alert; provider rows at least every 90 days

• Insurance Filing Requirements — FMCSA — the authority-grant dependency, the 20-day filing trigger and 60-day cure period, the name-and-address match caution, and the maintain-on-file requirement to avoid revocation proceedings; page last updated March 26, 2026, reviewed August 8, 2026.
• Transition to Motus Begins May 14 — FMCSA — that L&I registration options, including insurance and BOC-3 filing, sunset permanently on May 14, 2026 and moved to Motus, with historical records still viewable in L&I; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• Move into Motus — FMCSA — Motus as the current USDOT Registration System replacing legacy systems from May 14, 2026; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• FMCSA Registration — FMCSA — current registration alerts and the Motus transition; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• What can I do in Licensing and Insurance (L&I)? — FMCSA — that as of May 14, 2026 L&I is available only for reviewing historical records and Motus filings are not reflected in it; page last updated May 21, 2026, reviewed August 8, 2026.
• AskFMCSA — Registration Status — FMCSA — the SAFER operating-authority status definitions; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• SAFER Company Snapshot — FMCSA — the public record used to confirm operating authority status; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• Form OP-1, Application for Motor Property Carrier and Broker Authority — FMCSA — that applicants may not file insurance forms on their own behalf, and the 90-day filing statement disclosed as a source conflict; form posted September 2025, reviewed August 8, 2026.
• Licensing & Insurance FMCSA Register help text — FMCSA — the third deadline variant: dismissal for applications not supplemented by the 20th day after publication, with notices issued on the 30th day; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• My operating authority application was dismissed, what can I do? — FMCSA — the fourth deadline variant: dismissal approximately 90 days from the date of filing; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• FMCSA Register — daily registration decisions, letters, certificates, permits and licenses — FMCSA — the publication that starts the filing clock; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• What is the cost for obtaining operating authority (MC/FF/MX number)? — FMCSA — one-time, non-refundable $300 fee per operating authority, $14 name-change processing fee, and the $80 reinstatement fee; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• How do I make my MC/FF/MX number active, request reinstatement, or reactivate operating authority? — FMCSA — the $80 reinstatement request, the active-USDOT-number prerequisite, and the out-of-service and unsatisfactory-rating exclusions; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• Form BOC-3, Designation of Agents for Service of Process — FMCSA — that only a process agent may file BOC-3 on a motor carrier's behalf; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• Who files the Form BOC-3 (Designation of Process Agent)? — FMCSA — the conflicting FMCSA statement that either the applicant or the process agent may file; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• Suspension of motor carrier operating authority registration for an invalid process agent (BOC-3) — FMCSA — that a valid process-agent designation must be maintained for registration to remain active; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• 49 CFR 387.303T, Security for the protection of the public: Minimum limits — eCFR — the $300,000, $750,000, $1,000,000, and $5,000,000 filing tiers and the household goods cargo limits; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• 49 CFR 387.9, Financial responsibility, minimum levels — eCFR — the parallel schedule of public-liability minimums by carriage type and commodity; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• 49 CFR 387.7, Financial responsibility required — eCFR — continuous coverage, the 35-day policy cancellation notice running from transmission, the MCS-90 endorsement as proof, and the public-information rule; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• 49 CFR 387.3, Applicability — eCFR — scope of subpart A across for-hire, private, and hazardous-materials operations; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• 49 CFR 387.15, Forms — eCFR — the requirement that the MCS-90 endorsement be issued in the exact name of the motor carrier; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• 49 CFR 387.301T, Surety bond, certificate of insurance, or other securities — eCFR — the operative continuing-compliance requirement that accepted security remain in effect at all times; § 387.301 was suspended effective January 14, 2017; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• 49 CFR 387.311, Bonds and certificates of insurance — eCFR — what the BMC-91, BMC-91X, and BMC-34 certificates represent; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• 49 CFR 387.313T, Forms and procedures — eCFR — the 30-day BMC-35 cancellation notice period, running from actual receipt by FMCSA; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• 49 CFR 387.315, Insurance and surety companies — eCFR — the admitted-or-surplus-lines condition FMCSA applies to an accepted certificate of insurance; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• 49 CFR Part 366, Designation of Process Agent — eCFR — the process-agent designation rules behind Form BOC-3; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• TxDMV Number — Texas Department of Motor Vehicles — that Texas intrastate motor carriers must register with TxDMV and keep proof of insurance on file, and that only the insurance company may file proof or cancellation; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• Motor Carrier Permits — California Department of Motor Vehicles — the MCP requirement for carriers of property, the MC 65 M certificate of insurance, and liability levels from $300,000 to $5,000,000 combined single limit; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• Registration & Licensing — New York State Department of Transportation — the NYSDOT Office of Modal Safety and Security route for intrastate operating authority; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• Application for Authority to Transport Property except Household Goods — New York State Department of Transportation — that filing an application does not allow an applicant to operate, and that operating before authority is issued may result in denial and a $5,000 civil penalty; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• State Insurance Departments — National Association of Insurance Commissioners — the directory covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five territories, used to verify company and agent licensing and to file complaints; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• Commercial Truck Insurance — Progressive Commercial — direct-carrier route, listed truck coverages, and filing support; facts as of July 21, 2026.
• Commercial Truck Insurance — Tivly — licensed-agency route and truck-coverage scope; facts as of July 21, 2026.
• Privacy Policy — Tivly — disclosure of quote data to providers and partners and call-recording language; facts as of July 21, 2026.
• Owner-Operator Coverage — OOIDA Truck Insurance — owner-operator specialist route and listed coverage options; facts as of July 21, 2026.
• Insurance Services — OOIDA — OOSI as the association's licensed insurance-services vehicle for members; facts as of July 21, 2026.
• Commercial Auto Coverage — Cover Whale — listed coverages and limits and filing support for the agent-only route; facts as of July 21, 2026.
• Coverage Map — Cover Whale — state and product availability, labeled Q1 2026 at review; facts as of July 21, 2026.
• Business / Agent Route — Cover Whale — agent-only access model and provider-stated program elements; facts as of July 21, 2026.
• Auto liability expansion to Washington and New Mexico — Cover Whale — the provider's description of itself as a managing general agent, and auto liability written on an excess and surplus basis in one state and an admitted basis in another; reviewed August 8, 2026.
• Trucking Insurance — Sentry — reviewed for the considered-but-not-included decision; facts as of July 21, 2026.