How Much Does Commercial Truck Insurance Cost?

What Published Data Actually Says

Most cost figures circulating online carry no source and no methodology. This page uses only figures where the publisher says who the data describes and when it was collected. Two qualify.

Insureon: median cost by coverage

Insureon publishes the median cost of policies its own customers in the trucking industry purchased. Updated June 23, 2025. Median, not average, so half of their customers pay less than these figures and half pay more.

Insureon also publishes how the cost is distributed, which is more useful than the midpoint alone:

• Commercial auto. Insureon reports that 24 percent of its trucking customers pay under $500 per month, and 64 percent pay under $1,000 per month.
• General liability. Insureon reports that 46 percent pay under $50 per month and 70 percent pay under $100 per month, on policies averaging $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate with a $750 deductible.
• Workers compensation. Insureon reports that 32 percent pay under $500 per month, and 71 percent pay under $1,000 per month.

Progressive: average cost on its 2025 for-hire book

Progressive reports averages from analyzing the new for-hire truck policies it sold in 2025. These are policies carrying liability and physical damage coverage, with no violations on record.

Why the two sets do not match

They are measuring different things. Insureon reports a median across its own customer mix, which skews toward smaller businesses buying through a digital broker. Progressive reports an average across new for-hire policies it wrote directly, limited to clean-record operators carrying liability plus physical damage. Different populations, different coverage bundles, different statistics. Neither is wrong and neither is a quote.

What This Page Will Not Tell You

We could not find premium figures broken out by truck type from any source that discloses its methodology. Plenty of sites publish a table of annual costs for dump trucks, flatbeds, reefers, and tankers. None of the ones we checked say where those numbers came from, how many policies they represent, or what year they describe.

So this guide does not publish one. Commercial trucking insurance is priced on your specific operation, and a made-up range for your truck type would be worse than no range at all. What we can tell you is which direction each factor moves your premium, which is the section below.

For a figure that reflects your actual operation, you need a quote. Here is how to find an agent who writes your type of business and what to have ready before you call.

Relative Cost by Truck Type

Cargo class and vehicle type are among the largest rating factors, so different operations do land in genuinely different price bands. Ordered from lower to higher premium, holding driver record, radius, and limits constant:

• Lower band. Box trucks and light local delivery on short radius. Lower vehicle values, lower speeds, less severe loss exposure.
• Mid band. General freight dry van and reefer on regional runs, and most flatbed hauling standard construction materials. This is the largest segment of the market.
• Higher band. Dump trucks and vocational construction work (jobsite exposure, frequent backing, rollover risk), tow and recovery (on-hook and garagekeeper exposure), and heavy haul or oversize flatbed.
• Highest band. Hazmat and tanker operations. Higher federal minimums apply under 49 CFR 387.9, and the severity of a loss is far greater, so both limits and rates run higher.

Progressive's own figures show this effect in one direction: their specialty segment averaged less per month than their general transport segment in 2025. That is a reminder that "specialty" does not automatically mean expensive. What drives price is the specific loss exposure, not the label on the truck.

Cost by Coverage Type

Your total premium is the sum of several separate coverages. The sourced medians from Insureon in the table above cover commercial auto, cargo, general liability, workers compensation, and surety bonds. The remaining pieces of a typical trucking program are priced too individually for a published median to be meaningful:

• Physical damage is rated as a percentage of the insured value of your truck and trailer, so it scales directly with what your equipment is worth and the deductible you pick.
• Non-trucking liability and bobtail are small add-on coverages for leased operators, priced off your garaging location and record.
• Occupational accident is priced per driver and varies with the benefit schedule you select.
• Trailer interchange depends on the value of the trailers you pull and your interchange agreement.

For what each of these actually covers, see physical damage, non-trucking liability, bobtail, occupational accident, and cargo insurance.

10 Factors That Affect Your Premium

Insurance carriers price every operator differently. The factors that move premiums up or down:

1. Truck type and cargo class. A Class 8 tractor hauling hazmat is rated very differently from a Class 5 hot shot hauling general freight. Cargo class is one of the biggest single rating factors.
2. Fleet size. More trucks usually means lower per-truck premiums (volume discounts), but also more aggregate exposure. Fleet pricing typically kicks in at 3 to 5 trucks.
3. Years in business. New authorities pay the highest premiums. Established operators (3+ years) get a meaningful discount. The 5-year mark is often a second pricing tier.
4. Driving record and CSA scores. The single biggest controllable factor. Clean MVRs and clean CSA scores translate directly to lower premiums.
5. Operating radius. Local (under 100 miles) is the least expensive. Regional (100 to 500 miles) is mid-range. OTR is most expensive.
6. Deductible amount. Higher deductibles lower the premium. Common deductibles are $1,000 to $5,000 on physical damage and cargo.
7. Coverage limits. Higher liability limits cost more, but the marginal cost per additional $1 million is usually less than the first $1 million.
8. Credit history. Some carriers use insurance-based credit scores. Strong credit usually qualifies for better tier pricing.
9. Geographic location and corridors. Where you garage the truck and where you typically drive both factor in. High-claim corridors (I-95 in the Northeast, I-10 across the South) can carry surcharges.
10. Claims history. Past losses raise your premium. A clean 5-year loss run is a major discount.

Cost by State: Texas vs. National Average

Texas commercial trucking insurance tends to be slightly higher than the national average, though it depends on the segment. The factors driving higher Texas rates:

• Litigation environment. Texas has had several large jury verdicts in commercial trucking cases. Insurers price liability higher to account for jury verdict risk.
• Hurricane exposure. Gulf Coast counties have higher physical damage premiums. Hurricane Harvey (2017) and other named storms produced large claims that filtered into renewal pricing.
• Hail and severe weather in DFW. North Texas has elevated hail risk, which increases physical damage and comprehensive premiums.
• Border crossing complexity. Operators running into Mexico from Laredo and El Paso need specialized coverage and have unique claim exposure.
• Eagle Ford and Permian oilfield exposure. Oilfield trucking is high-premium across the board.

The Texas-specific factors that can lower premiums:

• No required workers comp. Texas is one of only two states where private employers are not required to carry workers compensation. Operators substitute occupational accident insurance, which is often cheaper.
• Lower Texas state minimums for intrastate. Intrastate-only carriers can use the $500,000 Texas combined single limit (under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 643) instead of FMCSA's $750,000 federal minimum.

For a deeper look at Texas-specific requirements and rates, see the Texas truck insurance requirements guide or the Texas overview page.

How to Lower Your Trucking Insurance Cost

The most effective ways to reduce your premium, in approximate order of impact:

1. Keep a clean MVR. The single biggest controllable factor. One DUI or major violation can double your premium for years. Defensive driving, route planning, and avoiding tickets pays back many times over.
2. Build clean CSA scores. If you have your own authority, your scores in the FMCSA's Safety Measurement System affect rating. Pre-trip inspections, on-time logbooks, and clean roadside inspections all matter.
3. Install safety technology. Dashcams, GPS tracking, lane departure warnings, and stability control systems are tangible signals to insurers. Some carriers require dashcams for hazmat or high-value cargo.
4. Increase deductibles. Going from $1,000 to $5,000 deductible on physical damage saves real money on premium, if you can absorb the deductible from cash reserves.
5. Compare quotes annually. Insurers know that operators rarely shop. They count on auto-renewals. Comparing every year keeps your insurer honest.
6. Bundle coverages with one insurer. Single-policy or single-insurer packages often cost less than separate policies and simplify claims.
7. Join a trucking association. Some associations (state trucking associations, OOIDA) offer group rate programs through specific insurers.
8. Pay annually, not monthly. Premium financing adds a fee on top of the premium and typically spreads the balance over 9 to 11 payments rather than 12. If you have the cash, paying annually skips that fee. Ask your agent for the financed and pay-in-full totals side by side so you can see what it costs you.
9. Build insurer tenure. Once you find a good carrier, multi-year history can earn loyalty discounts at renewal.
10. Drop unnecessary coverages on older trucks. If your tractor is paid off and worth less than the deductible, dropping physical damage may make sense. Talk to your agent before doing this.

Why Is Trucking Insurance So Expensive?

Commercial trucking insurance has been on a multi-year hardening cycle. The major drivers:

• Nuclear verdicts. Jury verdicts over $10 million in trucking accident cases have become more common. The American Transportation Research Institute has tracked verdict size and frequency growing significantly over the past decade. Insurers price catastrophic liability risk into every commercial auto policy.
• Repair cost inflation. Modern Class 8 tractors are loaded with sensors, cameras, ADAS, complex emissions systems, and aluminum body panels. Damage that once meant replacing a steel panel now often means recalibrating sensors and replacing electronics, so the same impact produces a much larger physical damage claim than it did a decade ago.
• Distracted driving. Accident frequency has increased. More accidents mean more claims, which mean higher premiums across the board.
• Medical cost inflation. Bodily injury claims have always been a driver of liability cost. Healthcare inflation pushes those claims higher every year.
• Litigation funding. Third-party litigation funders pay plaintiff legal costs in exchange for a share of the verdict. This makes it economical to take more cases to trial, where verdicts are higher than settlements.
• Reduced carrier capacity. Some insurers have pulled back from commercial trucking because of poor underwriting results. Less capacity means less competition, which means higher prices.

These are structural, industry-wide forces. Individual operators cannot fully escape them, but you can put yourself in the best possible position by maintaining clean records, comparing quotes, and working with agents who have access to multiple carriers.

Get Quotes for Your Operation

Cost ranges only get you so far. Your actual premium depends on your specific trucks, drivers, cargo, lanes, and history. Find an agent who can quote your operation against multiple carriers. Comparing 3 to 5 quotes annually is the simplest, most effective way to make sure you are not overpaying.

Sources

• Insureon, Commercial Truck Insurance Cost. Median cost of policies purchased by Insureon customers in the trucking industry. Updated June 23, 2025. Insureon does not publish a sample size.
• Progressive Commercial, How Much Does Commercial Truck Insurance Cost? Averages from new for-hire truck policies Progressive sold in 2025, covering liability and physical damage on policies with no violations.
• Federal financial responsibility minimums: 49 CFR Part 387.
• Texas intrastate motor carrier requirements: Texas Transportation Code Chapter 643.

If a figure on this page is out of date or you have better-sourced data, tell us and we will correct it.