Cargo Van Insurance
Last reviewed August 2026 by the Trucking Insurance Services team.
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Cargo van insurance at a glance
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A cargo van is one of the fastest ways into freight. Lower cost to buy, lower cost to run, and a lane full of expedited loads that bigger equipment cannot touch. Our job is to get the coverage behind it right so you can book the next load with your certificates already in the broker’s inbox.
Get your free quote → or call 855-281-2924 and talk to someone who writes vans every week.
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Key takeaways
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What your cargo van policy covers
A cargo van policy is a stack of coverages that work together. Here is what we build for the vans we place:
- Primary auto liability. The coverage your authority and your broker contracts are written against, and the one that keeps you loading.
- Physical damage. Collision and comprehensive on the van itself, so a bad day doesn’t become a lost season.
- Motor truck cargo. Covers the freight you carry. This is the certificate brokers ask to see before they tender you a load.
- General liability. Covers you off the vehicle, which matters the moment you are carrying freight into a customer’s building.
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist. Keeps you whole when the other driver has nothing.
How much does cargo van insurance cost?
A full cargo van policy starts around $500 a month and runs to about $1,165 a month, or $6,000 to $14,000 a year, for a single van with a clean record. Here is how it breaks down:
| Coverage | Cost |
|---|---|
| Full policy | $6,000 to $14,000/yr ($500 to $1,165/mo) |
| Primary auto liability only | $5,000 to $9,000/yr ($415 to $750/mo) |
| Physical damage | 3% to 12% of the van’s value |
| Motor truck cargo ($100,000) | $800 to $1,500/yr ($70 to $125/mo) |
Physical damage is priced off what the van is worth, so a $50,000 sprinter runs roughly $1,500 to $6,000 a year for that piece. Want the freight side in more detail? Our guide to cargo insurance cost breaks it down further.
See your real number → These are the ranges we place. Yours depends on your record, and we’ll have it back to you the same day.
Good news: most cargo vans do not need $750,000 in liability
This is the part most van operators never get told, and it usually works in your favor. That $750,000 figure applies to vehicles rated 10,001 pounds or more (49 CFR 387.9). Most cargo vans come in under that line, and for a fleet of only light vehicles hauling non-hazardous freight the federal minimum is $300,000 instead (49 CFR 387.303).
What matters more in practice is what your brokers ask for, and that is almost always $1,000,000. That’s worth knowing early: your real limit is a business decision tied to the contracts you sign, and it sits well above either federal floor. We write vans to the contracts in front of them, and nothing heavier than the work calls for.
Curious which side of the line your van sits on? Trim decides it, and the same nameplate can be built either way. The rating is printed on the sticker inside the driver’s door jamb. Read it off, send it over, and we’ll tell you exactly where you stand.
Coverage built around how you actually run
No two van operations look the same to an underwriter. Expedited freight, regional runs, and final-mile work each get looked at differently, and the markets that like one don’t always like another. That’s exactly why it pays to work with an agency that asks about the operation before the paperwork.
Tell us how you really run, including the routes, the freight, and the stops, and we’ll take it to the markets that fit it. You get a policy that matches the work, priced by carriers that want it, with no surprises waiting at renewal.
How to get your best rate on a cargo van
Three things move a van rate more than anything else, and all three are yours to control: losses, MVR violations, and accident history. Operators who keep a clean loss run and put clean drivers in the seat get the best pricing we can find, every time. That is worth real money at renewal, and it compounds every year you hold it.
Running on new authority? That’s a normal place to start, not a problem. We place new ventures every week, and your pricing improves as your record builds behind you. The operators paying the best rates today were new authorities not long ago.
The cargo limit brokers want to see
Cargo coverage protects the freight rather than the van, and it’s the certificate brokers ask for before they tender you a load. For general freight the number they want is almost always $100,000, which runs about $800 to $1,500 a year. Carry it and you’re cleared to book with the boards and brokers that keep vans busy.
Match your limit to the best load you want to be eligible for, not the average one. Vans get offered high-value freight more often than their owners expect, precisely because the loads are small and urgent, and the right limit is what lets you say yes.
Frequently asked questions
What type of insurance is needed for a cargo van?
A commercial auto policy rather than a personal one. Hauling freight for hire adds primary auto liability, physical damage on the van, and motor truck cargo on the load, usually with general liability alongside. We build all of it in one place.
How much is cargo van insurance?
A full policy starts around $500 a month and runs to about $1,165 a month, or $6,000 to $14,000 a year, for a single van with a clean record. Liability on its own runs $5,000 to $9,000 a year.
Do I need $750,000 in liability for a cargo van?
Usually not. That figure applies to vehicles rated 10,001 pounds or more. For a fleet of only lighter vehicles hauling non-hazardous freight the federal minimum is $300,000. In practice your broker contracts set the real number, and $1,000,000 is the common ask.
Can I get cargo insurance only?
Motor truck cargo is normally written as part of a commercial auto policy, so carriers want the liability with it. If you already carry liability elsewhere, tell us who has it and we’ll look at what can be added.
How much does $100,000 in cargo insurance cost?
About $800 to $1,500 a year for general dry freight, or roughly $70 to $125 a month. Higher-value and higher-theft commodities run more.
How much is cargo insurance for a sprinter van?
The same as any other cargo van. Cargo is priced off the freight and the limit rather than which van carries it, so a $100,000 limit lands in the same $800 to $1,500 a year range.
Why operators bring us their vans
We place trucking policies all day, so a van isn’t an odd request here. You get an agent who knows which markets want your operation, certificates back fast enough to keep you booking, and someone who picks up the phone when a broker needs something today.
Recognized as a Progressive Truck 25 Elite agency (one of the top 25 trucking insurance agencies nationally with Progressive) and a GEICO Premier Truck Partner.
Get your free quote → or call 855-281-2924 for a same-day rate. Running more than a van? Our commercial truck insurance hub covers the rest of the fleet.
Trucking Insurance Services — 380 Dahlonega St, Cumming, GA 30040 — 855-281-2924
Figures are estimates based on the policies we place and current 2026 market rates; for general guidance only. Your actual premium depends on your record, equipment, radius, commodity, and limits. Coverage terms are governed by the policy as issued. Get a quote for an exact number.