Semi Truck Insurance for Tractor-Trailers
Last reviewed September 2026 by the Trucking Insurance Services team.
You run a tractor and a trailer, you haul for brokers or under a lease, and you need a policy that gets you loaded without paying for coverage you’ll never use. That’s the job we do more than any other: semi truck insurance is the biggest share of what we write, and most of the semis we cover pull a dry van, a reefer or a flatbed.
Below is what a semi policy includes, what it costs by operation, what brokers want to see on your certificate, and how we shop it across the carriers that want tractor-trailer business. If you’d rather talk it through, call 855-281-2924 and a real person picks up.
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Semi truck insurance with us
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or call 855-281-2924 Same-day quotes. A real person answers every call. |
What semi truck insurance covers
A for-hire semi policy is a handful of coverages that work together, and each one has its own page if you want the detail:
- Auto liability. Pays for injuries and damage you cause to others. It’s the coverage your insurer files with the FMCSA to activate your authority, usually written at $1,000,000. More on trucking liability insurance.
- Physical damage. Collision and comprehensive on the tractor and any trailer you own, including theft, fire and weather. See semi truck physical damage insurance.
- Motor truck cargo. Covers the freight in your trailer, at the limit your brokers and shippers require. See motor truck cargo insurance.
- Coverage for trailers you don’t own. Trailer interchange when you pull under a written interchange agreement, or non-owned trailer physical damage when you run power-only and hook whatever trailer the load needs.
- Non-trucking liability. If you’re leased to a carrier, the carrier’s policy covers you on dispatch and non-trucking liability covers the truck when you’re off dispatch.
We also add the pieces your operation calls for: reefer breakdown for a refrigerated unit, general liability for the time you spend at docks and yards, and roadside assistance.
How much does semi truck insurance cost?
How you run moves the price more than anything else. These are the ranges we write for a single tractor-trailer with a full package and a clean record:
| Operation | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Established owner-operator, own authority | $665 to $1,250/mo ($8,000 to $15,000/yr) |
| Regional or dedicated | $835 to $1,415/mo ($10,000 to $17,000/yr) |
| OTR long-haul, broker freight | $1,165 to $1,665/mo ($14,000 to $20,000/yr) |
| Intermodal or drayage | $835 to $1,500/mo ($10,000 to $18,000/yr) |
| Amazon Relay line-haul | $1,165 to $1,665/mo ($14,000 to $20,000/yr) |
| Car hauler | $1,250 to $2,335/mo ($15,000 to $28,000/yr) |
| Leased owner-operator (non-trucking liability and physical damage) | $45 to $500/mo ($550 to $6,000/yr) |
| New authority, first year | $1,415 to $2,500/mo ($17,000 to $30,000/yr) |
Physical damage is priced as a percentage of what the equipment is worth, generally 3% to 12% a year. A tractor and trailer worth $100,000 together would run about $3,000 to $12,000 a year for physical damage, depending on your record and your deductible. The table below prices each piece of the policy on its own.
| Coverage | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Auto liability ($1,000,000) | $5,000 to $20,000 |
| Physical damage | 3% to 12% of equipment value |
| Motor truck cargo ($100,000, dry freight) | $800 to $1,500 |
| Reefer breakdown | $1,000 to $2,500 |
| Trailer interchange | $1,000 to $3,500 |
| Non-trucking liability (leased operators) | $550 to $1,500 |
For the full breakdown across every truck type, including how to check your premium against your miles, see our commercial truck insurance cost guide.
Putting your first semi on the road
The first year under your own authority is the most expensive year you’ll pay, because there’s no history yet for a carrier to rate. For a tractor-trailer that’s typically $1,415 to $2,500 a month ($17,000 to $30,000 a year) for the full package. It’s normal, and it’s temporary. Here’s what we set up with you:
- A down payment you can plan around. Expect roughly $1,200 to $6,000 up front, about 9% to 25% of the annual premium, depending on the carrier and whether the policy is billed directly or financed.
- The right markets for a new tractor-trailer. Several carriers quote new semi authorities, and some of them like an owner who drives, has CDL experience and has a set plan for dry van, flatbed or reefer freight. We know which is which. Our guide to the best truck insurance companies for new authority walks through them.
- A path to year two. Every clean month builds the history carriers price on, and with some carriers the renewal down payment drops to about 8.33% of the premium.
More on the first year in our new venture truck insurance guide.
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Starting your own authority with a semi? We quote new ventures every week.
or call 855-281-2924 and talk through your first year. |
Semi truck insurance built for how you haul
Most of the semis we insure pull one of three trailers, and each one changes the policy a little.
Dry van
The most common semi we write and the baseline for pricing. A $100,000 cargo limit covers most dry van loads. Higher-value freight like electronics, pharmaceuticals or copper can call for $150,000 to $200,000, so tell us what you haul before we set the limit. More in how much cargo insurance you need.
Reefer
Refrigerated freight sits in a higher cargo tier because spoilage and theft are both in play, and the reefer unit needs its own breakdown endorsement on top of cargo. We build both in from the start. See reefer truck insurance.
Flatbed
Flatbed cargo runs about $200 a year more than dry van at each limit. Machinery and oversize loads can need far more. One of our flatbed clients hauls a single one-of-a-kind machinery part and needed $500,000 in cargo coverage, so we placed a standalone cargo policy that allows higher limits alongside the truck policy.
Containers, Relay and car hauling
Pulling containers, running Amazon Relay loads and hauling cars each come with their own requirements, and each has its own page: intermodal trucking insurance, Amazon Relay insurance requirements and car hauler insurance.
Physical damage on a semi: get the stated value right
Most tractor policies settle a total loss on a stated value, the figure you put on the truck when the policy is written. The claim pays that stated value, or the truck’s actual value if that’s lower, minus your deductible.
That makes the number you choose matter. A truck listed at $10,000 that’s really worth $25,000 pays $10,000 on a total loss. So we set the stated value with you to reflect what it would take to replace the truck, and we pick a deductible of $1,000, $2,500 or $5,000 that fits the cash you keep on hand. On a covered claim, physical damage usually pays for the tow from the scene and storage too, up to the policy’s limit.
What influences your semi truck insurance rate
Much of what sets your price is in your hands, and that’s where we find savings:
- Your driving record. Your MVR is the biggest single lever on the rate.
- Time under authority and CDL experience. Each clean year gives carriers more to price on.
- Safety scores. Clean inspections show up at renewal. If a violation on your record is wrong, challenge it through FMCSA DataQs.
- Radius. Buy the radius you actually run. Regional and dedicated operations price below long-haul.
- Deductibles. A higher physical damage deductible trades premium for cash on hand at claim time.
- Loss history. Forward-facing dash cams, regular maintenance and pre-trip and post-trip inspections keep claims down, and a clean loss history helps every renewal.
The rest, like where the truck is garaged and what it’s worth, is why the same semi can price very differently from one carrier to the next. That spread is exactly why shopping it properly is worth real money.
Semi truck insurance requirements
The federal minimum gets your authority active. The broker’s number gets you loaded. They aren’t the same:
| Coverage | Federal minimum | What brokers actually require |
|---|---|---|
| Auto liability, general freight | $750,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Auto liability, hazmat | $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 | Set by the load |
| Motor truck cargo | None for general freight | $100,000 |
Heavy trucks registered or garaged in New Jersey need $1,500,000 in auto liability. The federal limits are set in 49 CFR 387.9, and your insurer files proof of them with the FMCSA under its insurance filing requirements. For what that filing is and how it works, see BIPD insurance.
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Call 855-281-2924 or start your quote online. We’ll match your limits to the brokers you haul for. |
Why semi truckers put us to work
Our founder, Eva Clair Bowles, owned a trucking fleet before she sold insurance, and she opened this agency in 2007 to be the agency she wished she’d had as a fleet owner. Trucking is still the only thing we insure, and we write semi truck insurance in 36 states.
- Carriers competing for your truck. We’re directly appointed with carriers including Progressive, GEICO, Berkshire Hathaway, CoverWhale and Nirvana, so we shop your semi instead of handing you one price.
- Certificates in five minutes or less on average, when a broker needs one before you can load.
- A real person on every call, and the same agent at every renewal.
- Recognized as a Progressive Truck 25 Elite agency and a GEICO Premier Truck Partner.
Semi truck insurance FAQ
How much is semi truck insurance?
For a single truck, most semi policies run $665 to $2,500 a month ($8,000 to $30,000 a year). An established owner-operator with a clean record sits near the low end, and a new authority’s first year sits near the top. We can price yours the same day.
What insurance do I need for a semi truck?
Under your own authority, you need auto liability filed with the FMCSA: $750,000 is the federal minimum and $1,000,000 is what most brokers require. Brokers also want $100,000 in cargo, and you’ll want physical damage on any tractor or trailer you own. If you’re leased to a carrier, you usually need non-trucking liability and physical damage instead. We’ll build the package around your operation.
Does semi truck insurance cover the trailer?
Yes, when it’s set up to. Physical damage covers a trailer you own. A trailer you pull but don’t own is covered by trailer interchange under a written interchange agreement, or by non-owned trailer physical damage for power-only work. Tell us how you run and we’ll match the trailer coverage to it.
How much is $1,000,000 in liability insurance for a semi?
Liability alone at a $1,000,000 limit generally runs $5,000 to $20,000 a year for a single truck, about $415 to $1,665 a month. Your record, your radius and your time in business decide where you land in that range, and we’ll show you where that is.
Who has the cheapest semi truck insurance?
No single company is cheapest for every truck. The carrier that wants your business most changes with your equipment, freight, record and time under authority, which is why we quote you across several at once and show you the differences side by side.
What’s the difference between semi truck insurance and commercial truck insurance?
Commercial truck insurance is the umbrella term for coverage on any work truck, from box trucks to dump trucks. Semi truck insurance is that coverage built for the tractor-trailer, where the trailer, the freight and the miles all factor into the rate. Our commercial truck insurance page covers every truck type we write.
Can I insure a semi as a new authority?
Yes. Several carriers quote new tractor-trailer authorities, and the first year typically runs $1,415 to $2,500 a month for the full package. We quote new ventures every week and will walk you through the down payment and what to expect at your first renewal.
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Ready to price your semi?
or call 855-281-2924 Same-day quotes, shopped across the carriers that write tractor-trailers. |
Sources: FMCSA insurance filing requirements · 49 CFR 387.9, minimum levels of financial responsibility · FMCSA DataQs
Trucking Insurance Services LLC — 380 Dahlonega St #212, Cumming, GA 30040 — 855-281-2924
Figures are estimates based on the policies we place and current market rates, for general guidance only. Your actual premium depends on your operation, radius, driving record, equipment value, freight and required limits. Get a quote for an exact number.