Virginia Commercial Truck Insurance Quotes
Last reviewed August 2026 by the Trucking Insurance Services team.
Virginia is a good state to build a trucking company in. I 95 and I 81 carry some of the heaviest freight lanes on the East Coast, containers move through one of the largest port complexes in the country at Hampton Roads, and everything from Northern Virginia distribution to Shenandoah Valley manufacturing keeps trucks loaded in both directions. There is steady work here, and room to grow into it.
Virginia truck insurance should be the straightforward part of building that business, and with us it is. We write a lot of Virginia. We write commercial trucking and nothing else, we put carriers up against each other for your policy instead of handing you one number, and most quotes go out the same day.
Whatever you run, we quote it. Container work out of the port, over the road dry van, hotshots, flatbeds, box trucks and dump trucks, from Hampton Roads through Richmond to Northern Virginia and the Valley.
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What you get from us in Virginia
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or call 855-281-2924 A real person answers, and they know trucking. |
Starting a new trucking authority in Virginia
Virginia is a strong state to start in. We write a lot of business here, several of the carriers we work with write first year authorities on purpose, and the freight itself is varied enough that a new operation can find its lane, whether that is containers out of the port, dry van up and down I 95, or hotshot work that a full semi is too much truck for.
What you plan to haul shapes which markets look at you first. A drayage operation working the terminals, a hotshot on a gooseneck and a dump truck on Richmond construction are three different risks, and they are not underwritten by the same people. Tell us what you are building toward and we will tell you which markets fit before you spend money on authority.
We also walk you through what you are actually looking at before you sign: the limits your brokers will demand, what your down payment does to your monthly, and what changes at your first renewal once you have twelve months of your own record behind you. If you are still working through authority itself, start with how to get your MC and DOT numbers and new venture truck insurance.
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New authority in Virginia? Let us tell you who will write you before you spend a dollar.
or call 855-281-2924 and talk it through with an agent. |
Why Virginia truckers put us to work
Our founder, Eva Clair Bowles, drove a truck before she sold insurance. She owned the tractor and the trailer and ran the loads, and she opened this agency in 2007 to be the agency she wished she had had when she started. That is still how we hire and how we think.
- Carriers compete for you. Virginia is a busy market and we make the carriers that want it bid against each other.
- We place container work. Pulling boxes out of Hampton Roads means satisfying a UIIA agreement, not just buying a policy. We set it up so it passes the first time.
- Certificates in minutes. A late certificate costs you a load. Ours do not run on a ticket queue.
- Filings are routine here. The BMC 91, and the Virginia Form E and Form H with the DMV for in-state authority. We file them constantly.
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.
What Virginia truck insurance costs
These are the ranges we place in Virginia for a single truck. Where you land inside a range depends far more on your driving record, your radius and what you haul than on the truck itself.
| Operation | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Semi truck, over the road | $835 to $1,500/mo ($10,000 to $18,000/yr) |
| Intermodal and container hauling | $1,165 to $1,665/mo ($14,000 to $20,000/yr) |
| Hotshot | $750 to $1,415/mo ($9,000 to $17,000/yr) |
| Flatbed | $835 to $1,500/mo ($10,000 to $18,000/yr) |
| Box truck | $750 to $1,335/mo ($9,000 to $16,000/yr) |
| Refrigerated | $1,000 to $1,500/mo ($12,000 to $18,000/yr) |
| Car hauler / auto transport | $1,250 to $1,665/mo ($15,000 to $20,000/yr) |
| Dump truck | $1,250 to $1,835/mo ($15,000 to $22,000/yr) |
| Log truck | $1,415 to $2,165/mo ($17,000 to $26,000/yr) |
Ranges reflect policies we write. Container work sits above general freight because the UIIA agreement carries its own coverage and endorsement requirements, not because the driving is harder. Physical damage is priced as a percentage of what your equipment is worth, generally 3% to 12% of the truck and trailer value. For what cargo limits cost on their own, see our cargo insurance cost guide.
What influences your Virginia rate
Most of what moves your premium is inside your control, and knowing which levers matter is half of shopping it well.
- Driver records and CDL experience. The fastest lever you have, and the first thing an underwriter looks at.
- What you haul. Container work with a UIIA agreement, secured flatbed loads and general dry van freight each carry their own coverage conversation.
- DOT safety scores and inspection history. Underwriters see inspections within days now, not months, and brake and tire violations move renewals.
- Time under authority. Year one prices differently from year three. It is temporary, and it opens doors that were shut at the start.
- Radius. A drayage tractor working the terminals on short turns and a dry van running I 81 end to end are not the same risk, even on the same equipment.
- Equipment value and deductibles. Physical damage follows the value of the truck, and the deductible you pick is a real lever on the monthly.
What Virginia requires you to carry
If you run interstate
You are under FMCSA rules and your insurance company files the BMC 91 against your MC number. That is the filing that turns your authority active. The federal floor and what your brokers will actually accept are two different numbers, and that gap is what catches new authorities out.
| Coverage | Federal minimum | What brokers actually require |
|---|---|---|
| Auto liability, general freight | $750,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Motor truck cargo | Not set federally | $100,000 |
| Container work under a UIIA agreement | Not set federally | The agreement’s own coverage and endorsement schedule, including trailer interchange |
If you run Virginia only
Running point to point inside Virginia as a for-hire carrier means obtaining intrastate operating authority from the Virginia DMV, and two filings go with it, both made by your insurance company: a Form E as proof of liability coverage and, where cargo coverage applies, a Form H. Certificate applicants also post a surety bond, and the vehicles themselves are registered for hire. Your authority stays valid only while those filings are on file, so a lapse is an authority problem rather than a paperwork problem. We make the filings and keep them current.
Whichever way you run, you will also handle IRP and IFTA through the DMV, and a UCR registration if you cross state lines. Tell us how you actually run and we will tell you exactly what your operation needs.
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Call 855-281-2924 or start your quote online. We will tell you which filings your operation actually needs. |
Built for how Virginia actually trucks
Virginia runs two big freight stories at once: containers moving through Hampton Roads, and over the road freight running I 95 and I 81. Around them sit the regional work every populous state creates. We write all of it.
- Intermodal and container drayage. Pulling boxes from the Port of Virginia terminals, which normally means a UIIA agreement. See intermodal insurance and our guide to UIIA insurance requirements.
- Over the road and dry van. The backbone, running I 95, I 81 and I 64. See commercial truck insurance.
- Hotshot. Expedited and less-than-truckload work on a one ton and a gooseneck, CDL and non CDL. See hotshot insurance.
- Flatbed. Machinery, steel and building materials, where securement drives the cargo conversation.
- Box trucks. Richmond, Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia delivery work. See box truck insurance.
- Dump trucks. Aggregate and construction work, priced on job site exposure. See dump truck insurance.
- Refrigerated and log trucks. We place both across the state: reefer for temperature controlled freight (see reefer truck insurance) and log trucks out of the timber counties (see log truck insurance).
Owner-operators leased to a carrier need a different structure, usually non-trucking liability rather than primary. If that is you, start with owner operator insurance. Hauling direct for shippers on your own authority usually means adding general liability, and your freight is covered by motor truck cargo.
The port is where an independent agency earns its keep
The Port of Virginia moved 3.3 million TEUs in 2023, which makes it the second-largest East Coast port by tonnage and the third-largest by container volume. Every one of those boxes that leaves by road leaves behind a truck, and that is why intermodal is one of the biggest things we write in this state.
Container work is also where trucking insurance gets specific. Pulling from the terminals at Norfolk and Portsmouth normally means signing a UIIA agreement with the equipment providers, and that agreement carries its own coverage and endorsement schedule, including trailer interchange for the chassis and boxes you pull but do not own. Not every trucking market writes it, and a policy that misses one endorsement fails the agreement and keeps you off the ramps.
We place intermodal regularly, we know which markets in Virginia want it, and we set the policy up against the agreement’s schedule so it passes the first time. If you are adding drayage to an existing operation, or a UIIA registration came back rejected, that is exactly the call we are built for.
Which carriers compete for Virginia truckers?
Virginia is a busy market, which is what you want when you are shopping. These are markets that write it well. Appetite shifts, so treat this as the shape of the market rather than a promise about your account.
| Carrier | Strong fit in Virginia for |
|---|---|
| Progressive | Owner-operators and small fleets across most body styles |
| GEICO | Single truck and smaller operations |
| CoverWhale | One of our biggest Virginia markets. New ventures, and quick turnaround when you need a number fast |
| Canal | New ventures and established operations both, with a mileage-based option for new ventures and owner-operators that can be a real advantage when you are starting out |
| Northland | Established fleets with clean history |
| Crum & Forster | Straightforward dry van, flatbed and refrigerated operations |
| Rivington | Harder to place risks. The market we go to when the others have come back high or passed |
Virginia truck insurance FAQs
How much is commercial truck insurance in Virginia?
For a single truck, most Virginia policies we write land between $9,000 and $26,000 a year, which is roughly $750 to $2,165 a month. Hotshots and box trucks sit at the bottom, dump trucks and log trucks at the top. The table above breaks it out by operation, and a quote gives you your real number in about a day.
How much is hotshot insurance in Virginia?
Most Virginia hotshot policies we place run $9,000 to $17,000 a year, or about $750 to $1,415 a month, for a single truck and gooseneck. Where you land depends mostly on your driving record, your radius and whether your contracts demand $1,000,000 in liability, which most do. Hotshot is one of the operations we write most in Virginia, so this is a quote that comes back fast.
What insurance do I need to pull containers from the Port of Virginia?
Normally a policy built to satisfy a UIIA agreement: primary liability at the agreement’s limits, trailer interchange for the chassis and containers you pull but do not own, and the endorsements the equipment providers require. Not every trucking market writes it. We place port work regularly and set the policy up against the agreement’s schedule so your UIIA registration passes the first time.
Does Virginia require its own insurance filing?
If you run point to point inside Virginia as a for-hire carrier, yes: your insurance company files a Form E for liability, and a Form H for cargo where it applies, with the Virginia DMV as part of your intrastate operating authority. If you cross state lines, the filing that matters is the BMC 91 on your MC number instead. Tell us how you run and we will sort out which applies.
I just got my authority in Virginia. Who will actually write me?
More markets than you would guess. Several of the carriers we work with write first year authorities deliberately, one of our Virginia markets specializes in fast new venture quotes, and another prices new ventures on a mileage basis, which can fit a first year budget far better than a flat premium. Call us and we will quote it across multiple markets the same day.
What is the cheapest way to insure a truck in Virginia?
By having it shopped properly rather than by buying the thinnest policy. Virginia is competitive enough that the same operation can come back thousands of dollars apart between carriers, because each one weighs your commodity, your radius and your driver history differently. That spread is the opportunity, and it is the whole argument for using an independent agency instead of buying direct. Let us run yours and find out who wants it most.
Insuring truckers across Virginia
We write Virginia trucking statewide, from Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach through Richmond and Fredericksburg, up to Woodbridge and Northern Virginia, and west through the Valley to Roanoke. You do not need an agency down the road from you. You need one licensed where you run that does nothing but trucking, and that answers the phone. If you are weighing your options, here is our guide to choosing a trucking insurance agency. For the federal side, see FMCSA insurance requirements and how much insurance you need to activate an MC number.
Virginia freight crosses state lines constantly, and we write the neighbors too, so the same agent handles it when your lanes leave the state: North Carolina truck insurance, Tennessee truck insurance, Kentucky truck insurance, and Maryland truck insurance.
or call 855-281-2924 Multiple carriers, one call, and your filings handled. |
Sources: FMCSA (49 CFR 387), Virginia DMV Motor Carriers (Form E, Form H, IRP and IFTA; Va. Code §§ 46.2-2000, 46.2-2100), Port of Virginia (cargo volumes), VDOT, Virginia Trucking Association, UIIA, UCR.
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 record, equipment, radius, and limits. Get a quote for an exact number.