Short answer: there’s no honest single price for truck insurance, because insurers price each operation on its trucks, drivers, cargo, radius and record. The best public benchmark is per mile. In ATRI’s survey of motor carriers, insurance premiums averaged 9.9 cents a mile in 2023, up 12.5%,[1] and liability premiums alone reached 10.2 cents a mile in 2024.[2] Those are averages from the fleets that took part, so a new authority or a one-truck operation can pay quite differently. The only way to know your number is a quote on your real operation.
Why truck insurance keeps getting more expensive
- Claims are growing faster than crashes. From 2021 to 2024, liability premiums rose 18.6% to 10.2 cents a mile, outpacing inflation by 5.4 points. Over the same years, crash rates for heavy trucks fell 2.6%, but liability losses per mile rose 33.1%.[2]
- Excess layers rose even faster. Premiums for the $5 million to $10 million layer rose 34% to 1.58 cents a mile, and the $10 million to $15 million layer rose 45% to 1.05 cents.[2]
- A long trend. ATRI found auto liability premiums up 36% per mile over 8 years.[3] In Texas, the average liability premium for trucks, tractors and trailers rose 75% from 2017 to 2024, about 9% a year.[4]
- Insurers are losing money on the line. Since 2011 the U.S. commercial auto liability combined ratio has averaged 109%, and it was 114% in 2023. Above 100% means insurers pay more in claims and expenses than they take in.[4] Commercial auto lost more than $10 billion over two years, which the NAIC attributes largely to social inflation.[5]
- Lawsuits cost more. The industry group Triple-I reports that commercial auto defense and cost-containment expenses, a measure of litigation costs, have nearly tripled relative to premium in a decade.[6]
- Rates haven’t stopped rising. An industry survey cited by the NAIC counted 56 straight quarters of commercial auto rate increases through mid-2025.[5] The 2025 direct loss ratio for commercial auto liability was 72.46%, down from 77.64% in 2024.[7]
Insurance is one part of a record operating bill: ATRI put the average cost to run a truck at $2.336 a mile in 2025, the highest in the report’s history.[8]
How insurers price a truck
State regulators describe the same basic steps.[4][9]
- Size and use. Trucks are classified by weight (light, medium, heavy and extra heavy) and by how they’re used.[9] The type of industry matters too.[4]
- Radius. Heavier trucks that regularly run beyond 200 miles are zone-rated, and in Texas their average premium was several times higher than other commercial vehicles.[4]
- Exposure. Premium is rate times exposure, so more trucks and more miles mean more premium.[9]
- Limits, deductibles and fleet size. The higher the deductible, the lower the rate.[9]
- Your record. Experience rating and schedule rating adjust the price up or down for your loss history and the way you run your operation.[4][9]
In practice that means your drivers’ records and experience, what you haul, your loss runs and your safety program can move the quote as much as the truck itself.
How much liability should you buy?
| For-hire carrier | Federal minimum |
|---|---|
| General freight, 10,001 lb GVWR or more | $750,000 |
| General freight, under 10,001 lb | $300,000 |
| Certain hazardous materials | $1,000,000 |
| Explosives, poison gas, radioactive materials | $5,000,000 |
These federal minimums have been in place since 1985.[10][11] Most carriers buy more: in Texas the median commercial auto liability limit is $1,000,000, and only about 6% to 8% of risks carry more than that.[4] The most common combined single limits are $500,000 or $1,000,000.[9] State rules can differ for intrastate trucks; see truck insurance requirements by state.
Ways to lower your premium
- Take a deductible you can afford. Higher deductibles lower the rate,[9] yet only about 10.5% of truck, tractor and trailer risks in Texas use liability deductibles.[4] Fleets that kept more risk in their primary layer had lower combined liability losses and premiums.[2]
- Invest in safety technology. ATRI found six safety technologies with a statistically significant link to lower liability losses per mile.[2] Tell your agent what you run, such as cameras or collision mitigation, so it’s in front of underwriters.
- Protect your record. Experience and schedule rating reward clean loss runs and careful driver hiring.[4]
- Insure the truck at the right value. Physical damage is priced on the value you state, so update it as the truck ages.
- Shop at renewal with a complete submission. Underwriters quote faster and sharper when they have everything they need up front.
What to have ready for a quote
- USDOT and MC numbers, business name and garaging address
- Vehicle list with year, make, VIN and value
- Driver list with license numbers, years of experience and dates of birth
- What you haul, your radius and the states you run
- Your current policy and 3 to 5 years of loss runs, if you have them
- Any filings you need, such as a BMC-91 or state forms
Our quote form starts with your USDOT number and fills in your public FMCSA company details, so you can finish faster.
Frequently asked questions
How much does truck insurance cost per mile?
ATRI’s carrier survey put total insurance premiums at 9.9 cents a mile in 2023, and liability premiums alone at 10.2 cents a mile in 2024. Your price depends on your own operation.[1][2]
Why do truck insurance premiums keep rising?
Liability losses per mile rose 33.1% from 2021 to 2024 even as crash rates fell, and insurers have paid out more than they collected on commercial auto for years.[2][4]
What factors determine my commercial truck insurance premium?
Truck size and use, industry, radius of operation, limits, deductibles, fleet size, and your loss and safety record.[4][9]
Is the $750,000 federal minimum enough?
It’s the legal minimum for for-hire general freight, but most commercial auto policies in Texas carry $1,000,000, and brokers often ask for more than the minimum.[10][4]
Can a higher deductible or safety technology lower my premium?
Yes. Higher deductibles lower the rate, and ATRI found that fleets retaining more risk and using certain safety technologies had lower liability costs.[9][2]
Get a truck insurance quote
Call 360-450-2211 or start your quote. We quote trucking operations in the 48 contiguous states from our office in Vancouver, Washington, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific.
Related coverage
Sources
- [1] ATRI: Operational costs of trucking, 2024 release (2023 data)
- [2] ATRI: Motor carrier responses to rising insurance costs (May 2026)
- [3] ATRI: Research on rising commercial auto insurance costs (Nov. 2025)
- [4] Texas Department of Insurance: Commercial auto biennial report (Nov. 2024)
- [5] NAIC: P&C industry, 2025 first-half results
- [6] Triple-I (industry group): Commercial auto trends and insights (Oct. 2024)
- [7] NAIC: 2025 market share reports, property and casualty (Aug. 2026)
- [8] ATRI: Operational costs of trucking, 2026 release (2025 data)
- [9] California Department of Insurance: Commercial insurance guide (2024)
- [10] FMCSA: Insurance filing requirements
- [11] 49 CFR 387.9: minimum levels of financial responsibility
General information only, checked September 2026. Rules change; confirm with the agency that issues your permits. Coverage availability, terms and filings depend on underwriting and the policy issued; a quote request does not bind insurance.
Published by Class Insurance Agency, an affiliated office of AIC Insurance. General information only; coverage depends on the actual policy and underwriting. For a question or correction, contact our team.