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Michigan trucking insurance
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Michigan Trucking Insurance

Class Insurance Agency, an affiliated office of AIC Insurance

Truck insurance for Michigan haulers

Michigan is different: no-fault insurance that follows the truck, axle-based weight limits that allow 164,000-lb trains, spring frost laws, and major truck crossings to Canada at Detroit and Port Huron. We quote Michigan owner-operators, new authorities and fleets by phone, email and online from our office in Vancouver, Washington, in English, Russian, Ukrainian or Romanian.

Call 360-450-2211 or start a quote online.

State Police authority for in-state hauling

  • CVED Authority. For-hire carriers hauling inside Michigan get authority from the Michigan State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, not the Public Service Commission, through an online portal. Processing takes up to 30 days. You file a USDOT number, business registration, workers’ comp proof or an approved exclusion, and a certificate of liability with a Form E; movers add a Form H.[1]
  • Fees. $100 to apply and $50 to renew[2], plus $100 per intrastate power unit a year ($50 if it starts after June 30) and $10 for a 72-hour permit.[3] Renewals run October 1 to December 1, and authority not renewed by January 1 is revoked.[4]
  • Insurance amount. Michigan’s own motor carrier insurance rules were rescinded in 2018[5], and state law now adopts the federal rules for intrastate operations[6]: $750,000 for for-hire general freight, more for hazmat.[7] Confirm your filing with the State Police before you apply.

No-fault insurance and trucks

  • What’s required. Michigan-registered vehicles must carry personal injury protection (PIP), property protection insurance and residual liability.[8] A nonresident truck operated in Michigan more than 30 days in a calendar year must carry the same.[9]
  • Property protection pays up to $1,000,000 per accident under one policy.[10]
  • Liability floor. The default bodily injury limit is $250,000/$500,000, with an option to elect $50,000/$100,000, and $10,000 for property damage.[11]
  • Commercial policies. The 2019 reforms apply to commercial auto, but a business named insured can’t choose the reduced PIP options.[12]
  • Claims costs. The “mini-tort” for vehicle damage allows up to $3,000[13], and PIP medical treatment is paid at no more than 190% of Medicare after July 1, 2023.[14]

Axle weights, frost laws and permits

  • Axle-based limits. Michigan limits weight by axle, not a flat gross: up to 18,000 lb per axle when axles are 9 feet or more apart, so a truck with 11 properly spaced axles can reach 164,000 lb.[15][16]
  • Frost laws. In 2026, spring weight restrictions ran from February 17 to May 15 on state highways[17][18], cutting axle weights 25% on concrete and 35% on asphalt seasonal routes.[17] Heavy trucks are also held to 35 mph while restrictions apply.[19] County roads set their own dates.
  • Permits. Overweight permits are $50 for a single trip and $100 for multi-trip or annual; oversize-only permits $15 and $30.[20]
  • Speed. Trucks of 10,000 lb or more are capped at 65 mph where the posted limit is higher.[19]

Bridge tolls to Canada and the Upper Peninsula

  • Gordie Howe International Bridge (Detroit–Windsor) opened July 27, 2026[21], charging trucks $8.75 USD ($12 CAD) per axle.[22]
  • Ambassador Bridge. Since August 1, 2026, $9 or less per axle with a pass and $12 without.[23]
  • Blue Water Bridge (Port Huron), eastbound: $5.25 per axle from December 1, 2025.[24]
  • Mackinac Bridge: $5 per axle for tractor-trailers.[25] Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge: $6.50 per axle from April 1, 2026, rising to $6.75 on October 1, 2026.[26]

Drivers, fuel tax and registration

  • Safety rules and age. Michigan applies the federal safety rules intrastate[6], with a minimum driver age of 18 for intrastate hauling and 21 for placarded hazmat.[27]
  • Diesel tax is 52.4 cents a gallon from January 1, 2026, up from 31 cents, and motor fuel is no longer subject to sales tax.[28][29]
  • IRP plates are issued only through the Department of State’s IRP unit in Lansing (517-335-6119).[30]

Michigan freight

Trucks carried 182.4 million tons of Michigan-origin freight worth $447.7 billion in 2022, about 77% of the value.[31] Detroit recorded 1,132,114 inbound truck crossings from Canada in 2025 and Port Huron 1,060,776.[32] Auto parts manufacturing alone employed about 111,700 people in Michigan in 2025[33], and the state leads the nation in tart cherries, black beans and asparagus.[34]

What to have ready for a Michigan quote

  • USDOT and MC numbers, and your CVED Authority if you have it
  • Where the trucks are garaged, your usual routes and your radius, including Canada runs
  • What you haul: auto parts, steel, aggregate, logs, farm products or general freight
  • Axle configurations, if you run heavy multi-axle trucks
  • Driver names, license numbers and years of experience
  • Year, make, VIN and value of each truck and trailer
  • Current policy and loss runs, if you have been insured before

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Michigan authority if I only haul in-state?

Yes, for-hire carriers file for CVED Authority with the Michigan State Police: $100 plus $100 per truck a year, with a Form E and workers’ comp proof.[1][2][3]

Does Michigan no-fault apply to my out-of-state truck?

Yes, once it operates in Michigan more than 30 days in a calendar year.[9]

How can Michigan trucks weigh 164,000 lb?

Michigan limits weight by axle, so a truck with 11 properly spaced axles can reach 164,000 lb.[15]

When do Michigan frost laws apply?

Roughly mid-February to mid-May. In 2026 they ran from February 17 to May 15 on state highways.[17][18]

What is the truck speed limit in Michigan?

65 mph for trucks of 10,000 lb or more, even where cars may go 70 or 75.[19]

Get a Michigan truck insurance quote

Call 360-450-2211 or start your quote. We’re open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific (10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern).


Related coverage and nearby states

Sources

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.