Mississippi Trucking Insurance

MDOT authority for in-state hauling

• MDOT, not the PSC. Mississippi’s motor carrier law is run by the Mississippi Transportation Commission, and it covers all for-hire carriers of property except household goods.^[1] On-road enforcement moved to the Department of Public Safety in 2021.^[2]
• General freight authority. For-hire property carriers file MDOT’s general freight application: a one-time $50 registration fee plus $10 per vehicle, waived for trucks already covered by UCR.^[3][4] Confirm current fees with MDOT’s motor carrier section (601-359-1717, option 2).
• Household goods movers need a certificate issued after a hearing, with $750,000 of liability and $5,000 or $10,000 of cargo coverage.^[5]
• USDOT number. Mississippi isn’t on FMCSA’s list of states that require one for intrastate carriers^[6], but IRP registration requires one.^[7]

Insurance limits

MDOT requires a certificate of insurance on file with its motor carrier section^[8], and state law says certificate holders’ coverage can’t be less than the federal minimums.^[9]

Log, timber and farm trucks

• Tandems. Trucks hauling farm products, forest products, woodchips, sand and gravel can carry 40,000 lb on a tandem.^[10]
• Harvest permit. A $25 annual harvest permit gives a 10% tolerance, up to 88,000 lb gross. Without it, the tolerance is 5% with gross capped at 80,000 lb plus 2%. None of these apply on Interstates, and loaded hauls are limited to 100 miles unless the load is processed in Mississippi.^[10][11] A 2025 law extended the harvest permit provision to July 1, 2028.^[12]
• Interstates. MDOT sells a separate $25 special Interstate agriculture permit, up to 88,000 lb in daylight only.^[11]
• Log loads may extend no more than 28 feet past the rear axle and must be secured by at least two chains, wire ropes or straps.^[13]
• Safety rule exemptions. Trucks hauling logs and pulpwood from the harvest to the first point of processing, and gravel or road-building materials, are exempt from the state’s adopted federal safety rules, as are intrastate trucks of 26,000 lb or less without placarded hazmat.^[14]

Weights, ports and permits

• Legal limits. 20,000 lb single axle, 34,000 lb tandem, 80,000 lb gross, 13 feet 6 inches high and 53-foot semitrailers. Natural gas trucks may run up to 2,000 lb over.^[10][13]
• Port containers. Sealed containers to or from a port can run up to 95,000 lb on a $500-a-year blanket permit per vehicle.^[11]
• Permits. A single-trip oversize permit is $10 and an annual oversize blanket permit $100 per company. Non-resident trucks over 26,000 lb without Mississippi registration need a $25, 72-hour trip permit.^[11][15]

Fuel tax, privilege taxes and registration

• Diesel tax is 24 cents a gallon from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, up from 21 cents, and rises to 27 cents on July 1, 2027.^[16][17]
• Privilege taxes. An 80,000-lb for-hire truck pays a $1,512 road and bridge privilege tax, or $864 at the farm rate, plus an additional privilege tax that depends on the truck’s age.^[15]
• IFTA and IRP are handled by the Department of Revenue, online through TAP.^[15]
• Speed and tolls. 65 mph by default and up to 70 on Interstates, with no separate truck limit^[18], and FHWA lists no toll roads in Mississippi.^[19]
• Drivers. CDLs restricted to in-state driving can be issued at 18.^[20]
• Towing. Since July 1, 2024, towers must give truck owners access to personal property in a nonconsensually towed truck whether or not they’ve paid.^[21]

Mississippi freight

Trucks carry 67.2% of Mississippi’s freight tonnage, 152 million tons worth $250 billion a year, and logs and wood products are the two largest commodities by weight. The worst truck bottleneck is I-55 northbound in Hinds County.^[22] The Port of Gulfport handles about 200,000 TEUs a year and is a leading U.S. importer of green fruit.^[23] Mississippi produced 701 million broilers in 2025^[24], and its timber harvest of 36.4 million tons was worth $1.47 billion, with harvesting and trucking adding $807 million.^[25]

What to have ready for a Mississippi quote

• USDOT and MC numbers, and your MDOT authority if you have it
• Where the trucks are garaged, your usual routes and your radius
• What you haul: logs and pulpwood, woodchips, poultry and feed, gravel, port containers or general freight
• Whether you run under harvest or port permits
• 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

Who issues trucking authority in Mississippi?

MDOT, for the Mississippi Transportation Commission, not the Public Service Commission. General freight carriers pay a $50 registration fee plus $10 per vehicle.^[1][3]

What insurance does MDOT require for general freight?

$750,000 of liability for non-hazardous freight, $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 for hazmat, and $5,000 or $10,000 of cargo depending on load size.^[8]

How heavy can log trucks run in Mississippi?

Up to 88,000 lb gross with the $25 annual harvest permit, off the Interstate and within 100 miles unless the load is processed in Mississippi.^[10][11]

What is Mississippi’s diesel tax in 2026?

24 cents a gallon from July 1, 2026, rising to 27 cents on July 1, 2027.^[16][17]

Are there toll roads in Mississippi?

No. FHWA lists no toll facilities in Mississippi.^[19]

Related coverage and nearby states

• Owner-operator truck insurance
• Dump truck insurance
• Motor truck cargo insurance
• Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama trucking insurance
• All states we serve
• Truck insurance requirements by state
• New authority truck insurance
• How much commercial truck insurance costs

Sources

• [1] Miss. Code § 77-7-7 (Justia copy): definitions
• [2] Mississippi DPS: Commercial Transportation Enforcement
• [3] MDOT: General freight operating authority application
• [4] Miss. Code § 77-7-119 (Justia copy): vehicle fees
• [5] MDOT: Household goods and passenger carrier guidelines (2024)
• [6] FMCSA: Do I need a USDOT number?
• [7] Mississippi DOR: Interstate commercial vehicles
• [8] MDOT: General freight guidelines
• [9] Miss. Code § 77-7-83 (Justia copy): insurance
• [10] Miss. Code § 63-5-33 (Justia copy): weight limits and harvest permits
• [11] MDOT: Permit and Motor Carrier Division manual (2024)
• [12] Mississippi Code § 63-5-33 history (HB 953, 2025)
• [13] Miss. Code § 63-5-19 (Justia copy): length and log loads
• [14] Miss. Code § 77-7-16 (Justia copy): safety rules and exemptions
• [15] Mississippi DOR: IRP instruction manual (2026)
• [16] Mississippi DOR: Petroleum tax rates (2025)
• [17] Mississippi HB 1 (2025): Build Up Mississippi Act
• [18] Miss. Code § 63-3-501 (Justia copy): speed limits
• [19] FHWA: 2023 toll facilities report
• [20] Miss. Code § 63-1-211 (Justia copy): CDL age
• [21] Miss. Code § 63-37-7 (Justia copy): commercial vehicle towing
• [22] MDOT: MULTIPLAN 2050, existing highway conditions (2025)
• [23] Mississippi State Port Authority: FY2027 strategic plan
• [24] USDA NASS: Mississippi state agriculture overview
• [25] MSU Extension: Forestry holds place as second-largest ag commodity (Dec. 2025)

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.