Class Insurance Agency, an affiliated office of AIC Insurance
Truck insurance for Nebraska haulers
Nebraska trucking runs on I-80, corn, cattle and the world’s largest rail yard. We quote Nebraska 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.
Hauling inside Nebraska
The Public Service Commission requires state authority only for for-hire passenger carriers and household goods movers. General freight needs no PSC authority.[1]
But Nebraska applies the federal motor carrier rules, including the federal insurance rules in Part 387, to intrastate carriers running vehicles over 10,000 lb, passenger vehicles, placarded hazmat or vehicles that need a CDL. Farm trucks registered at 16 tons or less are exempt.[2] The State Patrol’s Carrier Enforcement Division enforces these rules at 12 weigh stations, including Waverly and North Platte on I-80.[3]
Insurance for Nebraska trucks
- Federal limits apply in state. Because Nebraska adopts Part 387 for intrastate carriers[2], plan on the federal $750,000 minimum for for-hire general freight trucks of 10,001 lb and up, and $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 for hazmat.[4] Meeting the limit is your responsibility as the carrier, so make sure your policy matches the work you do.
- Household goods movers need PSC authority and insurance filings with the PSC.[1]
Brokers and shippers usually ask for $1,000,000 in auto liability plus a cargo limit.
The harvest weight exception and other weight rules
- Harvest exception. Trucks hauling grain and other seasonally harvested products may run 15% over the tandem, axle-group and gross limits, within 70 miles from the field to storage, market or a factory. The driver must carry a signed origin and destination statement, and the exception never applies on the Interstate. No permit is needed.[5][6]
- Standard limits. 80,000 lb gross on the Interstate unless authorized, 20,000 lb on a single axle and 34,000 lb on a tandem.[7]
- Farm hours of service. A farm exemption applies within 150 air miles during planting and harvest.[2]
Permits, taxes and Nebraska freight
IRP, IFTA and UCR go through DMV Motor Carrier Services[8], and oversize and overweight permits through the Nebraska Department of Transportation’s online system.[9] Nebraska has no weight-distance tax.
Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard in North Platte is the largest railroad classification yard in the world, covering about 2,850 acres.[10] Nebraska had 6.15 million cattle in January 2026, and in 2025 its farmers grew more than 2 billion bushels of corn and 313.7 million bushels of soybeans.[11]
What to have ready for a Nebraska quote
- USDOT and MC numbers, if you have them
- Where the trucks are garaged, your usual routes and your radius
- What you haul: grain, cattle, ethanol, rail freight or general freight
- Whether you use the harvest exception or run farm-plated 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 PSC authority to haul freight in Nebraska?
No. Only for-hire passenger carriers and household goods movers need Nebraska PSC authority.[1]
Do federal trucking rules apply to trucks that stay in Nebraska?
Yes, for intrastate carriers with vehicles over 10,000 lb, passenger vehicles, placarded hazmat or CDL vehicles. Farm trucks registered at 16 tons or less are exempt.[2]
What liability limit applies to my intrastate for-hire truck in Nebraska?
Nebraska adopts the federal insurance rules for intrastate carriers, and those set $750,000 for for-hire general freight trucks of 10,001 lb and up.[2][4]
How does Nebraska’s harvest weight exception work?
Grain and other harvested products may run 15% over within 70 miles from field to storage or market, never on the Interstate, with a signed origin and destination statement.[5]
Who issues oversize and overweight permits in Nebraska?
The Nebraska Department of Transportation, online. IRP and IFTA go through DMV Motor Carrier Services.[9][8]
Get a Nebraska 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 (9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central).
Related coverage and nearby states
Sources
- [1] Nebraska PSC: How to apply for authority
- [2] Neb. Rev. Stat. 75-363: federal rules adopted for intrastate carriers
- [3] Nebraska State Patrol: Carrier Enforcement
- [4] 49 CFR 387.9: federal minimums
- [5] Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-6,301: harvest weight exception
- [6] Nebraska State Patrol: Overweight exception statement form
- [7] Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-6,294: weight limits
- [8] Nebraska DMV: Motor Carrier Services
- [9] Nebraska DOT: Truck permits
- [10] Union Pacific: Bailey Yard, North Platte
- [11] USDA NASS: Nebraska state overview
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.