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Ohio trucking insurance
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Ohio Trucking Insurance

Class Insurance Agency, an affiliated office of AIC Insurance

Truck insurance for Ohio haulers

Ohio moves more than a billion tons of freight a year, requires PUCO authority for in-state loads, and lets trucks run 90,000 lb on the Turnpike. We quote Ohio 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.

PUCO authority for loads inside Ohio

  • Certificate first. Every for-hire carrier hauling from point to point inside Ohio needs a PUCO certificate before starting. The steps: get an intrastate USDOT number, apply online, have your insurer file proof of insurance, and pay the fees. The certificate renews every year between May 1 and June 30. Carriers that pay UCR skip the yearly renewal, except household goods movers.[1]
  • Per-vehicle tax. $30 for each tractor and $20 for each other truck hauling property. Trailers aren’t taxed, and a tax receipt must be carried in each vehicle.[2] The tax is prorated by the quarter a truck enters service.[3]
  • USDOT number. PUCO says carriers running vehicles of 10,001 lb or more must have one.[1]
  • Safety rules and drivers. Ohio applies the federal safety rules, including the insurance part, to intrastate carriers.[4] Intrastate drivers may be 18, or 21 for placarded hazmat.[5]

Ohio insurance limits and filings

Carrier Minimum
For-hire property carriers $750,000
Carriers running only vehicles under 10,001 lb $300,000
Oil and most hazmat (for-hire and private) $1,000,000
Listed high-hazard materials $5,000,000
Household goods cargo $5,000 per vehicle, $10,000 per occurrence

The limits come from PUCO’s insurance rule.[6] Your insurer files electronically with PUCO: a Form E, or Forms E and H for household goods movers.[1] If the policy is cancelled or lapses, all operations under the certificate must stop immediately until a replacement is filed.[7]

Ohio Turnpike: 2026 tolls and heavier loads

Turnpike tolls rose 2.7% on January 1, 2026. A high 5-axle tractor-trailer is Class 5.[8]

Class 5 (high 5-axle) E-ZPass Cash or card
Per mile 22.6 cents 28.4 cents
Full trip eastbound (Indiana to Pennsylvania) $49.75 $62.75

Westbound full trips cost more because the eastern gate collects a round-trip flat toll in that direction.[8][9]

  • 90,000 lb without a permit. The Turnpike allows up to 90,000 lb gross as long as axle weights are legal, with a 21,000-lb single-axle limit.[10]
  • Permits. Overweight moves up to 120,000 lb cost $135. Annual long-combination permits are $600 per tractor for long doubles and $1,200 for triples.[10]

Weights and permits on other Ohio roads

  • Standard limits. 80,000 lb gross, with 20,000 lb per single axle and 34,000 lb per tandem on Interstates.[11]
  • 7.5% allowance. Farm trucks hauling farm commodities, log trucks, coal trucks and solid waste haulers may run up to 7.5% over the limits to the first point of delivery. The allowance doesn’t apply on Interstates or posted roads, or to farm and log trucks in February and March.[12]
  • Natural gas and electric trucks get an extra 2,000 lb.[13]
  • Spring thaw. ODOT can cut limits by up to 25% on state highways, and counties by up to 50% on county roads.[14]
  • ODOT permits. A one-way overweight permit up to 120,000 lb is $125 plus a $20 processing fee, and an annual overweight permit is $1,960. Permit applicants need at least $500,000 in liability coverage.[15]

Taxes, hours and driving rules

  • Fuel tax. Diesel is taxed at 47 cents a gallon.[16]
  • IFTA is run by the Ohio Department of Taxation, which moved it to OH|TAX eServices on November 12, 2025. Returns are due April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31.[17] IRP is run by the Ohio BMV.[18]
  • Hours of service. Construction material and equipment haulers within 50 air miles may drive 12 hours after 10 off duty.[4] Ohio sets its agricultural planting and harvesting season, for the federal farm hours exemption, as all year, January 1 through December 31.[19]
  • Speed. 70 mph on rural freeways, with no separate truck limit.[20]
  • Hands-free law. Holding a phone while driving costs up to $150 the first time, $250 the second and $500 the third within two years, doubled in construction zones. Truck drivers using a mobile data terminal are exempt.[21]
  • Emissions. Vehicles over 10,000 lb GVWR are exempt from E-Check.[22]
  • Non-domiciled CDLs. The Ohio BMV hasn’t issued or renewed non-domiciled CDLs since September 2025 and says it doesn’t intend to resume. Check your drivers’ licenses before renewal.[23]

Ohio claims rules

Ohio caps noneconomic damages at the greater of $250,000 or three times economic loss, up to $350,000 per plaintiff or $500,000 per occurrence, with no cap for catastrophic injuries such as loss of a limb.[24] Punitive damages are generally capped at twice compensatory damages.[25] An injured person recovers only if their fault isn’t greater than everyone else’s combined[26], and bodily injury suits must be filed within two years.[27] These caps make Ohio claims more predictable than in many neighboring states, but a serious crash can still exceed a minimum $750,000 policy.

Ohio freight

Ohio has the country’s 5th largest Interstate system, at more than 8,000 miles, and ranks 6th for freight volume, at over 1 billion tons shipped by all modes.[28] The state had 14,295 truck parking spaces at 303 locations at the end of 2024, 79% of them private[29], and ODOT is spending $150 million to add more than 1,400 spaces at 33 sites by 2027.[30] The Port of Toledo moved more than 10 million tons in 2025[31] and the Port of Cleveland more than 6 million.[32] Ohio farms harvested 584.6 million bushels of corn and 258.6 million bushels of soybeans in 2025.[33]

What to have ready for an Ohio quote

  • USDOT and MC numbers, and your PUCO number if you have one
  • Where the trucks are garaged, your usual routes and your radius
  • What you haul: grain, logs, coal, construction materials, steel, auto parts or general freight
  • Whether you run heavy on the Turnpike or under 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

I only haul inside Ohio. What do I need?

A PUCO certificate, an intrastate USDOT number for vehicles of 10,001 lb or more, an insurance filing from your insurer, and the per-vehicle tax: $30 per tractor and $20 per other truck.[1][2]

What insurance does PUCO require?

$750,000 for for-hire property carriers, $300,000 if all your vehicles are under 10,001 lb, and $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 for hazmat.[6]

What does a 5-axle truck pay on the Ohio Turnpike in 2026?

22.6 cents a mile with E-ZPass or 28.4 cents in cash. A full eastbound trip is $49.75 with E-ZPass or $62.75 in cash.[8]

Can I run 90,000 lb on the Ohio Turnpike?

Yes, without a special permit, as long as axle weights are legal and no single axle exceeds 21,000 lb.[10]

Can farm and log trucks run over 80,000 lb in Ohio?

They may run up to 7.5% over to the first point of delivery, but not on Interstates or posted roads, and farm and log trucks can’t use it in February and March.[12]

Get an Ohio 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.