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Trucking Insurance Florida

Class Insurance Agency, an affiliated office of AIC Insurance

Truck insurance for Florida haulers

Florida trucking runs on I-95, I-75, I-4 and the Turnpike, through JAXPORT, Port Everglades and PortMiami, and through a claims system that changed a lot in 2023. We quote Florida 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.

USDOT numbers, movers and safety rules

  • USDOT number. Florida requires one for commercial vehicles, including intrastate carriers, except non-placarded vehicles under 26,001 lb and farm or forestry hauling during harvest. It’s free for intrastate carriers, and running without one can cost $500.[1]
  • Household goods movers register with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services[2] and carry cargo and truck liability coverage set by state law.[3]
  • Safety rules. Intrastate carriers follow the federal safety rules as they stood on December 31, 2023, and intrastate drivers may be 18.[4] Intrastate hours: 12 hours of driving after 10 off, no driving after the 16th hour on duty, and 70 or 80 hours with a 34-hour restart.[5]
  • English only. All license exams, including CDL tests, have been given in English only, with no interpreters, since February 6, 2026.[6] New licenses issued from September 30, 2026 mark non-domiciled CDLs as temporary.[7]

Florida insurance minimums by truck weight

Truck weight Florida minimum
26,000 to under 35,000 lb $50,000 per occurrence
35,000 to under 44,000 lb $100,000 per occurrence
44,000 lb and over $300,000 per occurrence

These are the state minimums for commercial trucks.[8] Trucks hauling for hire across state lines need the federal $750,000, and hazmat carriers $1,000,000 or $5,000,000.[9] Brokers usually ask for $1,000,000, so the state minimum won’t get you most freight.

HB 837: Florida’s 2023 claim changes

Florida’s 2023 tort reform law (HB 837)[10] changed how truck crash claims work:

  • Modified comparative fault. An injured person more than 50% at fault recovers nothing.[11]
  • Two years to sue. Negligence suits must be filed within two years.[12]
  • Bad faith. Insurers that pay the lesser of the policy limit or the demand within 90 days are protected from bad-faith claims, and mere negligence isn’t bad faith.[13]
  • Medical bills. Past medical damages are proven by amounts actually paid.[14]

Turnpike tolls for trucks

  • No cash. Florida’s Turnpike takes SunPass and other transponders, including E-ZPass, or bills by plate with a $2.50 invoice fee.[15]
  • Florida City to Yeehaw Junction costs a 5-axle truck $46.95 with SunPass or $60.10 by plate.[16]
  • Alligator Alley charges a 5-axle truck $12.72 with a transponder or $14.04 by plate at each plaza, from August 3, 2026.[17]

Weights, size and permits

  • Weight. 20,000 lb per axle under the bridge formula and 80,000 lb gross including all enforcement tolerances.[18] Overweight fines are 5 cents a pound, and idle-reduction units get up to 550 lb.[19]
  • Size. 102 inches wide and 13 feet 6 inches high. Semitrailers can be 48 feet, or up to 57 feet with a kingpin-to-rear-axle distance of 41 feet or less and an underride guard.[20]
  • Permits. Overweight permits up to 95,000 lb cost 27 cents a mile per trip or $240 a year.[21]
  • Farm loads. Trucks hauling farm products must stop at agricultural inspection stations unless exempt.[22]
  • Emergencies. Under Executive Order 26-33, extended in September 2026, FDOT and FLHSMV can waive hours-of-service and, by permit, size and weight limits for emergency, farm and citrus loads; posted bridge limits still apply.[23][24]

Fuel tax, speed and idling

  • Diesel tax is 38.9 cents a gallon in 2026: 22 cents state and 16.9 cents county.[25]
  • Speed. 70 mph on limited-access highways and 65 on rural four-lane divided highways, the same for trucks and cars.[26]
  • Idling. Florida’s statewide truck idling rule was repealed in 2012.[27]

Florida freight

Trucks moved 674.6 million tons of Florida freight in 2022, 78% of the total, and 41.9% of tractor-trailers leave the state empty on I-95, I-10 and I-75.[28] JAXPORT handled nearly 1.4 million TEUs and 506,000 vehicles in fiscal 2025[29], and Port Everglades about 1.17 million TEUs.[30] Florida’s 2025–26 citrus crop was 15.7 million boxes[31], the state had 1.58 million cattle on January 1, 2026[32], and phosphate mining remains a major source of truck freight.[33]

What to have ready for a Florida quote

  • USDOT and MC numbers, if you have them
  • Where the trucks are garaged, your usual routes and your radius
  • What you haul: port containers, produce and citrus, aggregate and phosphate, construction materials or general freight
  • Gross weight of each truck (Florida minimums depend on it)
  • 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

What liability limit does a Florida intrastate truck need?

$50,000 for trucks of 26,000 to under 35,000 lb, $100,000 for 35,000 to under 44,000 lb, and $300,000 for 44,000 lb and over. For-hire interstate trucks need $750,000.[8][9]

Do intrastate trucks need a USDOT number in Florida?

Yes, except non-placarded vehicles under 26,001 lb and farm or forestry hauling at harvest. It’s free for intrastate carriers.[1]

How did HB 837 change truck accident claims in Florida?

An injured person more than 50% at fault recovers nothing, negligence suits must be filed within two years, and medical damages are proven by amounts actually paid.[11][12][14]

Can I take the Florida CDL test in another language?

No. Since February 6, 2026, all license exams, including CDL tests, are English only.[6]

Does Florida’s Turnpike take cash?

No. Use SunPass or another accepted transponder, or pay by plate with a $2.50 invoice fee.[15]

Get a Florida 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.