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Trucking Insurance Texas

Class Insurance Agency, an affiliated office of AIC Insurance

Truck insurance for Texas haulers

Texas trucking runs through Laredo, Port Houston, the oil fields and I-35, and the state has its own carrier registration, its own insurance minimum and new rules on driver English proficiency. We quote Texas 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.

TxDMV authority for in-state hauling

  • Who needs it. Private and for-hire carriers operating in Texas with vehicles over 26,000 lb, placarded hazmat, farm vehicles of 48,000 lb or more, or more than 15 passengers need TxDMV authority, as do household goods movers of any size. You need a USDOT number first.[1]
  • Fees. $100 for annual or two-year registration (or $5 for 7 days and $25 for 90 days), plus $10 per vehicle ($20 for two years) and $100 for each insurance filing.[1][2]
  • Filings. Your insurer files a Form E for liability and Forms H and I for cargo, and must give TxDMV 30 days’ notice before cancelling. A cab card rides in each truck.[1]

Texas insurance minimums

Carrier Texas minimum
Private or for-hire, over 26,000 lb $500,000
Household goods, under 26,000 lb $300,000
Oil and listed hazmat $1,000,000
Highest-risk hazmat $5,000,000
Household goods cargo $5,000 per vehicle, $10,000 aggregate

These are the in-state minimums.[3][1] Trucks hauling across state lines for hire need the federal $750,000, and most brokers ask for $1,000,000.

Drivers: English proficiency, age and CDLs

  • English proficiency applies in state. In September 2025 the governor directed DPS to strictly enforce English proficiency for commercial drivers[4], and since December 11, 2025 the rule applies to intrastate drivers too.[5] CDL knowledge tests have been English-only, with no interpreters, since June 1, 2026.[6]
  • Drivers from 18 can still drive inside Texas.[5]
  • Non-domiciled CDLs. DPS halted them in September 2025. Under the federal rule effective March 16, 2026, only H-2A, H-2B and E-2 visa holders qualify, and H-2A issuance resumed June 1, 2026.[7]
  • Safety rules and hours. Texas applies the federal safety rules to intrastate vehicles over 26,000 lb[8], with intrastate hours of 12 driving, 15 on duty and 70 in 7 days, and a 34-hour restart.[9]

HB 19: how Texas handles truck crash lawsuits

Since September 1, 2021, a carrier sued over a crash can ask for a split trial: compensatory damages first, punitive damages second. If the carrier admits the driver was its employee acting on the job, evidence on claims like negligent entrustment is limited in the first phase. Photos and video of the crash are presumed admissible.[10] The law makes some large verdicts harder to reach, but a serious crash can still exceed a $500,000 or $750,000 policy.

Weights and overweight permits

  • Limits. 80,000 lb gross including all enforcement tolerances, 20,000 lb single axle and 34,000 lb tandem. Natural gas and electric trucks may run up to 82,000 lb.[11] Semitrailers can be 59 feet and loads 14 feet high.[1]
  • Annual permits (not on Interstates unless noted). Timber up to 84,000 lb for $900 with a $15,000 bond; a tolerance permit for 10% over axle and 5% over gross from $270 to $1,095; fluid milk up to 90,000 lb for $1,200; and port containers up to 93,000 or 100,000 lb for $6,000.[1]
  • Port authority permits, such as on Port of Brownsville routes, allow up to 125,000 lb gross for no more than $120 a trip.[12]

Toll roads for trucks

  • Dallas area (NTTA). 5-axle trucks pay four times the car rate, for example $7.76 with a TollTag or $15.52 by ZipCash at the Dallas North Tollway’s Wycliff gantry, under rates for July 2025 to June 2027.[13]
  • Houston (HCTRA). 5-axle trucks with a tag pay $7.00 at each Sam Houston Tollway mainline plaza and $8.00 at the Ship Channel Bridge.[14]
  • SH 130. On TxDOT’s segments, 5 axles pay $8.96 with a tag or $13.44 without at each mainline plaza, from January 1, 2026.[15] The private segments from Seguin to I-10 price trucks by class, not axles: a standard tractor-trailer pays $41.78 with a tag from Seguin to Buda.[16]

Taxes, speed and idling

  • Diesel tax is 20 cents a gallon.[17] IFTA returns are due April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31[18], and IRP plates come from TxDMV.[1]
  • Speed. The default limit is 70 mph, and the state can post 75, 80 or 85 mph on qualifying roads. There’s no separate truck limit.[19]
  • Idling. The 5-minute limit applies only in local governments that signed an agreement with TCEQ.[20]

Texas freight

Trucks carried 1.7 billion tons of Texas freight worth $1.4 trillion in 2019, out of about 4 billion tons in total, and Texas produced 40% of U.S. crude oil in 2021.[21] Laredo recorded about 2.9 million inbound truck crossings from Mexico in 2025.[22] Port Houston is the nation’s largest port by waterborne tonnage, with 220.1 million short tons of foreign cargo in 2024.[23]

What to have ready for a Texas quote

  • USDOT and MC numbers, and your TxDMV number if you have one
  • Where the trucks are garaged, your usual routes and your radius, including Mexico border runs
  • What you haul: oil field equipment, cross-border freight, port containers, timber, milk, construction materials or general freight
  • Driver names, license numbers, years of experience and English proficiency
  • 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 Texas authority if I never leave Texas?

Yes, if you run vehicles over 26,000 lb, placarded hazmat or household goods for pay. You need a USDOT number, TxDMV registration and a Form E filing of at least $500,000.[1][3]

Can an 18-year-old drive my truck in Texas?

Yes, inside Texas only. The English proficiency rule now applies to intrastate drivers, and CDL knowledge tests are English-only since June 1, 2026.[5][6]

What did HB 19 change for trucking lawsuits?

A carrier can ask for a split trial, and if it admits the driver was its employee on the job, evidence on claims like negligent entrustment is limited in the first phase.[10]

Is there an 84,000-lb permit in Texas?

Yes, the annual timber permit, for $900 with a $15,000 bond, not valid on Interstates.[1]

Does Texas have a lower speed limit for trucks?

No. Trucks follow the same limits as cars, up to 85 mph where posted.[19]

Get a Texas 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

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.