Your authority can’t go active until an insurer files proof of liability coverage with FMCSA on a BMC-91 or BMC-91X, so finding a market is part of getting on the road, not something you do afterward. For most general freight carriers the federal minimum is $750,000, and brokers commonly require $1,000,000. Underwriters on a new authority lean almost entirely on the driver: verifiable CDL experience, the motor vehicle record and the truck you’ll run. A decline from one company usually means it doesn’t write new ventures, not that no one will.
Why a new authority is hard to place
Trucking insurance is priced on history: years in business, loss runs, inspection results and safety scores. A new authority has none of it, and insurers generally see a carrier’s first years as its riskiest. So many markets set a minimum time in business, often a year or more, and simply don’t look at a brand-new MC number.
The other common reason for a decline is the agent, not the risk. A captive agent can only offer one company’s policies, and if that company doesn’t write new ventures, the answer is no before anyone reads your file. Finding the markets that do write them is the whole job here.
The filing that has to happen first
FMCSA doesn’t take your word that you’re insured. Your insurer has to file proof of public liability coverage directly with the agency on a BMC-91 or BMC-91X before your authority can go active, and it needs your docket number to do it.
- $750,000 is the federal minimum for most general freight carriers running heavier trucks.
- $1,000,000 is what brokers and shippers commonly require, so most new carriers buy that limit from the start.
- Not every commercial auto policy is set up for a federal filing, so the market has to be one that writes for-hire trucking and makes the filing.
- If the policy cancels, the insurer notifies FMCSA, and the authority is at risk unless a new filing arrives in time.
Start the insurance search the day you apply, not the day the protest period ends. How long it usually takes to get MC authority active.
The kinds of markets that write new authorities
- Admitted carriersInsurers licensed by California. Some write new ventures, usually with firm rules on CDL experience, driver records and the type of freight.
- Surplus lines carriersNon-admitted insurers with more room to write what admitted carriers decline. They are placed through licensed surplus lines brokers and are not members of the California Insurance Guarantee Association.
- Managing general agents and programsTrucking specialists that underwrite on behalf of one or more insurers, sometimes with programs built for owner-operators and small fleets.
- Wholesale brokersFirms that independent agents submit to for specialty and surplus lines access. A wholesale broker isn’t an insurance company; it reaches many of them.
Markets I’m appointed with that write trucking
For example, among the markets I’m appointed with:
- Smart Choice’s trucking desk, a wholesale channel that takes new authority submissions along with established trucking. It asks for a three-year MVR on each driver, ordered within the last 30 days, and two years of loss runs where there is prior history.
- RT Specialty’s RT Connector, a single online application for surplus lines small commercial lines, truckers included.
- Bass Underwriters, a commercial wholesale broker that reaches many carriers, for operations that need to be shopped more widely.
Naming a market isn’t a statement that it will write your authority. Each underwriter decides on the file in front of them, and appetite for new ventures changes more than most. The full list is on my insurance companies page.
What underwriters look at on a new authority
- CDL experienceYears of verifiable driving in the class of truck you’ll run. Many markets want two years or more.
- Motor vehicle recordsFor every driver. Recent violations or accidents narrow the field quickly.
- Prior trucking workTime driving for another carrier or leased on to one usually counts in your favor, if it can be verified.
- EquipmentYear, type and value of the truck and trailer, and whether you need physical damage coverage on them.
- FreightWhat you’ll haul. Some commodities, such as hazardous materials, cut the field sharply.
- Radius and statesLocal, regional or long haul, and where the truck is garaged.
- Payment at bindingNew ventures usually pay a down payment before the filing goes in.
What a new carrier usually needs
- Auto liability with the federal filing, at the limit your brokers will accept.
- Motor truck cargo, which brokers usually require even though there is no federal cargo filing for general freight. Do I need cargo insurance?
- Physical damage on the truck and trailer, usually required by a lender.
- Truckers general liability, which many shippers and receivers ask for at the dock.
- Workers’ comp, required in California once you have employees.
How I approach new authority trucking insurance in California.
What to have ready
- Your USDOT and docket numbers, or the date you applied.
- Each driver: name, license number, date of birth and years of CDL experience.
- The equipment: year, make, VIN and value of each truck and trailer.
- The operation: what you’ll haul, your radius, the states you’ll run and where the truck is garaged.
- Any history: prior authority, lease-on agreements or loss runs from earlier policies.
Common questions
Who insures new trucking companies in California?
Usually specialty admitted carriers, surplus lines carriers and trucking programs run by managing general agents, most often reached through wholesale brokers. Many trucking insurers don’t write a brand-new authority at all.
Can I get insurance before my MC authority is active?
You should start before. The authority can’t go active until your insurer files a BMC-91 or BMC-91X with FMCSA, and the insurer needs your docket number to file it.
How much liability insurance does a new authority need?
For most general freight carriers the federal minimum is $750,000. Brokers commonly require $1,000,000, so most new carriers start at that limit.
Why was I declined for having a new authority?
Many markets require a minimum time in business and won’t write new ventures. Others decline over driver experience or motor vehicle records. A decline from one company usually reflects its rules, not the whole market.
Does driving for another carrier help me get insured later?
Often, yes. Verifiable time driving for a carrier, or leased on to one, usually counts as experience to underwriters reviewing a new authority.
General information about insuring new trucking authorities as of October 2026, not legal advice. FMCSA procedures change, and naming a market here is not a statement that it will quote or accept any particular authority. Coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.