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Truck insurance guides, in plain English.
Coverage, filings, compliance and factoring, explained for owner-operators and small fleets. Every guide is dated and reviewed.
Getting your authority active
The filings and numbers you need before your first load.
New authority: getting your MC active
Every filing, in order, from MC application to your first load. Plus how to handle first-year premiums.
MC number vs DOT number
What each number does, who needs which, and how they connect to your insurance.
BMC-91 vs BMC-91X
The filing that proves your liability insurance to FMCSA. Who files it and what the X means.
BOC-3 filing
The process agent filing your authority waits for, and how to get it done.
FMCSA insurance requirements
The federal minimums by cargo type, and the higher limits brokers actually require.
MCS-90 endorsement
Why it's on your policy, who it protects, and why you might have to repay your insurer.
Cost and renewal
What drives your price, and how to compare quotes.
9 ways to lower your premium
Cut your premium without cutting the coverage you'll need after a claim.
How to read a truck insurance quote
Compare quotes line by line: limits, exclusions, filings, fees and down payments.
Renewal checklist
What to do 90, 60, 45 and 30 days before renewal, so you're never signing in a rush.
Coverage explained
What each coverage pays for and the exclusions to read.
Primary liability
The coverage the law requires. What it pays for, the federal minimums, and why brokers want $1M.
Motor truck cargo
Covers the freight you haul. The $100k broker standard, common exclusions and reefer breakdown.
Physical damage
Repairs or replaces your own tractor and trailer. Stated value, deductibles and lender rules.
Bobtail & non-trucking liability
For leased-on drivers. What covers you off dispatch, and the gap between NTL and bobtail.
Occupational accident
Medical bills and lost income if you're hurt on the job, for drivers without workers' comp.
General liability
Covers non-driving claims, like damage at a dock. Why contracts ask for it.
Compliance
The registrations that come up every year.
UCR registration
Who must register each year, how fees are bracketed, and when enforcement starts.
IFTA basics
Which trucks qualify, the four quarterly deadlines, and the records you need.
Trailer interchange
Covers damage to a trailer you pull but don't own, under a written interchange agreement.
Freight factoring
How factoring works and how to compare terms.
What is freight factoring?
How factoring pays your invoice in days, what it costs, and when it makes sense.
Recourse vs non-recourse
Who pays if a broker never does, and what 'non-recourse' really covers.
Choosing a factoring company
Ten questions that expose hidden fees, long contracts and recourse traps.
Rather talk it through?
A licensed trucking specialist can answer your questions on a call.