Auto Hauler Commercial Trucking Insurance in PA
Auto haulers running under commercial trucking authority — primary liability, cargo, on-hook, and physical damage.
Auto haulers are a subset of commercial trucking, but most general trucking underwriters either decline car-hauler risks or surcharge them heavily because of the value on the deck. A specialist auto hauler insurance market prices it differently. This page covers the authority and filing side of the business; for sizing the cargo limit to your loads, see auto hauler cargo.
For a hauler running under its own authority, the policy stack is primary liability (shippers, dealers and brokers commonly ask to see $1,000,000 on the certificate), physical damage on the tractor and trailer, motor truck cargo with per-vehicle and per-load limits, and on-hook coverage if any of the work involves wrecked, repossessed or non-running units.
With your own MC number, your insurer files proof of your liability coverage (Form BMC-91) with FMCSA (49 CFR 387.301), and your liability policy carries the MCS-90 endorsement. Leased on, you work under the motor carrier's authority: its policy covers primary liability and cargo while under dispatch, and you carry non-trucking liability plus physical damage on the tractor. The full filing checklist, including BOC-3, UCR and the new-entrant audit, is on our new-authority page.
Start a Pennsylvania auto hauler quote and tell us whether you are leased on or running your own authority, or browse auto hauler coverage across Pennsylvania.
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Frequently asked questions
What will dealers and auctions ask to see on my certificate?
Usually your auto liability limit, your cargo limit per vehicle and per load, and your MC or USDOT number, with them listed as certificate holder; some also ask to be named as additional insured. Each customer sets its own requirements, so send us them in writing and we check the certificate against them before your first load for that customer.
Does physical damage cover my trailer as well as my tractor?
Only if the trailer is listed on the policy. Physical damage is written unit by unit, so schedule the tractor and the trailer separately, each at what it would cost to replace. An enclosed trailer usually costs more to replace than an open one, so its value should reflect that. Update the values when you change equipment.
What do I need to send for an auto hauler quote?
Your USDOT and MC numbers, whether you run your own authority or lease on, each driver's license number and years of CDL experience, the year, make and VIN of every tractor and trailer, the states you run, and loss runs if you have them.
Should I run under my own authority or lease on?
Leasing on means the motor carrier's insurance and filings cover you while under dispatch, and you carry non-trucking liability and physical damage. That costs less and means less paperwork, but you give up control of loads and rates. Your own authority means the full policy stack, the FMCSA filings and the new-entrant audit, in exchange for your own customers. We can quote both before you decide.