Pennsylvania Truck Insurance Requirements (2026)

Federal vs state — who requires what

Two regulators set truck insurance requirements for Pennsylvania operators. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets minimums for any motor carrier running interstate freight. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) sets minimums for intrastate operators — those running freight only inside Pennsylvania.

If the truck crosses a state line — even occasionally — federal rules apply. Most owner-operators with their own MC number fall under federal jurisdiction even if 90 percent of the work is intrastate. Knowing which regulator owns the policy determines which form the carrier files and what the minimums actually are.

Interstate liability minimums

Federal regulations under 49 CFR 387 set the floors. The numbers vary by commodity:

• General freight — $750,000 minimum bodily-injury and property-damage liability.
• Hazardous materials (Class A and B) — $5,000,000 minimum.
• Hazardous materials (other classes) — $1,000,000 minimum.
• Household goods — $750,000 minimum.
• Passengers, vehicles seating 15 or fewer — $1,500,000 minimum.
• Passengers, vehicles seating 16 or more — $5,000,000 minimum.

Pennsylvania intrastate minimums

For-hire intrastate motor carriers in Pennsylvania carry their own PUC-set minimum: $300,000 bodily-injury and property-damage combined for general freight. Passengers and hazmat carry separate, higher minimums.

Intrastate operations are rarer than they look on paper. A truck running between Allentown and Philadelphia is intrastate. A truck that picks up in Allentown, drops in Philadelphia, then takes a backhaul into Newark, NJ, is interstate even though most of the work was inside Pennsylvania. Federal jurisdiction is based on the nature of the haul, not the percentage.

Cargo and physical damage

Cargo and physical-damage coverage are not federally required for general freight, but they’re required by lenders, by leases, and by most shippers. The standard cargo limit on a typical dry van or flatbed runs $100,000. Specialty cargo (auto haulers, refrigerated, high-value freight) runs higher.

Cargo policies have exclusions worth reading carefully. Unattended trailer theft, contamination, and refrigerated breakdown are common carve-outs that get filled with endorsements when they apply. Reefer breakdown coverage in particular is its own line — a standard cargo policy often excludes spoilage from a refrigeration unit failure.

What brokers actually require

The FMCSA floor is rarely the operating standard. Most freight brokers and shippers require a $1,000,000 minimum primary liability on the COI. Some require $2,000,000. Cargo limits of $100,000 are typical for general freight; $250,000 to $500,000 are more common for high-value or auto-hauler work.

If the COI shows the federal floor — $750,000 — most loadboards filter the carrier out before a dispatcher ever sees the truck. The cost difference between $750,000 and $1,000,000 is usually small enough that almost every operator running freight broker work carries the higher number by default.

Filings — BMC-91, MCS-90, BMC-32

Several FMCSA forms need to live with the policy. The BMC-91 (or BMC-91X) is the proof of financial responsibility filed by the insurance carrier with FMCSA. The MCS-90 endorsement is attached to the policy and confirms the carrier will pay public liability claims even if a coverage exclusion would normally apply. BMC-32 is the cargo-coverage filing for household-goods carriers.

Filings are administrative and the insurance carrier handles them, but late or missing filings put the operating authority in jeopardy. Confirm the filings are in place after every new policy or major endorsement.

Common compliance mistakes

• Operating with a lapsed BMC-91 filing. The MC number is suspended automatically when the filing lapses, even if the insurance is still in force.
• Adding a power unit but forgetting to add it to the policy. Most carriers don’t auto-add new equipment — the operator has to call.
• Carrying $750,000 because that’s the federal floor and discovering loadboards filter it out.
• Underbuying cargo for the actual mix being hauled. The per-load limit needs to match real-world worst-case freight value.
• Letting a driver run hours of service that disqualify the carrier in an audit — insurance follows the safety rating, and a poor safety rating raises premiums or non-renews coverage.