Truck insurance in Pennsylvania — coverage by county
Pennsylvania PUC and FMCSA liability minimums in one place, plus who requires each coverage and how filings and certificates work.
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Pennsylvania truck insurance
Which rules apply to your truck depends on where the freight goes and who you haul for. For-hire carriers crossing state lines answer to FMCSA, whose minimums in 49 CFR 387.9 depend on the vehicle's weight rating and what it carries. Carriers holding Pennsylvania PUC authority for intrastate hauling follow 52 Pa. Code § 32.12, which sets $300,000 or $750,000 per accident depending on the weight rating. Brokers, shippers and lessors can require more than either minimum, so the contract often sets the limit you actually need.
This page covers the Pennsylvania side: the minimums, who requires each coverage, the order of steps from quote to certificate, and what to do after a claim. For the coverages themselves, see our truck insurance overview, or go straight to owner-operator, new authority, motor truck cargo or non-trucking liability.
New to truck coverage? Start with our Truck insurance overview, then pick a county below, such as Chester County, home of our Devon office, or Philadelphia.
Truck liability minimums in Pennsylvania
PA PUC: intrastate common and contract carriers of property
| Manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less (articulated vehicle: manufacturer's gross combination weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less) | $300,000 per accident |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds (articulated vehicle: manufacturer's gross combination weight rating over 10,000 pounds) | $750,000 per accident |
The § 32.12 minimum covers bodily injury, death and property damage, not cargo. PUC common carriers must also carry at least $5,000 of cargo insurance (52 Pa. Code § 32.13) unless an exemption applies.
Source: 52 Pa. Code § 32.12(a).
FMCSA: public liability by type of carriage
| For-hire, interstate or foreign commerce, GVWR 10,001 lb or more: nonhazardous property | $750,000 |
|---|---|
| For-hire and private, GVWR 10,001 lb or more: oil listed in 49 CFR 172.101, and hazardous waste, materials or substances listed in 49 CFR 172.101 that are not in a $5,000,000 tier (interstate or foreign commerce in any quantity; intrastate commerce in bulk only) | $1,000,000 |
| For-hire and private, interstate, foreign or intrastate commerce, GVWR 10,001 lb or more: hazardous substances in bulk in cargo tanks, portable tanks or hopper-type vehicles; bulk Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 material; bulk Division 2.1 or 2.2 material; bulk Division 2.3 Hazard Zone A material; bulk Division 6.1 Packing Group I, Hazard Zone A material; highway-route-controlled quantities of Class 7 material | $5,000,000 |
| For-hire and private, interstate or foreign commerce, GVWR under 10,001 lb: bulk Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 material; bulk Division 2.3 Hazard Zone A material; bulk Division 6.1 Packing Group I, Hazard Zone A material; highway-route-controlled quantities of Class 7 material | $5,000,000 |
Section 387.9 has no $750,000 or $1,000,000 tier for vehicles under 10,001 lb GVWR. A for-hire interstate carrier whose fleet includes only vehicles under 10,001 lb GVWR hauling nonhazardous property must have at least $300,000 on file with FMCSA (49 CFR § 387.303T(b)(1)(i)).
Source: 49 CFR § 387.9.
These are legal minimums. Brokers, shippers and lessors can require higher limits in their contracts.
Which coverage is required, and by whom
- Primary auto liability. Required by law: by FMCSA for interstate for-hire carriers and by the PUC for intrastate common and contract carriers (see the table above). Brokers and shippers can set a higher limit in their contracts.
- Motor truck cargo. The PUC minimum doesn't include cargo (52 Pa. Code § 32.12(b)). The federal cargo filing, the BMC-34, applies to household-goods carriers. If you hold PUC authority as a common carrier of property or household goods, 52 Pa. Code § 32.13 separately requires cargo insurance of at least $5,000, unless an exemption applies (for example dump trucks, construction-aggregate haulers, or loads worth $500 or less, with an affidavit filed with the PUC). Above that, broker and shipper contracts set your cargo limit.
- Physical damage. No law requires it on your own tractor or trailer. A lender or lessor usually does if the equipment is financed or leased.
- Non-trucking liability or bobtail. For owner-operators leased to a motor carrier. The motor carrier's policy covers you under dispatch. Non-trucking liability covers non-business use of the tractor, with or without a trailer; bobtail covers the tractor with no trailer attached. Your lease usually says which one you need.
- Occupational accident. Some motor carriers require leased-on drivers to carry it. It pays medical and disability benefits for injuries on the job. Check your lease agreement.
- Trailer interchange. Covers physical damage to a trailer you don't own while it is in your care under a written interchange agreement.
What underwriters look at on a Pennsylvania truck quote
There is no flat rate for trucking. Underwriters price these factors, so have the details ready when you call:
- Radius and lanes: local, regional, or long-haul interstate.
- Commodity: what you haul, and whether any of it is hazardous material.
- Years under your own authority. A new authority has no loss history, so it usually costs more.
- Drivers: motor vehicle records, CDL experience and dates of birth for everyone who will drive.
- Equipment: year, VIN and value of each tractor and trailer.
- Loss runs from your prior insurers, plus your USDOT and MC numbers.
From quote to certificate
- Submission. We collect the details above and send them to the markets we can place you with.
- Quote and bind. You compare the options, sign the application and pay the down payment. The policy is then bound.
- Filings. Your insurer, not the agency, files the BMC-91 or BMC-91X with FMCSA for interstate authority. For PUC authority, the insurer files a certificate of insurance with the PUC, which has to approve it (52 Pa. Code § 32.12(a)). We request the filing and check that it shows up.
- Certificates of insurance. Brokers, shippers and lessors ask for a COI before they give you a load. COIs are the most urgent request we get from truckers, so we issue them as soon as coverage is bound.
- Renewal. Underwriters re-rate on your loss runs, driver records and operations. Start renewal work well before the expiration date so the filing never lapses.
After a truck claim
- Call 911 if anyone is hurt. Then report the accident to your insurer and to us as soon as you can.
- Photograph the scene, the equipment and the load. Note any cargo damage on the bill of lading before the receiver signs.
- For a cargo claim, check your deductible first. Most cargo claims never exceed the deductible, so know what you would pay yourself before you promise a shipper anything. Still give the insurer any notice your policy requires.
- We help you report the claim and follow up with the adjuster. The insurer makes the coverage decision.
Truck insurance by Pennsylvania county
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a Pennsylvania intrastate trucking operation need?
If you hold PUC authority as an intrastate common or contract carrier of property, 52 Pa. Code § 32.12(a) requires liability coverage of $300,000 per accident for a vehicle with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less, and $750,000 for one rated over 10,000 pounds. For an articulated vehicle, the test is the gross combination weight rating. Cargo isn't part of that minimum, but a PUC common carrier must also carry cargo insurance of at least $5,000 under § 32.13 unless exempt. Some hazardous materials carry federal minimums even on intrastate trips (49 CFR 387.9). Brokers and shippers can require more, so check your contracts before you choose a limit.
Do the federal minimums apply to a pickup or hotshot truck under 10,001 pounds?
The $750,000 and $1,000,000 tiers in 49 CFR 387.9 apply to vehicles rated 10,001 pounds or more. Under that weight, a for-hire interstate carrier whose fleet has only vehicles under 10,001 pounds hauling nonhazardous property must have at least $300,000 on file with FMCSA (49 CFR 387.303T(b)(1)(i)). On interstate trips, certain bulk hazardous materials and highway-route-controlled radioactive loads require $5,000,000 at any weight (49 CFR 387.9). If you pull a trailer, the weight rating question can change, so give us the ratings for the truck and the trailer.
Who files the BMC-91, BMC-91X and BMC-34?
Your insurer files them, not the agency. A for-hire interstate carrier can't get or keep operating authority until its liability filing, the BMC-91 or BMC-91X, is filed with and accepted by FMCSA (49 CFR 387.301T(a)(1)). We request the filing when the policy binds and check that it posts. The BMC-34 cargo filing is for household-goods carriers (49 CFR 387.301T(b)). A broker or shipper who asks about your cargo limit gets a certificate of insurance, not a federal filing. An SR-22 is a driver's filing with a state DMV, not part of an FMCSA authority filing.
Is non-trucking liability the same as bobtail?
No. They overlap, but bobtail covers the tractor only when no trailer is attached, while non-trucking liability covers any non-business use of the tractor, with or without a trailer. Neither one replaces the motor carrier's primary liability while you are under dispatch, and policies define covered use differently, so check the wording on yours. Your lease agreement usually says which one you must carry. Our non-trucking liability page has the details.
Do I need my own cargo coverage if I haul under another company's authority?
It depends on your lease. Some motor carriers cover cargo under their own policy for the loads they dispatch; others require you to carry it. If you run under your own MC number, the cargo policy is yours to buy. We size the per-load limit to what you haul and what your contracts require.
Can you write a new trucking authority in Pennsylvania?
We can quote it. A new authority has no operating history, so fewer insurers will write it and the first-year price is usually higher than it will be once you build a clean record. If you are still setting up your USDOT and MC numbers, start with our guide to getting trucking authority in Pennsylvania and our new authority page.