Insurance Coverages Every Trucker Needs

Trucking is about risk. Every mile you run, something can go wrong. That’s why insurance isn’t one big blanket—it’s a bunch of smaller ones. Each policy covers a specific type of risk. Think of them as products built for a single job.

Liability is the foundation. If your driver sideswipes a car on the interstate, liability pays for the injuries and damage you caused. Without it, you don’t operate.

Cargo insurance protects the freight—minus exclusions. If a trailer flips and the load of electronics is destroyed, cargo pays.

Reefer breakdown is niche but critical. When the cold unit quits and $80,000 worth of seafood spoils, this is the only thing standing between you and bankruptcy.

General liability is about your business, not your truck. Someone slips in your yard and breaks an ankle? That’s general liability.

Trailer interchange  matters any time you haul a non-owned trailer under a written interchange agreement. In drop-and-hook—where the trailer is essentially the load—it helps you avoid owner disputes by covering damage while the unit’s in your care. 

Non-owned auto That’s what protects you if you’re pulling an asset such as a trailer that you don’t own (leased, borrowed, or rented) and it gets damaged.

Physical damage is for your own equipment. Tornado hits your yard, rig is totaled—it’s not someone else’s problem, it’s yours. Physical damage pays.

Then you have coverages that live in the gray zones.

 Both protect you when the truck is rolling but not technically “on the job.”

Personal injury protection is straightforward: medical bills, lost wages, expenses for you or your passengers.

Occupational accident is what many owner-operators buy instead of workers’ comp. Slip on the ice tarping a load, break a wrist, you’re covered. Fleets with employees usually go straight to workers’ compensation, which is broader and required in most states.

Business income insurance is for when the wheels stop turning. A fire shuts down dispatch and you can’t operate for a month? It replaces lost income until you’re back up.

Some coverages are bundles. A Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) packages general liability, property, and business income. Handy if you’re small to mid-size and want simplicity.

If you run a shop, you’ll look at garage liability. Forget to tighten a lug nut, wheel comes off on the road, someone gets hurt—it lands here.

A surety bond isn’t insurance in the traditional sense, but it guarantees you’ll do what you promised, like pay fuel taxes. If you don’t, the bond pays and you pay it back.

Finally, there’s umbrella coverage. It sits on top of everything else. When a big accident burns through your liability limits, the umbrella keeps you from losing the business over one bad day.