Owner-operator truck insurance, leased on or under your own authority
It depends on whose authority you haul under: leased to a carrier, you run under the carrier’s liability policy while dispatched, and your lease says what else you buy, usually non-trucking liability and physical damage. Under your own authority, you need at least $750,000 in liability on file with FMCSA for general freight, plus what your contracts require.
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What insurance does an owner-operator need?
It depends on whose authority you haul under. Federal rules define an owner as the person who holds title to the equipment, has the right to its exclusive use, or lawfully possesses it registered in their name, and a lease as the contract that gives an authorized carrier the use of that equipment, with or without a driver, for pay (49 CFR 376.2). Leased on, the carrier insures the public. Under your own authority, you do.
| Coverage | Leased to a carrier | Under your own authority |
|---|---|---|
| Primary auto liability | The carrier’s policy; the lease must state that obligation | You buy it: at least $750,000 for general freight, filed with FMCSA |
| Non-trucking liability | Often yours; the lease says who provides it | Not needed: your primary liability covers the truck |
| Physical damage | Yours to arrange; the carrier’s liability does not cover your truck | Yours to arrange |
| Motor truck cargo | Set by the lease, including when cargo claims can be deducted from your pay | No federal requirement for general freight; brokers and shippers set it by contract |
| Occupational accident or workers’ comp | Depends on the lease and state law | Depends on state law and on whether you hire drivers |
| General liability | Only if a contract asks for it | Often required by load boards and shippers |
Many owner-operators move between these columns over a career, and the change of column is where coverage gaps open. Our commercial truck insurance page lists every line we place for both.
Leased to a carrier: what your lease must say about insurance
Your lease is the insurance contract that matters most while you are leased on. Every lease must be in writing, and under 49 CFR 376.12 the carrier takes exclusive possession, control, and use of your equipment and assumes complete responsibility for its operation for the length of the lease. On insurance, the lease must:
- Name the carrier’s duty to maintain insurance for the protection of the public.
- Say who provides any other coverage for the leased equipment, “such as bobtail insurance.”
- State the amount charged back to you if the carrier bills you for any of that insurance.
- Promise a copy of each policy on request, and a certificate showing the insurer, policy number, dates, coverage, your cost, and your deductible, if you buy coverage from or through the carrier.
- Set the conditions for cargo or property damage deductions, with a written explanation and itemization delivered to you before anything is deducted.
The lease must also state that you are not required to buy or rent any products, equipment, or services from the carrier as a condition of the lease, and it must list every charge-back item and how each is computed. That is a reason to price the carrier’s insurance program against an outside quote.
Escrow funds and claims
Federal rules define an escrow fund as money you deposit to guarantee performance, repay advances, cover repairs, or handle claims, among other agreed purposes. If your lease requires one, it must state the amount and what it can be used for, the carrier must account for it and pay interest at least quarterly, and the fund must be returned no later than 45 days after the lease ends.
What leased owner-operators usually buy
The carrier’s policy is meant for the time you work under its dispatch. For the time you drive the truck for personal use, non-trucking liability is the coverage most leases assign to you; that page explains where the line between the two policies falls.
Under your own authority: what FMCSA requires
Once you haul federally regulated freight for others across state lines under your own name, you need your own operating authority (an MC number) and your own liability insurance. FMCSA will not grant authority until the minimum insurance is on file, and your insurer files it for you.
| What you haul | Minimum | Filed with FMCSA on |
|---|---|---|
| General freight, truck 10,001 lb GVWR or more | $750,000 | BMC-91 or BMC-91X |
| General freight, truck under 10,001 lb GVWR | $300,000 | BMC-91 or BMC-91X |
| Oil and most hazardous materials | $1,000,000 | BMC-91 or BMC-91X |
| Listed high-hazard loads, such as bulk hazardous substances in cargo tanks | $5,000,000 | BMC-91 or BMC-91X |
| Household goods cargo | $5,000 | BMC-34 or BMC-83 |
- Timing: if the filing is not made within 20 days of your application’s publication in the FMCSA Register, FMCSA serves notice that the application will be dismissed unless you comply within 60 days.
- Continuous coverage: the filing must stay in effect at all times (49 CFR 387.301T), and either side must give 35 days’ written notice to cancel (49 CFR 387.7).
- MCS-90: the endorsement on your policy is your proof of financial responsibility, kept at your principal place of business.
- Cargo: FMCSA requires none for general freight. Your customers often do.
Contracts set the real limits
The federal minimum is a floor. Amazon Relay, for example, asks carriers for $1 million in auto liability with $50,000 of trailer replacement coverage, $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate in general liability, $100,000 in cargo, workers’ compensation where you operate, and $100,000 in employer’s liability. Check each broker and shipper agreement before you bind.
Switching from leased to your own authority
Line up your primary liability quote before you apply, because the filing clock starts with publication. FMCSA says new applications take 20 to 25 business days, or longer if reviewed, so keep your leased-on coverage until your own policy is bound and filed. Our trucking authority packages cover the DOT number, MC authority, BOC-3, and UCR side of the move.
What covers your truck and your own injuries?
Liability pays other people. Neither the carrier’s policy nor your own primary liability pays to repair your truck or for your own injuries, so those are separate decisions.
Your truck
Physical damage insurance covers collision, theft, fire, and other damage to your own tractor. If you pull a carrier’s trailer, check the lease: it must spell out when damage to the carrier’s property can be deducted from your settlements.
Your own injuries: occupational accident or workers’ comp?
Federal leasing rules do not decide whether you are an independent contractor or an employee of the carrier; 376.12(c)(4) leaves that question alone. For workers’ comp, state law answers it. Two examples show how far states differ:
- North Carolina requires workers’ compensation to cover certain owner-operators even when they are treated as independent contractors, and the carrier must provide it if you don’t. The carrier is not liable for an independent contractor who is individually licensed by the U.S. DOT and personally drives the truck. The Industrial Commission adds that occupational accident insurance is not a lawful substitute for workers’ comp there. See our North Carolina truck insurance page for the state’s other rules.
- New York presumes that a CDL driver paid to transport goods in the state is the employee of the company that pays them, unless the company shows the driver passes the independent contractor test in the Commercial Goods Transportation Industry Fair Play Act or qualifies as a separate business entity under it.
Where workers’ comp does not reach you, occupational accident coverage is the usual answer. It protects you in the event of an accident, dismemberment, or death, but it only covers the injuries its contract lists and may pay limited benefits, so read the benefit schedule. It is not health insurance either; our guide to health insurance for owner-operators covers that side.
What drives the cost of owner-operator truck insurance?
The same things that price any truck policy: what you haul, your radius and routes, the truck itself, where it is garaged, and your driving history. Hazardous loads and longer routes push the premium up, newer trucks usually cost more to insure because they cost more to repair or replace, and violations and accidents on your record raise the rate. We explain each factor in how much commercial truck insurance costs.
- Leased on: compare the charge-back amount your lease must state, and the cost and deductible on the carrier’s certificate, with an outside quote for the same coverage.
- Own authority: you now pay for the primary liability the carrier used to carry, at the limit your contracts require rather than the federal minimum.
- Safety record: under your own USDOT number, your inspections and crashes build the CSA record underwriters read; see how CSA scores affect truck insurance.
How to get owner-operator truck insurance
Step 1: Decide which column you are in
Leased to a carrier, under your own authority, or moving from one to the other. The answer sets which policy is primary.
Step 2: Read the insurance clause of your lease or contracts
Note who provides bobtail or non-trucking coverage, any charge-backs, cargo deduction terms, and the limits brokers and shippers require.
Step 3: Gather what underwriters ask for
Your USDOT and MC numbers if you have them, your driver’s license and motor vehicle record, the truck’s VIN and value, your garaging address, your radius and commodities, and three to five years of loss runs if you have them.
Step 4: Request your quote
Tell us how you run and what you haul. A licensed agent follows up with options, and we handle the certificates and FMCSA filings. We recommend reviewing the policy every year, and whenever you change carriers or take your own authority.
Sources
The rules and figures on this page come from these official sources, checked on September 25, 2026.
- eCFR — 49 CFR 376.12, Lease requirements: Carrier control of leased equipment, the lease insurance clause, charge-backs, certificates, cargo and property damage deductions, and escrow funds.
- eCFR — 49 CFR 376.2, Definitions: Definitions of owner, lease, lessor, lessee, and escrow fund.
- eCFR — 49 CFR 387.9, Financial responsibility, minimum levels: The $750,000, $1 million, and $5 million federal liability minimums.
- FMCSA — Insurance Filing Requirements: No authority until insurance is on file, the 20-day and 60-day deadlines, the filing chart, and the MCS-90.
- FMCSA — Get Operating Authority (Docket Number): Who needs operating authority and how long new applications take.
- North Carolina Industrial Commission — Frequently Asked Questions: Workers’ compensation for trucking owner-operators, and why occupational accident insurance is not a substitute.
- New York Workers’ Compensation Board — Subject Number 046-669: The Commercial Goods Transportation Industry Fair Play Act’s presumption of employment.
- Amazon Relay — FAQ: An example of contract insurance minimums above the federal floor.
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Frequently asked questions
Do owner-operators need their own truck insurance?+
Yes, but how much depends on your authority. Leased to a carrier, the carrier insures the public and your lease says what you provide, usually non-trucking liability and physical damage; under your own authority, you carry the primary liability yourself.
Does my carrier’s insurance cover me as a leased owner-operator?+
The carrier’s public liability policy is meant to cover you while you operate under its dispatch. It does not cover your own truck, and personal use off dispatch is usually left to a non-trucking liability policy that your lease assigns to you.
How much insurance does an owner-operator with their own authority need?+
At least $750,000 in public liability for general freight in a truck of 10,001 pounds GVWR or more, and $1 million to $5 million for hazardous materials, filed with FMCSA on a BMC-91 or BMC-91X. Brokers and shippers often require more, plus cargo and general liability.
Can a carrier deduct an insurance claim from my settlement?+
Only under conditions your lease states. Federal rules require the lease to set when cargo or property damage can be deducted, and the carrier must give you a written explanation and itemization before it deducts anything.
Can my carrier charge me for insurance?+
Yes, if the lease states the amount charged back to you. If you buy coverage from or through the carrier, you are entitled to a copy of each policy on request and a certificate showing your cost and deductible.
Is occupational accident insurance the same as workers’ compensation?+
No. Occupational accident is a separate policy that pays the benefits its contract lists, while workers’ comp is set by state law, and in North Carolina it is not a lawful substitute where workers’ comp is required.
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