Commercial truck insurance in Miami, from the port to the reefer
Miami trucks need at least the liability the law sets: $750,000 for interstate for-hire freight, $50,000 to $300,000 for Florida-only trucks by weight, and Florida PIP. Working at PortMiami raises that to $1 million in auto and general liability, while cargo and reefer coverage protect the produce, flowers, and high-value freight that moves through Miami.
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What commercial truck insurance do Miami carriers need by law?
That depends on where you run and what you haul, not on the city. Federal limits apply once you haul for hire across state lines or carry hazmat, and Florida limits apply to trucks that stay in Florida.
| What you run | Minimum liability | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Interstate for-hire general freight, 10,001 lb or more | $750,000 | FMCSA (49 CFR 387.9) |
| Oil and most hazardous materials: any quantity interstate, bulk only intrastate | $1,000,000 | FMCSA (49 CFR 387.9) |
| Bulk hazardous substances in tanks or hoppers, bulk explosives, certain poison gases, interstate or intrastate | $5,000,000 | FMCSA (49 CFR 387.9) |
| Florida-only truck, 26,000 to under 35,000 lb | $50,000 | Florida Statutes 627.7415 |
| Florida-only truck, 35,000 to under 44,000 lb | $100,000 | Florida Statutes 627.7415 |
| Florida-only truck, 44,000 lb or more | $300,000 | Florida Statutes 627.7415 |
In short, Florida also requires every vehicle registered in the state, trucks included, to carry $10,000 in no-fault personal injury protection (PIP) under section 627.736 and $10,000 in property damage liability. Section 627.7415 also makes any truck subject to the federal rules carry the federal amount. Our Florida commercial truck insurance page covers the state rules in full.
These are floors. Contracts can require more, and at PortMiami they do.
What insurance does PortMiami drayage require?
At least $1 million in auto liability and $1 million in general liability, set by the port and by the interchange contract rather than by federal law. PortMiami handled 1,115,058 TEUs in fiscal year 2025, 53% imports and 47% exports, and almost half of its trade is with Latin America and the Caribbean. The port tunnel gives trucks direct access to SR 836, I-95, I-75, and Florida’s Turnpike.
PortMiami’s trucking permit
A trucking company needs a PortMiami business permit to work at the port. Each driver then needs a PortMiami ID card, which requires that permit, plus a TWIC card where applicable. The cartage and trucking permit asks for:
- Auto liability: $1 million combined single limit, covering all owned, non-owned, and hired vehicles used in the work. That wording depends on your commercial auto symbols.
- General liability: $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, not excluding products and completed operations, with Miami-Dade County as an additional insured. Our guide to CGL insurance for truckers explains the policy.
- Workers’ compensation: for all employees, including Longshore and Harbor Workers’ or Jones Act coverage where the work is on or about navigable water.
- Operating authority: proof of your MC number with FMCSA.
The port also requires the trucking company to provide proof of insurance for every driver who applies for a port ID.
What the UIIA adds
To pull an ocean carrier’s container or a leased chassis, you interchange under the UIIA, the standard contract used for about 95% of North American intermodal equipment interchanges. Its insurance requirements are:
- Auto liability: $1 million, written as any auto, scheduled and hired, or all owned and hired. An all owned or scheduled only policy is not accepted.
- Interchange endorsement: the UIIE-1, CA 23 17, or TE 23 17B on the auto policy.
- General liability: $1 million per occurrence, with no portion self-insured.
- Trailer interchange and cargo: most equipment providers require both, at limits that vary by provider.
- Additional insureds: every equipment provider you work with, on the auto policy.
The UIIA expires a policy at 12:01 a.m. on its expiration date, so renewals have to reach it before that day. We place UIIA and trailer interchange coverage along with the rest of your commercial truck insurance.
What cargo coverage does Miami freight need?
Enough to cover your most valuable load, plus refrigeration cover if you haul perishables. Federal rules require cargo insurance only from household goods movers, so your limit usually comes from shippers, brokers, and equipment providers.
Miami’s freight mix explains why those limits vary:
- Produce and flowers: fruit and vegetables were PortMiami’s largest commodity in fiscal year 2025, at 127,528 TEUs. Miami International Airport, the busiest U.S. airport for international freight, reports that flowers are its largest import: about 394,000 tons worth $1.8 billion in 2025 (preliminary), and 91% of U.S. flower imports by air.
- High-value goods: by value, PortMiami’s top commodities were machinery ($10.1 billion), apparel and textiles ($9.1 billion), and jewelry ($6.1 billion). A cargo limit sized for produce can fall short on one of those loads.
- Mixed loads: apparel, furniture, paper, and steel also rank in the port’s top ten by volume, so the same truck can carry very different values from week to week.
For reefer work, ask about reefer breakdown and spoilage options on your motor truck cargo insurance. Set the limit by the highest-value load you accept, not the average one.
What drives the cost of truck insurance in Miami?
Your operation, more than your ZIP code. Insurers rate what you haul, your radius, your equipment, where the trucks are garaged, your limits, and your safety record. For benchmarks and the full list, see how much commercial truck insurance costs.
Three of those factors play out in specific ways in Miami:
- Radius: port shuttles, airport runs, and long hauls up the peninsula carry different risks. Describe your real split, because a quote built on the wrong radius prices the wrong risk.
- Commodity: refrigerated, high-value, and hazmat loads raise cargo limits, liability limits, or both.
- Storm damage to your truck: Florida’s Department of Financial Services lists windstorm and flood among the perils comprehensive coverage pays for, and it warns that some auto policies do not cover flood. Check your physical damage policy before storm season.
Your safety record weighs as much as any of these, as our guide to CSA scores and truck insurance explains.
Which insurance filings keep a Miami carrier running?
Up to four, depending on your work, and your insurer or agent handles each one:
- FMCSA (interstate authority): under 49 CFR 387.301T, a for-hire carrier cannot run interstate, and its authority cannot be issued or stay in force, until the insurer’s proof of liability is filed with and accepted by FMCSA.
- Florida registration: the PIP and property damage coverage on a Florida-registered truck must stay in effect for the whole registration period.
- PortMiami permit: certificates showing the auto, general liability, and workers’ compensation coverage, with Miami-Dade County as an additional insured on the general liability policy. A renewal not received by the expiration date is late, and the processing fee is charged again.
- UIIA (container interchange): your agent submits one online ACORD 22 certificate showing your limits, the interchange endorsement, and your equipment providers as additional insureds.
How to get a commercial truck insurance quote in Miami
Step 1: Describe your freight
Tell us what you haul, whether it is refrigerated, high-value, or placarded, your split of port, airport, local, and long-haul runs, and where the trucks are garaged.
Step 2: Gather your records
Your USDOT and MC numbers, three to five years of loss runs, a driver list with motor vehicle records, and a unit schedule with VINs and values.
Step 3: List your contract requirements
Your PortMiami permit status, your UIIA status and equipment providers, and any shipper or broker cargo and liability limits above the legal minimum.
Step 4: Request your quote
A licensed agent follows up with options. Our Miami office is at 7500 NW 52nd St, Suite 100, and we also handle DOT compliance in Miami.
Sources
The rules and figures on this page come from these official sources, checked on September 25, 2026.
- eCFR: 49 CFR 387.9, Financial responsibility, minimum levels: Federal liability minimums ($750,000, $1 million, $5 million) and when they reach intrastate hazmat.
- Florida Statutes 627.7415: Commercial motor vehicles; additional liability insurance coverage: Florida’s $50,000, $100,000, and $300,000 truck liability minimums by weight, and the federal-limit rule.
- Florida Statutes 627.736: Required personal injury protection benefits: The $10,000 PIP benefit required on Florida-registered vehicles.
- PortMiami: Cartage/Trucking Permits: Auto, general liability, workers’ compensation, and MC requirements for trucking companies at the port.
- Intermodal Association of North America: UIIA Insurance Requirements: UIIA auto, general liability, trailer interchange, endorsement, additional insured, and expiration rules.
- PortMiami: Overall Statistics, Fiscal Year 2025: TEU volume, import and export split, top commodities by volume and value, and highway access.
- Miami International Airport: Final flower shipments for Mother’s Day (May 7, 2026): MIA’s 2025 flower imports, its share of U.S. flower imports by air, and its international freight rank.
- Florida Department of Financial Services: Automobile Insurance Toolkit: What comprehensive coverage pays for, including windstorm and flood.
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Give us the basics once; a licensed agent comes back with real numbers — not a call-center loop.
Annual reviews, always
Your business changes and grows — we recommend a yearly policy review so you're never paying for coverage that no longer fits your operation.
Frequently asked questions
How much is commercial truck insurance in Miami?+
There is no single Miami price. Your premium depends on what you haul, your radius, equipment, garaging, limits, and safety record, so the reliable way to know is a quote built on your operation.
What truck insurance does Florida require for a Florida-only truck?+
Liability of $50,000 for trucks of 26,000 to under 35,000 pounds, $100,000 from 35,000 to under 44,000 pounds, and $300,000 at 44,000 pounds or more, plus $10,000 in PIP and $10,000 in property damage liability. Hazmat trucks and others subject to federal rules need the federal limits.
Do I need $1 million in liability to haul containers from PortMiami?+
Yes, in practice. PortMiami’s trucking permit requires $1 million in auto liability and $1 million per occurrence in general liability, and the UIIA sets the same two limits for container and chassis interchange.
Is commercial truck insurance the same as commercial auto insurance?+
Not quite. Lighter vehicles and equipment trailers generally fall under commercial auto, but once you haul freight for hire, commercial truck insurance is built for it, including the cargo coverage ordinary commercial auto doesn’t provide.
Is Simplex Group an insurance company?+
No. We are a broker: we quote and place commercial truck insurance with insurance companies, so you get market options rather than one quote, and we handle the filings.
Does Simplex Group have an office in Miami?+
Yes. Our Miami office is at 7500 NW 52nd St, Suite 100, Miami, FL 33166.
Other services
Simplex Group is a full-service trucking partner — insurance is one piece of a much larger toolkit.