Topic cluster
Trucking Insurance & Surety Bond Guides
Insurance is the most expensive line item in a motor carrier's startup budget - and also the line item most often misunderstood. The 49 CFR Part 387 financial-responsibility schedule sets a minimum, but the minimum is not the right policy for most operations.
These guides cover both the carrier insurance side (BMC-91 / BMC-91X) and the freight broker bond side (BMC-84 surety / BMC-85 trust). Each is filed with FMCSA Licensing & Insurance (L&I); each must be on file before authority can flip from PENDING to ACTIVE.
Guides in this cluster
BMC-91 vs BMC-84 vs MCS-90 Insurance Filings
The three FMCSA insurance filings explained - motor-carrier liability proof, broker surety bond, and the MCS-90 public-protection endorsement.
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Trucking Insurance Requirements
BMC-91 minimums, cargo coverage, and the 49 CFR Part 387 financial responsibility schedule.
Read guide
Freight Broker License Cost
MC-broker authority, BMC-84 surety bond, and the total cost to get a brokerage running.
Read guide
How to Start a Trucking Company
Step-by-step from LLC formation to first dispatched load, every filing in order.
Read guide
Related resources
- Trucking Insurance Cost Estimator
Indicative annual primary-liability premium ranges by cargo and fleet size.
- USDOT Cost Calculator
Sums all federal startup fees including indicative insurance.