The federal schedule
Motor carriers operating in interstate commerce under FMCSA authority must maintain Bodily Injury and Property Damage (BIPD) liability insurance per 49 CFR §387.9. The minimums depend on commodity: $750,000 for general freight, $1 million for any vehicle subject to oil-pollution coverage, and $5 million for hazmat (and certain bulk cargo) under §387.9(b).
For 2026, all four federal minimum tiers are unchanged. The schedule has not been adjusted since 2014 despite ongoing industry pressure to raise the general-freight minimum to $2 million.
How insurance gets filed
The carrier's insurer files Form BMC-91 with FMCSA Licensing & Insurance to evidence active BIPD coverage. The carrier never files BMC-91 directly. The filing must reference the carrier's USDOT and MC numbers and the policy effective date.
A lapsed BMC-91 triggers automatic FMCSA authority revocation under 49 USC §13902(a)(2). Reinstating the authority requires re-filing BMC-91 PLUS submitting an OP-1(R) reinstatement application at $80.
State-level differences
Some states impose higher minimums on intrastate carriers and on certain commodity hauls. California, Texas, and New York state-side minimums for tow-truck operations and certain household-goods carriers exceed the federal floor.
Cargo coverage is separate from BIPD. Federal cargo minimums apply only to household-goods movers ($5,000 per shipment under 49 CFR §387.303(b)). General freight cargo minimums are determined by broker / shipper contract - typically $100,000.