Hotshot Insurance Cost for a New Authority (2026)

A pickup and gooseneck under your own MC usually has to carry $750,000 of liability. Here's what published figures say that costs per month, how non-CDL changes things, and what moves the price.

Hotshot insurance cost for a new authority typically lands in the high hundreds of dollars per month for the truck's auto liability alone. Insureon says hotshot businesses that apply for quotes with it pay about $896 a month for commercial auto. Your federal minimum is $750,000 of liability unless every vehicle in your fleet is rated under 10,001 pounds.

That's the short version. Your own quote depends on your truck, your trailer, what you haul, where you run and your driving record, so treat any published number as a starting point, not a price.

What insurance does a new hotshot authority need?

Federally, one thing: public liability coverage, filed with FMCSA by your insurance company. A for-hire carrier can't run interstate under its own authority until that filing is accepted (49 CFR 387.301). The filing is a BMC-91 or BMC-91X, and your insurer submits it, not you. Here's the difference between a BMC-91 and a BMC-91X.

Everything else is up to you, your lender and the brokers you haul for:

For the full rundown of what FMCSA does and doesn't require, see FMCSA insurance requirements for a new authority.

What's the federal minimum for a hotshot truck?

It depends on weight ratings, not on whether it's a pickup. Under 49 CFR 387.303, a for-hire carrier of general freight needs:

GVWR is the loaded weight the manufacturer rates a single vehicle for. You'll find it on the truck's door-jamb sticker, and your trailer has its own rating on its VIN plate. Hazmat raises the minimum to $1 million or $5 million depending on the material.

The $300,000 tier is narrow. It only applies if every vehicle in the fleet is under 10,001 pounds. If you're not sure which tier your setup falls in, ask your agent which limit they're filing and why before you sign.

What limit do new one-truck carriers actually file?

Mostly $750,000. First Load looked at the 16,370 carriers with one power unit that applied for authority between July 1 and September 30, 2026. By October 13, 7,258 of them had a BMC-91 or BMC-91X liability filing on their FMCSA record. On their first filing:

• 78.5% filed $750,000
• 15.5% filed $1,000,000
• 5.7% filed $300,000

The FMCSA record doesn't say which of these are hotshots, so this covers every one-truck carrier. It still shows the pattern: the $300,000 tier is rare, and roughly one in six one-truck carriers files more than the minimum. The record also shows that more than half of this group had no liability filing yet, and insurance is usually the step that holds a new MC up.

How much is hotshot insurance per month?

These are the published figures we could verify, with whose numbers they are:

A few cautions. Insureon's figures come from its own quote applicants and it doesn't give a time period. Progressive's range covers for-hire trucks in general, not hotshots, and it's for drivers with clean records. Neither is split out for brand-new authorities. Cargo and physical damage are extra.

The trend is up, too. The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) reported in May 2026 that liability insurance premiums for the carriers it studied rose 18.6% from 2021 to 2024, to 10.2 cents per mile.

If you're pricing a semi instead, see how much truck insurance costs for a new authority, including the down payment.

Is non-CDL hotshot insurance different?

The federal rules treat it the same. The insurance minimum follows the vehicle's weight rating, not your license. A non-CDL hotshot hauling general freight with a truck rated 10,001 pounds or more still needs $750,000 on file.

What makes a hotshot "non-CDL" is the combination's rating. A Class A CDL is needed when the combined rating is 26,001 pounds or more and the trailer is rated over 10,000 pounds (49 CFR 383.91). Non-CDL setups stay under one of those lines, usually by keeping the combined rating under 26,001.

Does non-CDL cost less to insure? We couldn't find a published, attributable price split between CDL and non-CDL hotshots, so we won't guess. Ask each agent to quote the exact truck and trailer you'll run. For logs, see ELD rules for a new authority.

What raises or lowers the price?

Progressive Commercial lists these as the main things that move a truck premium:

• Running under your own MC usually costs more than leasing onto another carrier's authority.
• Higher limits cost more, so $1,000,000 runs above $750,000, and physical damage or trailer interchange adds to it.
• What you haul and what it's worth.
• Interstate and regional runs usually cost more than local ones.
• Heavier trucks typically cost more.
• Accidents and violations can raise the premium a lot.
• Rates vary by state.

The same page says paying the policy in full can save 10% or more with Progressive, where that's offered. Other insurers may handle it differently, so ask each agent.

The practical move is comparing quotes on the same setup. You can get hotshot insurance quotes from up to three agencies that write new authorities with one form.

Frequently asked questions

How much is hotshot insurance per month for a new authority?

Insureon says hotshot businesses that apply for quotes with it pay about $896 a month for commercial auto. Progressive Commercial reports $734 to $926 a month for 2025 new for-hire truck policies with clean drivers. Your quote may be higher or lower depending on your truck, cargo, radius, state and record.

Do I need $1 million in insurance for hotshot?

The federal rules don't require it. The minimum for general freight is $750,000 if any vehicle is rated 10,001 pounds or more. Some brokers and shippers may ask for more in their carrier packets. Of one-truck carriers that applied July 1 to September 30, 2026 and had a filing by October 13, 15.5% filed $1,000,000.

Can a hotshot carry only $300,000 in liability?

Only if every vehicle in your fleet is rated under 10,001 pounds GVWR (49 CFR 387.303). Check the truck's door sticker and the trailer's VIN plate, then ask your agent which limit applies. Just 5.7% of new one-truck carriers in our data filed $300,000.

Does a non-CDL hotshot need commercial insurance?

Yes, if you're hauling for hire under your own authority. Your CDL status doesn't change the federal minimum, and your insurer still has to file a BMC-91 or BMC-91X with FMCSA before your authority can go active.

Who files my hotshot insurance with FMCSA?

Your insurance company files it electronically. Once it shows on your FMCSA record, your MC can move toward active if your BOC-3 is also on file. If it's on file and you're still waiting, see what happens when insurance is filed but your MC is still pending.

First Load is a private company, not FMCSA. We don't sell insurance and don't recommend any insurer.

Sources

• eCFR: 49 CFR Part 387, Subpart C (387.301 filing required for for-hire carriers; 387.303 minimum limits by GVWR; 387.303(c) household goods cargo)
• eCFR: 49 CFR 383.91, Commercial motor vehicle groups (Class A combination threshold)
• Insureon: How much does hotshot insurance cost? (updated June 2, 2025; checked October 13, 2026)
• Progressive Commercial: Commercial truck insurance cost (2025 new for-hire policies; checked October 13, 2026)
• ATRI: Motor carrier responses to rising insurance costs (May 19, 2026)
• First Load data: FMCSA public authority and insurance filing records, stored nightly by First Load since July 2026. Counts as of October 13, 2026.

Last verified 2026-10-13 · First Load editorial · First Load is a private company, not FMCSA. The public record can lag and other requirements or holds may not show in it.