Commercial trucking insurance for Arkansas — quoted around your operation, radius, and freight.
Primary liability, motor truck cargo, physical damage, non-trucking liability, and FMCSA filings — matched to how you run and shopped across the carrier markets that want your operation. Cribb Insurance Group writes coverage for owner-operators, motor carriers, and fleets across Arkansas, with filings handled for you.
What commercial trucking insurance actually is.
Commercial trucking insurance is a package of coverages that protects a trucking operation from the risks of hauling freight for hire — accidents, injuries, cargo loss, damage to the truck, and the federal filings required to keep your authority active. It is not one policy. Most operations build around primary liability (auto liability), then add motor truck cargo, physical damage, and coverages that depend on your radius, what you haul, and whether you run under your own authority or leased to a carrier.
The right structure matters because the FMCSA, shippers, brokers, and lenders each require different proof of coverage — and because carriers price the same truck very differently depending on radius, commodity, driver records, and how long you've held authority. Cribb Insurance Group is an independent agency based in Bentonville, Arkansas that shops your operation across many trucking markets and files your BMC-91X and MCS-90, so you're matched with companies that want your class of hauling.
What is commercial trucking insurance?
Commercial trucking insurance is a set of coverages for for-hire motor carriers and owner-operators. It typically combines primary auto liability, motor truck cargo, physical damage, non-trucking (bobtail) liability, trailer interchange, and general liability, plus required FMCSA filings (BMC-91X) and the MCS-90 endorsement. Pricing and appetite vary by radius, commodity, driver experience, safety scores, and authority age — so trucking operations are best served comparing multiple carrier markets by operation type.
Operation & carrier appetite matcher.
Pick your operation to see the coverages carriers in that class typically carry, how underwriters view the risk, and the details that move your quote — radius, commodity, driver records, and authority age are the big drivers. This is general guidance to help you quote smarter — not a coverage or pricing offer.
Not sure how to classify your operation? Tell us your radius, what you haul, driver experience, and whether you run your own authority — we'll match the right market.
Coverage built for the trucks that keep Arkansas moving.
If you haul freight for hire, run under an MC number, or lease onto a motor carrier, you carry exposure a personal auto policy will never touch. These are the operations we quote most often.
Owner-Operators
Single-truck operators — leased onto a carrier or running their own authority — who need the right mix of primary, NTL, and physical damage.
Motor Carriers & Fleets
Multi-truck operations under their own authority needing full primary liability, cargo, physical damage, and active filings.
Hot Shot & Expediters
Duallys with goosenecks and expedited straight trucks — a specialty class with its own radius and unit-value questions.
Dump, Flatbed & Aggregate
Local and regional haulers with load-securement, dump, and jobsite exposure that underwriters price closely.
Reefer, Tanker & Specialized
Refrigerated, liquid, and specialized freight where cargo, breakdown, and commodity risk drive the program.
Tow, Auto Haul & Drayage
Tow/wrecker, car carriers, and port/rail drayage — specialty operations with on-hook, high-value, and interchange needs.
What a complete trucking program includes.
A trucking program is assembled from several coverages. Some are required by the FMCSA or your state, some by the brokers and shippers you haul for, and some just keep one accident from ending the operation.
Core & commonly required
- Primary Liability — bodily injury and property damage you cause; $750K–$1M minimum for most for-hire freight
- Motor Truck Cargo — the freight you're hauling; brokers and shippers require it
- Physical Damage — comp & collision on your truck and trailer
- Non-Trucking Liability (Bobtail) — coverage when driving without a load, off dispatch (leased operators)
- Trailer Interchange — trailers you pull under an interchange agreement
- General Liability & MCS-90 — premises/operations liability and the required public-protection endorsement
Gaps & add-ons to watch
- Cargo limits or commodity exclusions too narrow for what you actually haul
- Reefer breakdown excluded on refrigerated loads
- Running your own authority with only bobtail/NTL — you need primary liability
- Filings lapsing and putting your MC authority at risk
- Occupational Accident / Workers Comp for drivers
- Unladen/deadhead and personal-use gaps
- Umbrella / Excess limits shippers increasingly require
- Downtime, towing, and rental-reimbursement not scheduled
The most common trucking coverage problem is a mismatch between how you run and how the policy was written — radius, commodity, and authority status are the ones that get missed. Tell your agent your true radius, what you haul, driver records, and whether you're leased or on your own authority before binding.
Filings, handled — so your authority never lapses.
For-hire interstate carriers have to prove financial responsibility to the FMCSA, and many operations need state filings too. We submit them for you and keep them active.
Federal liability filing
Proof of your $750K–$1M liability filed with the FMCSA to activate and maintain your MC operating authority.
Public-protection endorsement
An endorsement on your policy that guarantees the public is compensated for certain accidents, required for for-hire carriers.
State filings
Intrastate and state-level proof-of-coverage filings where your operation and home state require them.
Cargo & broker filings
Cargo filings and, for brokers, the BMC-84/85 surety bond — filed and tracked so nothing slips.
Cargo minimums and higher liability limits apply to certain commodities — hazmat and specific freight can require limits above the general $750K. We confirm the right filing for what you haul.
What trucking insurance typically costs.
Trucking premiums vary more than almost any commercial line. Radius, commodity, driver MVRs and CSA scores, authority age, unit values, and loss history all move the number. These are broad planning ranges for Arkansas operations in 2025–2026 — a new authority or tough loss history can land well above them.
| Coverage | Typical planning range | What drives the number |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Liability (per truck) | ~$5,000 – $12,000+ / yr | Radius, commodity, driver MVRs, CSA, authority age |
| Motor Truck Cargo | ~$400 – $1,800 / yr | Commodity, limit, deductible, reefer |
| Physical Damage | ~3% – 8% of unit value / yr | Truck/trailer value, deductible, loss history |
| Non-Trucking Liability (Bobtail) | ~$300 – $600 / yr | Lease terms, radius, driver record |
| Owner-Op leased on (NTL + PD) | ~$3,000 – $5,000 / yr | Physical damage value, deductible, record |
| Own-authority owner-op (all-in) | ~$9,000 – $14,000+ / yr | New vs. seasoned authority, radius, commodity |
Final premium is always individual. New-authority operations (under a year) typically pay the most, and rates improve as you build a clean safety and loss record — which is exactly why comparing markets and revisiting at renewal matters in trucking.
How to get a trucking insurance quote in 3 steps.
Trucking quotes move faster when your operation details and driver records are ready.
Send your operation details
MC/USDOT number, radius, commodities hauled, trucks and trailers with values, driver list with CDL and MVRs, and prior loss runs.
We shop the right markets
We match your operation to carriers with appetite for your radius and commodity — standard or specialty — and compare terms and price.
Bind, file & roll
Once bound, we submit your BMC-91X and MCS-90, issue certificates and cargo COIs, and keep filings active so your authority stays live.
Trucking is an appetite game — and filings can't wait.
The same operation one carrier surcharges, another writes at a fair rate. As an independent agency, Cribb Insurance shops your radius and commodity instead of forcing it into one company's box — and handles the federal filings that keep you legal.
Operation-by-operation markets
We place clean local runs with standard markets and hard classes like tow, tanker, and new authority with specialty carriers.
Filings done right
BMC-91X, MCS-90, and state filings submitted and monitored so your authority doesn't lapse when you can least afford it.
Fast certificates & cargo COIs
When a broker or shipper needs proof of cargo and liability before you can take the load, speed keeps your truck loaded.
Renewal & safety focus
As your CSA scores and loss record improve, we re-shop to make sure your rate reflects the safer operation you've built.
Commercial trucking insurance FAQs.
Need a fast answer? Call (479) 286-1066 or start the trucking quote form.
What insurance is required for a trucking company?
For-hire interstate freight carriers must carry primary liability and file proof of it with the FMCSA — commonly $750,000 to $1 million, with higher minimums for certain commodities like hazmat. Most operations also carry motor truck cargo (required by brokers and shippers), physical damage, and depending on setup, non-trucking liability, general liability, and workers comp or occupational accident coverage.
What's the difference between primary, bobtail, and non-trucking liability?
Primary liability covers you while hauling loads and is required to run your own authority. Bobtail covers the truck when driving without a trailer. Non-trucking liability (NTL) covers an owner-operator leased to a carrier when driving off-dispatch for personal use. Leased operators often carry NTL; operators running their own authority need full primary liability.
How much is commercial truck insurance in Arkansas?
It varies widely. An owner-operator leased onto a carrier might pay roughly $3,000 to $5,000 a year for physical damage and NTL, while an owner-operator running their own authority often runs about $9,000 to $14,000 or more per truck all-in. Radius, commodity, driver records, CSA scores, and how long you've held authority all drive the number.
Why do new-authority trucking companies pay more?
Carriers have no safety or loss history to review in your first year, so new-authority operations are priced conservatively and have fewer markets willing to write them. As you build clean MVRs, CSA scores, and loss runs, more markets open up and rates typically improve — so it's worth re-shopping at renewal.
What is an MCS-90 and do I need one?
The MCS-90 is an endorsement that guarantees the public will be compensated for certain accidents, even if a coverage issue would otherwise apply. For-hire interstate carriers are generally required to carry it. It's not a substitute for proper coverage — it's a public-protection backstop — so you still want your liability and cargo limits set correctly.
Does trucking insurance cover the freight I'm hauling?
Only if you carry motor truck cargo coverage. Your liability policy covers damage you cause to others; it does not pay for the load itself. Cargo coverage protects the freight, and brokers and shippers will require proof of it — with the limit and covered commodities matching what you actually haul.
Can Cribb file my BMC-91X and MCS-90?
Yes. Once your policy is bound, we submit your federal BMC-91X liability filing and confirm the MCS-90 endorsement, handle any required state filings, and monitor them so your operating authority stays active.
Can you insure a brand-new owner-operator?
Yes. New owner-operators and new authorities can be quoted, though expect tighter terms and higher rates in the first year while you build a record. Getting your radius, commodities, driver experience, and equipment values accurate up front helps us find the best available market for a startup operation.
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Serving owner-operators & carriers across Arkansas and beyond.
Cribb Insurance Group is based in Bentonville, AR and writes commercial trucking insurance for operations throughout Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville, Bella Vista, Cave Springs, Centerton, Gravette, Pea Ridge, Siloam Springs, and across Arkansas — with filings support for interstate operators.
Get trucking coverage built around how you actually run.
Whether you're a single owner-operator or a growing fleet under your own authority, Cribb Insurance can shop the right trucking markets, set your cargo and liability limits correctly, and handle every filing.
*Cost figures are broad planning ranges, not quotes. Cribb Insurance Group Inc · 1601 SW Regional Airport Blvd, Bentonville, AR 72713 · (479) 286-1066. Coverage descriptions, cost ranges, filing details, and appetite notes on this page are general information only and are not an offer of insurance, a coverage determination, legal advice, or a guarantee of price or eligibility. Federal and state filing requirements change and depend on your operation; actual coverage, availability, and premium depend on the carrier, underwriting, your radius, commodity, driver records, equipment values, claims history, and the terms of the policy issued. Please review your policy or speak with a licensed agent for advice specific to your operation.