- Additional insured
- A person or company added to your policy who gets certain protections under it. Brokers and shippers routinely require being named as additional insured before they'll give you a load.
- BOC-3
- A federal filing that designates a process agent in each state to receive legal documents on your behalf. Required before FMCSA will grant operating authority. Filed separately from your insurance.
- BMC-91 / BMC-91X
- The federal form your insurer files electronically with FMCSA to prove you carry the required public liability coverage. Your authority doesn't activate until it's filed.
- Bobtail
- Driving the tractor without a trailer attached. Bobtail coverage traditionally applies in that situation when you're not under dispatch. See non-trucking liability.
- Cargo (motor truck cargo)
- Coverage for the freight you're hauling while it's in your care, custody and control. Usually $100,000 minimum to satisfy brokers, though it isn't federally required for most general freight.
- Certificate of insurance (COI)
- A one-page document proving you carry coverage, listing limits and often naming a broker or shipper as certificate holder. It's proof of insurance, not the policy itself.
- CDL
- Commercial Driver's License. Years of CDL experience is one of the biggest factors in what you'll pay for insurance.
- CSA score
- FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability measurement of a carrier's safety performance. Poor scores can raise premiums or make carriers decline to quote you.
- Deadhead
- Driving without a load. Deadhead miles still carry liability exposure and count toward how your operation is rated.
- Deductible
- What you pay out of pocket on a covered claim before insurance responds. Higher deductibles lower your premium — but only take one you could actually pay tomorrow.
- Endorsement
- An amendment attached to a policy that adds, removes or changes coverage. The MCS-90 is an endorsement.
- FMCSA
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — the federal agency that regulates interstate motor carriers, issues operating authority and sets minimum insurance requirements.
- General liability
- Covers bodily injury and property damage arising from your business operations away from the truck itself — think slip-and-falls or damage at a dock. Often required for facility access.
- Hazmat
- Hazardous materials. Hauling hazmat raises federal minimum liability requirements substantially and narrows the pool of carriers willing to insure you.
- IFTA
- International Fuel Tax Agreement — how interstate carriers report and pay fuel taxes across jurisdictions. A compliance requirement, not insurance.
- IRP
- International Registration Plan — apportioned license plate registration for interstate carriers based on miles run per jurisdiction.
- Leased on
- Operating your truck under another motor carrier's authority. Their policy typically covers you only while under dispatch, which is why non-trucking liability exists.
- Loss runs
- Your claims history report from a prior insurer. Clean loss runs are the single most valuable document you can bring to a renewal or a new quote.
- MC number
- Motor Carrier number issued by FMCSA — your interstate for-hire operating authority.
- MCS-90
- An endorsement guaranteeing payment to injured members of the public if your policy wouldn't otherwise respond. It does not protect you — your insurer can seek reimbursement from you.
- MCS-150
- The Motor Carrier Identification Report, filed with FMCSA to obtain and biennially update your USDOT number.
- MVR
- Motor Vehicle Record — a driver's license and violation history. Underwriters pull these on every driver, and they heavily influence pricing.
- A motor carrier operating under its own newly issued authority, typically under 12–24 months old. Fewer carriers will quote new authority, and premiums run higher due to no loss history.
- Non-trucking liability (NTL)
- Liability coverage while operating the truck not under dispatch — personal use. Designed for owner-operators leased to a motor carrier.
- Owner-operator
- A driver who owns their truck, either running under their own authority or leased on to a motor carrier. The two arrangements need different insurance.
- Physical damage
- Coverage for damage to your own truck and trailer — collision, fire, theft, vandalism. Not legally required, but your lender will require it if the equipment is financed.
- Primary liability
- The core auto liability coverage that pays for injury and property damage you cause to others. The federal minimum is $750,000 for most general freight; brokers typically require $1,000,000.
- Radius of operation
- How far from your home base you typically run. It's a major rating factor — and misstating it is one of the most common reasons a claim gets denied.
- Reefer breakdown
- Add-on coverage for cargo spoilage caused by refrigeration unit failure. Standard cargo policies frequently exclude it.
- Trailer interchange
- Coverage for damage to a trailer or chassis you're pulling under an interchange agreement but don't own. Essential for drayage and intermodal work.
- UCR
- Unified Carrier Registration — an annual federal registration fee program for interstate carriers, based on fleet size.
- USDOT number
- Your federal identifier as a motor carrier, used to track safety records, inspections and compliance.
Let's get you covered.
Tell us how you run and we'll shop it across our carriers — or just ask a question first.