Dry Van Insurance: What You Need and What Brokers Ask For

Dry van insurance is usually the largest fixed cost an owner-operator carries after the truck itself, and it decides which brokers will load you. You don't need every coverage on the market, but you need the right ones at limits that match what brokers ask for. This guide covers the coverages, the federal minimum, broker requirements and what pushes the price up or down.

The coverages

The stack at the top of this page reads from the legally required layer up.

Auto liability

Pays for injuries and damage you cause to others in a crash. It's federally required for for-hire carriers, and your policy carries an MCS-90 endorsement (49 CFR 387.15). Your insurer files proof of coverage with FMCSA as part of keeping your authority active.

Motor truck cargo

Pays for the freight if it's damaged, lost or stolen while in your care. Not federally required for general freight, but almost every broker requires it, so in practice you can't book much without it.

Physical damage

Covers your own tractor and dry van trailer against collision, theft, fire and weather. If your equipment is financed or leased, the lender will require it. If it's paid off, it's your decision; consider what it would take to replace the truck or van.

Other coverages

• General liability: claims that happen at docks and premises rather than on the road. Some shippers ask for it.
• Occupational accident or workers' compensation: injury coverage for you or your drivers. Requirements vary by state and by whether you employ drivers.
• Trailer interchange: only if you pull trailers owned by someone else under an interchange agreement. Most of our carriers pull their own vans, so it usually doesn't apply.

Federal minimums

For for-hire carriers in interstate commerce hauling non-hazardous property in vehicles of 10,001 lb GVWR or more, the federal minimum level of financial responsibility is $750,000 (49 CFR 387.9). That's a floor, not a recommendation. Hazardous materials carry higher minimums, which don't apply to typical dry van freight.

What brokers ask for

Broker setup requirements vary, but you'll commonly see:

High-value freight such as electronics may need higher cargo limits. Check the requirement before you book: a load you can't insure is a load you can't take. Your certificate of insurance goes in every carrier packet, which our dry van dispatchers send and track for you.

What drives the cost

Insurers price dry van trucking insurance on risk. The biggest factors:

• Authority age and experience. New authorities and new drivers usually pay more until there's a track record.
• Safety record: crashes, inspections, violations and claims history.
• Driver record: your MVR and those of any drivers.
• Equipment value and age, mainly for physical damage.
• Lanes and radius: where you run and how far.
• Limits and deductibles: higher limits cost more; higher deductibles cost less.
• Freight: commodity and value affect cargo pricing.
• Fleet size: adding trucks changes the policy; see dry van fleet dispatch for what else changes when you grow.

We don't publish insurance prices because there's no current public source that would be fair to quote. Get quotes from several licensed agents for your real equipment and lanes, and compare the exclusions as well as the premium.

Fit insurance into your rate

Insurance is a fixed weekly cost, so it belongs in your minimum rate per mile. Divide your annual premium by 52, add it to your other fixed costs, and work out your floor. Our dry van rates guide shows the full formula, and the dry van rate per mile calculator checks a load against it. If you're still choosing equipment, what a dry van is and types of dry van trailers cover the options that change both what you can haul and what it costs to insure.

Questions owners ask

How much is insurance for a dry van trailer?

There's no fair single number. Physical damage coverage on the trailer is priced mostly on its value and your history; liability and cargo are priced for the whole operation, driven by your safety record, years in business, lanes and limits. Get quotes from several licensed agents for your actual equipment and lanes.

What is the minimum insurance for a dry van carrier?

For a for-hire carrier in interstate commerce hauling non-hazardous property with a vehicle of 10,001 lb GVWR or more, the federal minimum public liability coverage is $750,000 (49 CFR 387.9). Cargo coverage isn't federally required for this freight, but nearly every broker requires it.

Why do brokers ask for $1,000,000 in liability?

Because a serious crash can exceed the $750,000 federal minimum, and brokers and shippers want more protection if they're named in a claim. Many brokers' setup requirements list $1,000,000 auto liability and $100,000 cargo; some ask for more on high-value freight.

Does cargo insurance cover everything in the van?

No. Cargo policies have exclusions and conditions that vary by insurer, such as unattended vehicle rules, certain commodities, theft conditions and reefer breakdown (which doesn't apply to a dry van). Read the exclusions with your agent and compare them to the freight you actually haul.

Sources

1. 49 CFR 387.9, financial responsibility, minimum levels, checked October 2026
2. 49 CFR 387.15, Form MCS-90 endorsement, checked October 2026
3. FMCSA, registration, checked October 2026

General information, not insurance advice. We're a dispatch service, not an insurance agency; talk to a licensed agent about your coverage.