Owner-operator insurance usually runs several hundred to well over a thousand dollars a month, and a new authority pays at the high end. ATRI's latest cost study found carriers paid an average of about 10.6 cents a mile for insurance premiums in 2025. At the study's average of about 86,000 miles a year, that works out to roughly $760 a month for an established carrier. Brand-new authorities usually pay considerably more until they build a safety record.
Your number depends on your coverage, your record, your equipment, your freight and where you run. Here is what goes into it.
What insurance does an owner-operator need?
It depends on whether you run under your own authority or lease onto a carrier.
With your own authority:
| Coverage | Required by | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Primary auto liability | Federal law: at least $750,000 for general freight | Injury and damage you cause to others |
| Motor truck cargo | Broker and shipper contracts | The freight in your trailer |
| Physical damage | Your lender, if financed | Your own truck and trailer |
| Trailer interchange | Contracts when you pull someone else's trailer | A trailer you don't own |
| General liability | Many shippers and facilities | Non-driving accidents at a customer's site |
| Occupational accident or workers' comp | Your state and your contracts | Your own injuries on the job |
The federal minimum for a for-hire carrier hauling general freight in a truck of 10,001 pounds or more is $750,000 in public liability (49 CFR 387.9). Your insurance company files proof with FMCSA on form BMC-91 or BMC-91X. Federal rules don't require cargo coverage for general freight, but nearly every broker will, often at $100,000.
Leased onto a carrier: the carrier's liability usually covers you while you're under dispatch. You typically carry non-trucking (bobtail) liability for personal use, physical damage on your own truck, and occupational accident coverage.
Owner-operator insurance cost per month: what the numbers say
There is no public price list for truck insurance. Every quote is underwritten. The best public benchmark is ATRI's annual study of what carriers actually spend:
- Insurance premiums averaged about 10.6 cents per mile in 2025, up 3.9% from the year before (ATRI).
- Fleets with five or fewer trucks paid more for insurance than larger fleets.
- Trucks in the study averaged about 86,000 miles a year.
At those averages, insurance comes to about $9,100 a year, or roughly $760 a month, for an established carrier. A new authority with no history, a young driver, or a truck parked in a high-risk area will usually be quoted far higher in the first year. That's why we tell new carriers to get real quotes before they apply for authority, not after.
Why new authorities pay more
Insurance companies price risk from history, and a new authority has none. Each year that rising cost squeezes small carriers harder, and too many get caught in a spiral: high premiums eat the margin, the carrier cuts maintenance or runs tired to make up for it, violations and claims follow, and the next premium goes up again.
What underwriters look at:
- Your time in business and the driver's years of CDL experience.
- Your safety record: CSA scores, inspections, violations and crashes.
- The driver's motor vehicle record.
- The freight and equipment: dry van, reefer, power only, and the cargo values you haul.
- Where you run and where the truck is parked.
- Your limits and deductibles.
How to bring your insurance cost down
You can't fix year one overnight, but you can build toward a better renewal:
- Keep your safety record clean. Fix equipment defects fast, run legal hours and challenge inaccurate violations through DataQs. See CSA scores and DataQs challenges.
- Run a real safety program. Documented driver files, drug and alcohol testing and maintenance records show an underwriter you're in control.
- Choose deductibles you can actually pay. A higher deductible lowers the premium only if you have the cash when a claim happens.
- Ask your agent what lowers your rate, such as paying in full, safety technology or a smaller operating radius.
- Shop your renewal early, 60 to 90 days out, with clean loss runs in hand.
- Never let it lapse. A lapse can suspend your authority and sends your next premium higher.
How LFS helps
We are a carrier-first company. LFS helps new carriers plan insurance into their startup budget, keep the compliance records underwriters look for, and challenge bad CSA data. Start with our commercial truck insurance page, see what it really costs to start a trucking company, or talk with us about DOT compliance.
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Questions and answers
How much is owner-operator insurance per month?
ATRI found insurance averaged about 10.6 cents a mile in 2025. At about 86,000 miles a year, that's roughly $760 a month for an established carrier. New authorities usually pay considerably more in their first year because they have no safety record.
What is the minimum insurance for an owner-operator with their own authority?
Federal rules require at least $750,000 in public liability for a for-hire carrier hauling general freight in a truck of 10,001 pounds or more. Brokers and shippers usually require cargo coverage too, and lenders require physical damage coverage on financed trucks.
Is cargo insurance required for truckers?
Federal rules don't require cargo insurance for general freight carriers, only for household goods carriers. Almost every broker and shipper requires it by contract, so plan on carrying it.
How can a new trucking company lower its insurance?
Build a clean safety record, run a documented safety program, choose deductibles you can afford, ask your agent which discounts apply, shop your renewal 60 to 90 days early, and never let coverage lapse.
Logistical Forwarding Solutions. A carrier-first company.
