What should you be paying for truck insurance?

November 2026 One-Truck Price Index: national median $13,458 a year (n 2,073), full coverage $15,191 (n 1,317). Read the November 2026 report

What underwriters look at on your DOT record

• Time in business. How long your authority has been active. New authorities pay more, and most markets open up as you pass one, two and three years.
• Inspections and out-of-service orders. Every inspection and out-of-service order from the last 24 months, with its date.
• Crashes. Reportable crashes in the last 24 months.
• CSA safety alerts. Each CSA BASIC over its alert line, and when the violations behind it age off.
• Safety rating. Satisfactory, Conditional, Unsatisfactory or not rated, and when it was given.
• Out-of-service rates. Your vehicle and driver out-of-service rates against the national average.
• Insurance history and paperwork. Liability on file, past cancellations, and whether your MCS-150 is current.

What goes into your premium

The DOT check shows your own numbers for each of these. They are the main things an insurance company rates you on.

• Radius. How far your trucks run is one of the biggest things in your premium. Insurance companies price local, regional and long-haul trucks differently, and a truck that stays close to home usually costs a lot less when the policy is rated for that radius. Your MCS-150 lists how many drivers run within and beyond 100 miles, and your inspections show where your trucks were stopped. If your policy is rated for a longer radius than you run, you may be paying for miles you don't drive.
• Miles a year. More miles means more time on the road. Underwriters read your miles next to your radius, so keep your MCS-150 current.
• CSA scores. Seven safety scores (Unsafe Driving, Hours of Service, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances and Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Hazardous Materials, Crash Indicator). Over the alert line is a CSA alert, which closes some markets until it clears.
• Inspections, out-of-service orders and crashes. Everything from the last 24 months, each with the date it drops off.
• Insurance history. Continuous coverage matters. A cancellation, especially for non-payment, or a lapse is one of the first things underwriters ask about.
• Trucks, drivers and what you haul. Each truck is priced on its own, each driver is rated on age, experience and driving record, and some loads have fewer markets.
• Where you're based and years in business. Each state prices differently, and many insurance companies want two years in business.
• Coverage and safety tech. Liability only costs the least but leaves your truck and load uncovered; physical damage, cargo and general liability each add to the premium. Dash cameras and telematics can earn a better price with some insurance companies.
• What we ask when you quote. Driver age, experience and MVR, each truck's year and value, your claims history and the limits you need. These are not public and move the price as much as anything above. The DOT check asks these too, after your record, and tells you which way each one usually moves your price.

When your record clears up

Inspections, violations and out-of-service orders count for 24 months. The day one drops off, insurers that passed on you may take another look. We call that a market reopening, and it is when we re-shop your policy. The DOT check above lists your dates, and you can ask us to remind you or to shop it on that date.

What one-truck policies cost by state

The middle half of one-truck, new-business policies we placed over the last two years, by state. Half of the policies fell inside the range. Total annual premium.

Across all states, the median one-truck policy ran $13,458 a year (n 2073). States not listed had too few policies to show (KS, MD, MT, NM, OR), or we do not write trucking there right now (California, New Jersey, New York). These are ranges of policies we placed, not quotes.

What it costs by type of operation

One-truck full-coverage policies on a tractor ran a median of $16,196 a year (n 456) vs $12,108 on a straight truck (n 124).

Questions truckers ask

How much does truck insurance cost for one truck?

The median one-truck policy Aronson Group placed over the last two years ran $13,458 a year, about $1,122 a month (n 2073). Your state, your operation and your DOT record move it up or down. Type your DOT number above to see how your own record reads.

Does a new authority pay more for truck insurance?

One-truck full-coverage medians by FMCSA profile: new authority $16,499 (n 586) vs 10+ years $13,662 (n 147); no out-of-service $14,414 (n 225) vs any $15,853 (n 176); 0 inspections $15,164 (n 760) vs 6+ $15,571 (n 28). These are premium levels compared across operators, not what one event adds.

When do out-of-service orders and violations stop counting against me?

Inspections, violations and out-of-service orders count for 24 months from the inspection date. When one leaves your record, markets that passed on you may reopen, and that is when we re-shop. The DOT check above shows the date each item drops off.

Does my radius change what I pay for truck insurance?

Yes. Radius is one of the biggest rating factors. Insurance companies price local, regional and long-haul trucks differently, and a truck that stays close to home usually costs a lot less when the policy is rated for that radius. The DOT check above shows what your MCS-150 and your inspections say about how far you run.

What do insurance underwriters look at on my DOT record?

How long your authority has been active, your inspections and out-of-service orders over the last 24 months, crashes, CSA safety alerts, your safety rating, your out-of-service rates against the national average, your insurance history and whether your MCS-150 is current.

Do truck insurance renewals always go up?

Not always. Median renewal change of +7.8%, and 27% of renewals went down, across 664 renewals.

Does checking my DOT number affect my insurance?

No. Nothing goes to an insurance company unless you ask us to quote.

Get a quote your way

Text us, call us, or fill out the form. Clients who saved with us saved an average of 31%. A licensed producer calls you back within one business day.

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Aronson Group, 1900 Jefferson Ave, Bellevue, IA 52031. Figures are medians and ranges of policies Aronson Group placed, not quotes.