Who we insure
Trucking is all we focus on at TRS, so you won’t have to explain what a BMC-91X is or why your broker wants a certificate by noon.
- Long-haul trucking — Over-the-road carriers running regional and coast-to-coast lanes.
- Owner-operators — Running under your own authority.
- Leased owner-operators — Leased on to a motor carrier and need non-trucking liability, physical damage, and occupational accident.
- Small fleets — Fleets of roughly 2 to 50 power units that need a real review, not a call center.
- New authority — New ventures that need their insurance filing made so the MC number can go active.
- Logistics and freight brokers — Brokers and logistics operations that need contingent coverage and the right financial responsibility on file.
Freight we commonly work with: general freight, dry van, flatbed, refrigerated (reefer), auto hauling, and hotshot. If you haul something else, call us. Underwriting depends on the commodity, and we’ll tell you plainly what the markets will and won’t write.
Coverage for trucking operations
- Primary auto liability — The coverage FMCSA requires before your authority goes active, with the federal filing made by your insurer.
- Motor truck cargo — Protects the freight you haul, written to match what your brokers and shippers require.
- Physical damage — Covers your tractors and trailers for collision, theft, fire, and other damage.
- Non-trucking liability and bobtail — For leased-on owner-operators when they’re off dispatch or driving without a trailer.
- Also available: trailer interchange, general liability, occupational accident, workers’ compensation, and umbrella or excess liability. Ask us about any of these when you call.
Why work with an independent trucking specialist
We shop the market for you. As an independent agency, we aren’t tied to one insurance company. We take one submission and present it to multiple A-rated carriers that write trucking, then lay out the options side by side.
We handle the paperwork that holds up your loads. We coordinate your FMCSA insurance filings with the carrier, issue certificates of insurance to your brokers and shippers, and add additional insureds when a contract calls for it.
We review before you renew. Renewal is the time to fix gaps, not the week after a claim. We look at your limits, deductibles, scheduled units, drivers, and contract requirements before your renewal date so you have time to make a decision.
We speak plainly. If a coverage has an exclusion that matters for your freight, we’ll point it out. If a market won’t write your operation, we’ll say so and tell you why.
How it works
- Call or send your DOT number. Call 205-221-5466 or start online. Your USDOT number lets us pull your public FMCSA record, so you don’t have to retype it.
- We review your operation. We look at your authority, units, drivers, radius, cargo, safety record, and your current declarations pages and loss runs.
- You get options before your deadline. We present side-by-side quotes before your renewal or authority activation date and explain the differences in plain language.
- We stay on it. Certificates, filings, endorsements, adding and removing units and drivers, and a review every year before renewal.
Meet Rickey Harris
O. Rickey Harris, CWCA, CMIP, has been in the insurance business since 1980. He leads Transportation Risk Specialists, a division of Old National Insurance Inc. in Jasper, Alabama. When you call TRS, you work with a licensed agent who knows trucking insurance, not a rotating call queue. Read more about Rickey and TRS.
Trucking insurance across the Southeast
We’re based in Alabama and work with carriers throughout the Southeast:
Alabama · Georgia · Tennessee · Mississippi · Florida · Louisiana · Arkansas · North Carolina · South Carolina · Kentucky
Have trucks based somewhere else? Call us at 205-221-5466 and we’ll tell you whether we can help. See the states we serve.
Common questions
What insurance do I need to get my MC number active?
For-hire carriers hauling non-hazardous freight in vehicles with a GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more must have at least $750,000 of bodily injury and property damage liability on file with FMCSA. Your insurance company files proof of that coverage (usually a BMC-91X) with FMCSA. FMCSA will not grant operating authority until the required coverage is on file.
Can you insure a brand-new authority?
Yes. We work with new ventures, including carriers with no prior trucking insurance history. Fewer markets write new authorities, so start early and have your driver information, unit details, and operating plans ready.
How quickly can my insurance filing be made?
Once a policy is bound, the insurance company files proof of coverage with FMCSA electronically. Timing depends on the carrier and how fast the application is complete, so send us your DOT and MC numbers and driver and unit details as early as you can.
Do you name the insurance companies you work with?
We place coverage with A-rated carriers that write trucking. Which carrier is the best fit depends on your operation, so we discuss the specific options with you when we present your quotes.
What do you need from me for a quote?
Your USDOT number, current declarations pages, and three years of loss runs. Driver and vehicle details help us finish faster. Start your quote.
See all frequently asked questions
Ready to compare your options? Call 205-221-5466 or start your quote with your DOT number.