What 610 Trucking Insurance Policies Taught Me About What Truckers Actually Pay
Updated: 15 hours ago
Most trucking insurance articles won't give you a number. They say 'it depends' and send you to a quote form.
I'm going to give you numbers.
I've specialized in commercial trucking insurance since 2020. I recently reviewed my records covering 610 trucking insurance policies for 389 clients, from 2021 through October 2026.
For the pricing comparisons, I focused on one-truck companies, representing 298 policy placements in my records.
These aren't industry averages. They're actual premiums from policies I've placed, and the results reveal some interesting patterns.
1. What Does Truck Insurance Actually Cost for One Truck?
I placed 117 one-truck policies in 2025 and 2026. Here is what those clients paid:
Annual insurance premium | Amount |
Median (middle policy) | $21,700 |
Middle 50% | $16,400–$27,700 |
Lowest 10% | Below $12,900 |
Highest 10% | Above $31,000 |
Of those 117 policies, 19 were below $15,000, while 17 were $30,000 or more.
That's a substantial difference for companies operating one truck.
One truck doesn't tell an underwriter much about the actual risk.
Who's driving? What are you hauling? Where do you operate? What's your safety history? What coverage are you purchasing?
A liability-only policy and a policy that includes cargo and physical damage aren't the same purchase.
If you’re comparing offers, my guide to getting a commercial truck insurance quote explains what information to prepare and what to compare.
I've also seen situations where a trucking company's actual operation wasn't accurately reflected in the information used for quoting.
For example, a company operating primarily within a shorter radius may have different insurance options than one operating nationwide. Some insurers can use telematics or ELD data to verify how a truck actually operates.
That doesn't guarantee a lower premium, but accurate information can make a meaningful difference in which insurance programs are available.
See my real example in Can Telematics Lower Your Truck Insurance Cost? for how operating data can affect available options.
My advice: Don't compare your premium to another trucker's without understanding what you're each insured for and how your operations differ.
2. How Have One-Truck Insurance Premiums Changed?
Here's the median one-truck premium in my records by the year the policy was placed.
Year | Policies | Median annual premium |
2021 | 34 | $19,700 |
2022 | 54 | $20,300 |
2023 | 49 | $19,000 |
2024 | 42 | $17,900 |
2025 | 50 | $21,100 |
2026 | 67 | $22,400 |
The median reached a low of $17,900 in 2024 before increasing to $22,400 in 2026.
Even excluding New Jersey, the median rose from $17,900 to $21,500 over those two years.
That doesn't mean every trucker's insurance increased by $4,500. These are different groups of policies, with different drivers, operations, and coverage.
Insurance pricing and underwriting guidelines can change even when a trucking company hasn't had a claim.
An insurer that was competitive last year might not be the best option this year. That's one reason I encourage trucking companies to review their coverage and available options before renewal rather than assuming last year's pricing will continue.
For more ways to prepare, see How to Lower Your Commercial Truck Insurance Premium.
3. What Happened to New Jersey Truck Insurance After July 2024?
New Jersey is my largest state by trucking insurance policy count.
On July 1, 2024, New Jersey increased its minimum liability insurance requirements for certain commercial vehicles, including a $1.5 million requirement for qualifying vehicles over 26,000 pounds GVWR.
I've personally handled New Jersey trucking accounts facing significant insurance increases since that change. Here's what my records show.
New Jersey one-truck policies | Policies | Median premium |
Before July 2024 | 32 | $18,900 |
July 2024 onward | 17 | $28,000 |
Difference | $9,100 (48%) |
For comparison, the median among my one-truck policies outside New Jersey changed from $19,800 to $20,400 across those periods.
Does this mean New Jersey truckers experienced a 48% renewal increase? No.
These figures compare different trucking companies purchasing policies during different periods, not the same customers renewing. Other factors, including insurance market conditions and individual underwriting characteristics, can also affect pricing.
What I've Seen as a Broker
One challenge with higher liability limits is that not every insurer offers the same limits or wants the same types of trucking risks.
That can reduce the number of available insurance markets for some accounts. And when fewer insurance companies are competing for your business, finding affordable coverage can become more difficult.
I explain similar underwriting challenges in High-Risk Trucking Insurance.
My advice: If you operate a qualifying New Jersey commercial vehicle, understand the liability requirements that apply to your operation and start reviewing your insurance well before expiration.
4. Does Truck Insurance Get Cheaper After a Few Years?
Many truckers assume their insurance will automatically decrease once they've been operating for two or three years. My recent policy records show why that isn't guaranteed.
USDOT history | Policies | Median premium |
Under 1 year | 31 | $22,300 |
1–3 years | 26 | $22,200 |
3+ years | 60 | $20,300 |
The difference between companies with less than one year of USDOT history and those with at least three years was approximately $2,000.
But I found something more interesting when I looked at established companies.
Companies with 3+ years of USDOT history | Policies | Median premium |
New business placed with me | 22 | $24,100 |
Renewals I've handled | 37 | $19,400 |
That's a $4,700 difference. These groups aren't directly comparable, and the numbers alone don't explain the cause.
Established trucking companies frequently contact me after receiving a substantial renewal increase, losing coverage, or discovering that their current broker has limited options.
Sometimes the issue is an accident or a driver. Other times, it is a pattern of roadside inspections or maintenance violations.
Years in business don't erase what's on your safety record.
Why Clean Loss Runs Aren't Always Enough
A clean claims history doesn't always mean a clean underwriting record.
Insurance companies may review CAB reports, CSA BASICs, roadside inspections, and out-of-service violations when evaluating trucking risks.
I've seen established trucking companies face underwriting challenges because of maintenance violations, unsafe driving concerns, or poor inspection histories—even without recent insurance claims.
That's why I encourage trucking companies to review their safety information regularly. If you're using telematics or dash cameras, pay attention to what the data shows. Address recurring problems and document corrective actions.
Don't wait until renewal to find out what an underwriter has been seeing.
For newer operations, read New Authority Isn’t a Grace Period to understand how early safety records may affect insurance.
5. What Actually Happens at Truck Insurance Renewal?
I compared 57 one-truck clients' original policies with their first renewals. Here's what I found:
29 of 57 clients paid less at renewal.
The median premium change was a 2.3% decrease.
Across all 101 one-truck renewals in my records, the median change was a 1.2% decrease.
These figures represent actual renewals I've handled, not a prediction of what every trucking company will experience.
What I've Learned From Handling Renewals
I've seen substantial increases even when a trucking company hasn't filed a claim.
Underwriters may also consider driver changes, inspection history, maintenance violations, operating changes, and their own pricing guidelines.
That's why I encourage trucking companies to review their safety information and address problems throughout the policy term—not just when renewal approaches.
If you have recurring maintenance violations, correct the underlying issues and keep the repair records. If telematics shows repeated unsafe driving behavior, address it with the driver and document the corrective action.
If you've added trucks, changed drivers, or expanded your operating radius, make sure your broker has accurate information.
If your company is adding equipment, see How Fleet Growth Affects Trucking Insurance Underwriting.
The time to work on your insurance renewal is before you receive the renewal offer.
For most accounts, I recommend starting the review 30–45 days before expiration, and earlier for fleets or companies with underwriting concerns.
That gives us time to request loss runs, review the account, and approach appropriate insurance markets if needed.
Sometimes staying with your current insurer makes sense. Other times, we need to explore different markets.
The goal is to identify problems while there is still time to address them.
You can also use my Truck Insurance Renewal Checklist.
How Can Alex Help?
I've been licensed in insurance since 2013 and have specialized in commercial trucking insurance since 2020.
I help owner-operators, new authorities, and fleets understand their insurance options, prepare for renewals, and work through underwriting concerns.
If you're wondering whether your premium is competitive or why an insurance company is charging what it is, I can review your operation and explore available markets.
Related Resources
Premium figures reflect annual premiums recorded in my own policy placements, not industrywide averages or guaranteed quotes. Actual pricing depends on coverage and underwriting. New Jersey insurance requirements depend on the vehicle and applicable registration rules. Safety and regulatory topics are discussed for their insurance implications.
Comments