Compliance

The FMCSA $750k cargo insurance requirement

Why FMCSA requires at least $750,000 in coverage for most for-hire carriers, which freight needs more, and how to confirm a carrier meets the floor.

Quick checklist

  • Required coverage matches the freight class being hauled.
  • On-file amount meets or exceeds the floor.
  • Alerts set for any drop below the floor on monitored carriers.

Where the $750k comes from

Federal regulation sets a minimum financial-responsibility level of $750,000 for most for-hire motor carriers of general freight. Some commodities — certain hazardous materials, for example — require $1,000,000 or $5,000,000.

Confirming the floor

FMCSA records show the required and on-file amounts. If the on-file figure is below the floor for the freight being hauled, that's a compliance gap you should resolve before tendering.

Monitoring the floor

Because coverage can drop after you vet a carrier, CarrierSentry alerts you when a monitored carrier's reported cargo coverage falls below the $750k floor.

Verify a carrier now

Run a free FMCSA lookup by USDOT, MC number or company name. Then put the carriers you book on watch and get alerted the moment one changes.

Data sourced from public FMCSA/SAFER records. CarrierSentry is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. DOT or FMCSA. Verify at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov before making business decisions.