The foundation policy every truck on the road is required to carry — bodily injury and property damage protection for the miles you run under your own authority.
Primary auto liability is the policy that responds when your truck causes bodily injury or property damage to someone else — another driver, a pedestrian, a mailbox, a bridge abutment. It's the coverage FMCSA requires before a motor carrier can legally dispatch a load, and it's the policy tied to your BMC-91 or BMC-91X filing.
Desert Shield writes primary auto liability for owner-operators running under their own authority, small fleets, and new authorities just getting started. We work with multiple A-rated carriers so we can match your equipment, hauling radius, and driver experience to a market that will actually write you — not just quote you and walk away at renewal.
Federal minimums under 49 CFR Part 387 set the floor, not the ceiling. Under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's filing requirements, interstate carriers hauling general, non-hazardous freight must carry at least $750,000 in combined bodily injury and property damage liability. Carriers hauling oil or certain hazardous materials step up to $1,000,000, and bulk hazmat or vehicles carrying 16 or more passengers require $5,000,000 (FMCSA).
Most brokers and shippers now contractually require $1,000,000 in auto liability before they'll tender a load, regardless of the federal floor — so we typically start new-authority conversations there.
Federal minimum limits cited above reflect 49 CFR Part 387 as published by FMCSA. Contract-required limits vary by broker and shipper and are not set by federal law.
No. Auto liability only covers injury or damage you cause to other people and their property. Damage to your own tractor and trailer is covered under physical damage coverage, which we write alongside liability.
Primary liability applies while you're dispatched on a load under your motor carrier authority. Non-trucking liability picks up when you're driving the truck for personal use or between dispatches, when your primary policy isn't in force.
Yes. New authorities are one of our core niches — we know which carriers will write first-time operators and what documentation speeds up approval.
Call or text 480.789.1844, or send your MC number and equipment list to Chris@desertshieldinsurance.com.