Hotshot Insurance for CDL & Non-CDL Hotshots
The McClure Agency is an independent agency in Dallas that writes hotshot insurance every week: one-ton duallies, Class 3 to 5 pickups, gooseneck and flatbed trailers, CDL and non-CDL, brand-new authority or years in. We shop the markets that write hotshots and build the policy around your truck, your trailer, and the freight you really haul.
A pickup and a trailer is still a trucking risk
A hotshot rig looks like something you would tow a camper with. Underwriters do not see it that way. Once you haul freight for hire across state lines with a truck or combination rated over 10,001 lbs, you are a regulated motor carrier, and a one-ton dually clears that line before you ever hitch the gooseneck. You need a USDOT number, MC authority, and a commercial policy with a federal liability filing behind it.
The profile is also harder to place than people expect. Most hotshots are brand-new authorities. The trucks are light-duty, so some carriers' programs have no slot for them. The work runs long radius, and the freight is often heavy equipment and machinery. Stack those together and a lot of markets say no before anyone has looked at you. That is why hotshot trucking insurance needs an agent who writes it every week.
The coverages a hotshot needs
Hotshot insurance is the same stack a semi carries, sized for a pickup and a gooseneck. Here is what belongs in it and why.
Primary auto liability
Pays for injuries and property damage you cause to others, and it is what activates your authority: your insurer files the BMC-91X with the FMCSA. The federal minimum for general freight at 10,001 lbs and up is $750,000, but nearly every broker requires $1,000,000, so that is what we quote.
Required to operateMotor truck cargo
Pays for the freight you are hauling. $100,000 is the common broker requirement. Hotshots often haul equipment, machinery, and steel, so check the commodity list, exclusions, and per-load limits. A load worth more than your limit needs a bigger limit, not a hope.
Match it to your freightPhysical damage: the truck
Covers your own pickup for collision, theft, fire, and weather. Priced on the stated value you put on the truck, so insure an honest number. Your lender requires it while there is a lien, and most owners cannot absorb losing a $70,000 dually anyway.
Protects your equipmentPhysical damage: the trailer
The gooseneck or flatbed is its own asset and has to be scheduled on the policy with its own VIN and value. A trailer that is not listed is not covered. If you ever pull a trailer you do not own, ask about trailer interchange or non-owned trailer coverage.
Schedule it separatelyGeneral liability
Covers the business beyond the road: a claim tied to a job site, a loading dock, or your yard. Shippers, contractors, and oilfield customers often ask for it by contract, and it usually costs a few hundred dollars a year.
For job sites & contractsNon-trucking liability
Only if you are leased onto another carrier's authority. Under your own authority, your primary liability policy is yours around the clock and you generally skip it. Leased on, the lease will almost always require it.
Leased-on operators onlyNon-CDL vs. CDL hotshot
This decides your truck, your trailer, how heavy you can run, and how your insurance gets written. Get it settled before you buy anything.
Non-CDL hotshot
Combination at or under 26,000 lbs, on the ratings and on the scale
- Usually a smaller gooseneck or bumper-pull spec'd so truck plus trailer stays under the line
- Your loaded weight counts: load it past 26,000 lbs and you can be cited for running out of class
- Still a for-hire motor carrier: USDOT, MC authority, a DOT medical card, hours of service, and a commercial policy with a federal filing
- Lighter payloads, so fewer loads pay, and every load has to be priced against your cost per mile
CDL hotshot (Class A)
Combination 26,001 lbs or more with a trailer rated over 10,000 lbs
- The typical working hotshot: a one-ton dually pulling a 30 to 40 foot gooseneck
- Room to haul heavier equipment and machinery, which is where a lot of hotshot money is
- Underwriters look at your CDL experience, not just your years driving, so CDL history matters to the rate
- Same coverage stack as non-CDL, often with higher truck and trailer values on the physical damage side
The rule of thumb: the 26,001-lb line decides your license, not whether you need insurance. Both lanes need $1,000,000 liability, cargo, and a federal filing to haul for brokers. Pick the lane you intend to run and build the rig to it. The full breakdown, with the traps that pull people over the line, is in non-CDL vs CDL hotshot.
What drives your hotshot insurance price
Two hotshots with the same dually and the same gooseneck can get very different numbers. These are the things underwriters weigh.
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Years of authority.
The single biggest lever. Carriers price on history, and a new authority has none. New-venture versus two-plus-years pricing can swing 30 to 50 percent on the same truck, which is why rates step down at renewal once you build a clean record.
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The driver.
Age, CDL experience, and your MVR. A driver under 25, a thin CDL history, or a couple of recent tickets can knock out markets before anyone looks at the rest of the file. Many carriers, especially big direct writers like Progressive and GEICO, also rate heavily on credit. We hold markets that do not use credit at all.
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What you haul.
General freight prices best. Heavy equipment, machinery, vehicles, and high-theft loads cost more on cargo and can narrow the market. Be precise about your commodity mix.
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Radius and values.
Hotshot economics push long radius, and running national widens your exposure and your rate. Physical damage is priced on the stated value of the truck and trailer, so a new $90,000 truck costs more to insure than a paid-off used one.
What does hotshot insurance cost in 2026?
Typical ranges for a single hotshot rig, because "it depends" is not an answer. These are not a quote. Your number lands based on the factors above.
| Coverage | Typical annual range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Liability + cargo, new authority | $5,000 – $9,000 | Pickup plus gooseneck, $1,000,000 liability and cargo, before physical damage. Established operations price lower at renewal. |
| Primary liability | 60% – 70% of the package | The biggest line by far, and the one that shops most differently between markets. |
| Motor truck cargo ($100,000) | $400 – $1,500 | More for high-value or high-theft freight, and for heavy equipment loads. |
| Physical damage (truck + trailer) | 3% – 6% of stated value | Per year. A $70,000 truck and a $15,000 gooseneck add roughly $2,550 to $5,100. |
| General liability | A few hundred dollars | Often required by contractors, shippers, and oilfield customers. |
Almost nobody pays the year up front. The premium is financed, and a single-truck operation typically runs $500 to $2,500 a month all-in. On a packaged policy (liability, cargo, and physical damage together), the down payment is usually about 1 to 3 times the monthly payment. Monoline policies bought separately often take more than 3 times the monthly. See the full 2026 truck insurance cost data, or our guide to hotshot insurance requirements and cost.
Starting a new hotshot authority?
Get quoted first, before you spend a dollar. For interstate for-hire hauling over 10,001 lbs you need a USDOT number, MC operating authority, and a BOC-3 process agent filing. Your authority will not activate until the BOC-3 and your insurer's BMC-91X liability filing are both on file with the FMCSA.
A lot of agencies will not talk to you until you already have a DOT or MC number. We will. Too many new hotshotters buy the truck, pay for the authority, and then find out they cannot afford the insurance. We would rather show you the real down payment and monthly first. When you are ready to bind, we transmit the BMC-91X and confirm it posts, so your coverage and your authority go live together.
Hotshot insurance brokers who know the work
Anyone can quote a truck. Placing a new-authority hotshot on a light-duty pickup, running long radius, takes markets and judgment most agencies do not have.
We know who is writing hotshots
We are independent, so we are not stuck with one carrier's appetite. We shop your hotshot across the markets that write new authorities and light-duty trucks this quarter, including markets that do not rate on credit.
Coverage built around your rig
CDL or non-CDL, general freight or heavy equipment, one truck or a few. We match the cargo form to what you haul, schedule the truck and the trailer, and size the package so you are not paying for exposure you do not have.
One agent, start to finish
You work with a real broker in Dallas, Mon–Fri 9am–5pm CT, from the first quote through filings, broker certificates, and renewal. Start with the application and we take it from there. Want the bigger picture? See our commercial truck insurance page.
Hotshot insurance FAQ
How much does hotshot insurance cost?
For a new-authority hotshot running a pickup and gooseneck, liability plus cargo typically runs about $5,000 to $9,000 a year in 2026, before physical damage. Physical damage on the truck and trailer adds roughly 3 to 6 percent of their stated value per year. Most single-truck operations finance the premium and land somewhere between $500 and $2,500 a month all-in. These are typical ranges, not a quote. Your number depends on your drivers, radius, freight, and years of authority, which is why we shop it across multiple markets.
Do I need a CDL to run hotshot?
It depends on weight. If your combination is rated 26,001 lbs or more and the trailer is rated over 10,000 lbs GVWR, you need a Class A CDL, and that is where most working hotshot rigs land. If the combination stays at or under 26,000 lbs on both the ratings and the scale, you can run non-CDL. Your actual loaded weight counts, so overloading a non-CDL rig can put you out of class. Confirm the specifics with your state licensing agency.
Is non-CDL hotshot insurance cheaper?
Not automatically. Non-CDL only changes your license class. If you haul for hire across state lines with a truck or combination over 10,001 lbs, you still need a USDOT number, MC authority, a federal liability filing, and a real commercial policy. Premiums are driven by the driver, the equipment values, the freight, the radius, and your years of authority. A lighter rig with lower values can mean less physical damage premium, but the liability line does not get a non-CDL discount.
Can I get hotshot insurance with a brand-new authority?
Yes. Most hotshots are new ventures, and while plenty of carriers will not write year one, there are markets that do. As an independent agency we know which ones are writing new-authority hotshots right now. We will also quote you before you buy the truck or pay for your authority, so you know the real down payment and monthly cost before you commit.
Can I run hotshot part time or only on weekends?
You can, but the insurance does not come in a weekend size. For-hire policies are annual and rated for the full year, and your authority needs continuous coverage on file with the FMCSA. A part-timer pays close to the same premium as a full-timer and spreads it over far fewer miles, so run the numbers first. Our guide to part-time hotshot trucking walks through the math.
Does my cargo policy cover the equipment and machinery I haul?
Only if the policy says so. Hotshot freight is often equipment, machinery, steel, and building materials, and some cargo forms exclude or sub-limit certain commodities or cap what they pay per load. A $100,000 cargo limit is the common broker requirement, but if you haul a $150,000 excavator you need a limit and a form that fit that load. Tell us exactly what you haul so we match the cargo coverage to it.
Start your hotshot application
About five minutes. Tell us your truck, your trailer, and what you haul, and it lands with a real broker, not a call center. New authority welcome.