Ask any agent what the first document is in a real trucking submission, and loss runs are near the top of the list, right behind your MCS-150 and driver info. If you've never had to pull one, the term sounds more complicated than it is. Here's what a loss run actually is, how to get yours, and why having it in hand before you shop changes how the whole quoting process goes.

What a loss run actually is

A loss run is a report from your current or prior insurance carrier that lists every claim filed on your policy, whether or not it ever got paid out. Think of it as your operation's claims history, the same way an MVR is a driver's citation history. Underwriters pull it because how you've priced out in the past, in terms of actual claims, is one of the strongest predictors of how you'll price out going forward.

Most carriers want to see the last three to five years. If you've run under the same authority that whole time, that's typically one document from one carrier. If you've switched insurers along the way, you may need a loss run from each one to cover the full window.

What's actually on it

A loss run isn't just a yes or no on whether you've had claims. It breaks each one down:

  • Date of loss. When the claim happened.
  • Type of claim. Liability, cargo, physical damage, and so on.
  • Amount paid and reserved. What the carrier has actually paid out, plus what's still set aside for claims that haven't fully closed.
  • Claim status. Open, closed, or reopened.
  • At-fault indicator. Whether the claim was your driver's fault, the other party's, or undetermined.

That last line matters more than people expect. A claim where you weren't at fault, say another vehicle hit a parked trailer, reads very differently to an underwriter than an at-fault rear-end collision, even though both show up as a "claim" on the surface.

How to get yours

You request a loss run the same way you'd request any other record: from whoever holds or held the policy. That's usually your current agent, your current carrier directly, or a prior carrier if you're pulling history from before a switch. Insurers are obligated to provide them on request, and most send them by email within a few business days. If you're not sure who to call, your current agent can usually request the full history on your behalf, even from a carrier you're no longer with.

Get help pulling your loss run history

Why they matter so much

Loss runs drive pricing directly. A clean loss run, one with no claims or only minor, non-at-fault activity, is leverage. It tells every market you submit to that you're a safer bet than the average operation in your lane, and that shows up in the number they quote you.

The flip side matters too. A gap in your loss run history, say six months where you can't produce a document from a carrier you had a policy with, can look worse to an underwriter than an actual claim. It reads as unknown risk instead of known risk, and unknown risk gets priced conservatively or declined outright. So can a pattern of claims that shows up clearly once someone puts three years of history side by side. Either one, a coverage gap or a rough claims pattern, can mean a surcharge on an otherwise good quote, or in worse cases, a decline from a market that would've otherwise wanted the business.

This ties directly into what actually determines your truck insurance rate. Loss history is one of the heaviest factors underwriters weigh, right up there with your drivers' MVRs. If you want the fuller picture on how a driving record factors in separately from claims history, here's how your MVR affects truck insurance.

Request them before you shop, not after

Here's the mistake that costs people time: waiting until an agent asks for loss runs mid-quote, then scrambling to track down a prior carrier who's slow to respond. Every day spent chasing paperwork is a day your current policy is closer to renewal with no options in hand.

Request your loss runs before you start shopping, not after. It costs you nothing to have them ready, and it means the moment you decide to shop your renewal, or you get hit with a go-away price from a big carrier, your agent can put your operation in front of multiple markets immediately instead of waiting a week on paperwork. A clean loss run in hand is also just leverage. It's proof, not a claim, that you're the risk you say you are, and that speeds up getting a real number instead of a defensive one.

Start your quote with your loss runs ready

How McClure helps

We ask for loss runs early, before we ever put your operation in front of a market, so the number you get back is a real one and not a placeholder while an underwriter waits on paperwork. If you're not sure how to reach a prior carrier or your current agent is slow to respond, we can request them on your behalf. Get a quote and let us pull what we need, and if you're already holding your loss runs, send them over first, it's the fastest way to get shopped across multiple markets at once.