A new authority is being quoted and the price decides whether the business starts

Commercial trucking insurance companies

Progressive says it is the No. 1 truck insurer in America, measured by 2025 written premium. Beside it, insurers with dedicated trucking programs include Great West (Old Republic), Northland (Travelers), Canal, National Indemnity (Berkshire Hathaway) and Cover Whale, which is sold only through agents. No public ranking can say which is best for your operation. The right one is the insurer whose published rules accept your drivers' experience, your authority's age, your fleet and your freight, that makes your FMCSA filing, and that your agent can reach.

Updated October 3, 2026. Written by Andre Beukers, principal at Redoubt, a commercial insurance agency in Salt Lake City, not a government office.

Which insurance companies specialize in commercial trucking?

Six insurers describe a trucking business on their own sites, and how each is sold matters as much as what it writes. Progressive sells by phone, online and through independent agents. Cover Whale is sold only through licensed agents, and its products come from its insurance partners. The others describe agent networks: more than 200 independent agencies for Great West, general agents who underwrite and issue policies for Northland, 28 specialists for Canal, and more than 100 wholesale agencies working with local retail agents for National Indemnity. An agency can quote only the insurers it can submit to, so ask which of these it can reach for your operation.

What each insurer's own site says
Insurer	How it is sold	What it says it writes
Progressive Commercial	Phone, online and independent agents	Says it is the No. 1 U.S. truck insurer; provides state and federal filings
Great West (Old Republic)	More than 200 independent truck-insurance agencies	One truck to 1,000; not in Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts or New York
Northland (Travelers)	General agents who underwrite and issue its policies	Owner-operators and fleets since 1948; same-day regulatory filings
Canal	28 dedicated specialists	Canal Express for 1 to 10 power units; TestDrive for new ventures
National Indemnity (Berkshire Hathaway)	More than 100 wholesale agencies	Truck operations, large or small, local or long-haul
Cover Whale	Licensed insurance agents only	1 to 25 power units at bind; two years of like-vehicle experience

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 16, 20, 21, 26, 29, 32, 33, 35, 37, 41, 42, 45, 46, 48

What is Progressive trucking insurance?

It is Progressive Commercial's truck program. Progressive says "we've grown to be the #1 commercial truck insurance company in America," basing the ranking on "S&P Global Market Intelligence 2025 national written premium data." That measures volume, not whether Progressive will accept your operation or price it well. It sells "by phone, online and through independent agents," adding that "Prices vary based on how you buy," writes owner-operators running independently or under a lease, and says "We provide state and federal filings for our commercial truck insurance customers."

In an August 2026 email on a Redoubt submission that needed federal filings, the reply was that "500 miles radius is the minimum for risks requiring Federal Filings with Progressive." That is one reply on one risk, not a published rule. If you need an MC filing but run short lanes, ask how your radius will be rated before comparing prices.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 10, 4, 56

How much does Progressive truck insurance cost?

Progressive says its national average monthly cost "ranged from $734 for specialty truckers to $926 for transport truckers," and defines the figure as "2025 new policy premium per power unit for liability and physical damage coverage for policies with no driver violations." So it is per truck, it leaves out cargo, and it counts only policies with no driver violations. It is not a new-authority figure, and none of the Progressive truck pages we read gives one.

Among the examples Progressive names as cost factors are "the type of trucking you do, your operating radius, and your USDOT inspection history," and its flatbed page adds USDOT authority, cargo, number of trucks and location. Progressive also says "Most customers can save 10% or more when they pay their policy in full," a discount it footnotes as "Not available in all states and situations."

Sources: 6, 7, 5, 11, 8, 9

What is Great West Casualty trucking insurance?

Great West Casualty Company was created in 1956 and joined the Old Republic Insurance Group in 1985. It now calls itself Great West, an Old Republic Company, and says it is "one of America's largest truck insurance companies, offering coverage in 46 states," insuring more than 60,000 trucking companies.

Great West works through agents: it partners "with more than 200 independent agencies that specialize in truck insurance," and its quote form says "an insurance agent will be in contact soon." It "does not currently serve" Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts or New York. And the insurer on your policy may not read Great West Casualty, because the site says "Insurance contracts are underwritten and issued by Old Republic Insurance Company."

Sources: 13, 14, 15, 17, 16, 22, 21, 18

What is Northland trucking insurance?

Northland is Travelers' trucking insurer: "Northland, a division of Travelers, offers insurance coverages for owner-operators and fleets," in business since 1948. It writes commercial auto liability, motor truck cargo, physical damage, general liability, roadside assistance and a deluxe package.

Northland works through general agents, which handle "underwriting and issuing policies on our behalf." Its home page tells agents to "Find a Northland general agent who can help" and invites business owners to request a quote. It offers "Regulatory filings with same-day service at no extra cost through your agent," and in Texas the insurance "is provided by Consumers County Mutual Insurance Company, and is administered by Northland Insurance Company."

Sources: 29, 26, 27, 30, 31, 32, 28

Which trucking insurance is best for a new authority?

The one whose written rules accept you. No page we read from these insurers ranks them or publishes a new-authority rate, but two publish rules a new carrier can test itself against. Canal says "Starting a new venture in the trucking industry is a complex process" and offers Canal TestDrive, where "Only the auto liability coverage is charged on a per mile basis." Canal's eligibility list:

Cover Whale's guidelines ask for "2 years minimum driving experience with like vehicle" and target 1 to 25 power units at bind; hazmat haulers and household goods movers are ineligible. In October 2026 Cover Whale declined the driver on a Redoubt submission, citing a CDL dated June 2026. A market can also decline the whole category: an August 2026 reply on a Redoubt submission said "Homestate is not a competitive market for new ventures."

Whichever you pick must file for you: FMCSA "will not grant operating authority registration until the registrant has in effect the minimum levels of financial responsibility on file with FMCSA."

At least two years of CDL driving experience
A truck of model year 2000 or newer
Up to two trucks, with less than two years in business
One truck: the owner drives; two trucks: the driver is a company employee
No more than four trucks after first-year additions
A DOT number issued or applied for

Sources: 37, 39, 38, 48, 49, 58, 57, 53, 54

Which insurance companies are best for owner-operators and flatbed trucks?

For an owner-operator, it depends on whose authority you run under. Leased on, Great West says "you’re typically insured under the motor carrier’s Auto Liability policy," and that leased owner-operators "need their own owner operator insurance coverage" chosen "to specifically fill the gaps." One such cover is non-trucking liability, which Cover Whale says covers "independent semi drivers outside the scope of their lease agreement with the motor carrier." Great West and Progressive write either arrangement, but not every market does: in September 2026 a reply on a Redoubt submission for a leased-on tractor said "We cannot write vehicles leased onto another carrier."

For flatbeds, Progressive notes that "flatbed loads are exposed to the elements," and Canal lists "Tarps, Chains, and Binders" in its enhanced physical damage forms. On a June 2026 call, a flatbed owner-operator told Redoubt about insurer wording on tarp loads: "if it get wet or something happen, they won't pay." Read the cargo form's exclusions for weather, securement and your commodities before you choose.

Sources: 24, 25, 51, 23, 10, 59, 12, 36, 60

How do you check a trucking insurance company before you buy?

Check which insurer issues the policy, not just the brand: Great West's contracts are issued by Old Republic Insurance Company, and Cover Whale's products come from "A-rated insurance partners." Then check three things. The rating and its date: National Indemnity says it is "rated A++XV by A.M. Best" as of April 16, 2026, while Great West dates its AM Best rating April 11, 2025. Admitted status: Cover Whale's auto liability guidelines list Utah among its non-admitted states, so ask whether your policy is surplus lines; if it is, Utah Code 31A-15-103(8)(c) requires it to state that it "receives no protection from any of the guaranty associations created under Title 31A, Chapter 28." And filings: Progressive and Northland both say they make them.

Redoubt is an independent agency, so the work is matching your operation to an insurer that will write it: "our loyalty is to you, not any single carrier."

Sources: 18, 46, 43, 44, 19, 50, 52, 4, 32, 55

What to send

What to have ready before you ask for trucking quotes

Cover Whale lists its underwriting steps as DOT and fleet data, driver and vehicle records, telematics and loss runs. Have the matching papers ready for any insurer.

1.USDOT number, and the MC number if issued or applied for
2.Each driver's license number, date of birth and first CDL date
3.Year, make and VIN of every truck and trailer, with physical damage values
4.What you haul, including any hazmat or household goods
5.Your operating radius and the states you run in
6.Loss runs from any prior commercial auto policy
7.The lienholder or lessor for each financed or leased unit
8.The limits your brokers or shippers require, in writing
9.Own authority or leased to another carrier

Frequently asked questions

Which trucking insurance company is cheapest for a new authority?

No public source can say, because none of these insurers publishes a new-authority rate. Progressive says its published average is 2025 new policy premium per power unit for liability and physical damage on policies with no driver violations, with no separate new-authority figure. Canal TestDrive charges auto liability by the mile with "No monthly minimum premium OR interest," which favors a truck that runs fewer miles. Compare quotes on the same operation, limits and coverages.

How do I get a quote from Great West, Northland or Canal?

Each site starts you differently. Great West's quote form says an insurance agent will contact you, Northland invites business owners to request a quote and points agents to its general agents, and Canal's site asks for your ZIP code to show agents near you. Progressive also sells by phone and online.

Does the biggest trucking insurer give the best coverage?

Not by itself. Progressive's No. 1 claim rests on written premium, which measures volume. Coverage sits in the policy forms and endorsements the insurer issues, and price in your quote, so compare those line by line.

Sources

Where these answers come from

Each entry carries the exact words of the source so you can check it yourself. Forms, rules and carrier pages change; read the current version before acting.

The same moment

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Elsewhere on the site

Commercial trucking insuranceHow Redoubt shops primary liability, cargo and physical damage for owner-operators and small fleets.New authority trucking insuranceWhat a first-year carrier needs in place before the authority goes active.FMCSA insurance filingWhich filing your insurer makes with FMCSA, and when.BMC-91 filingThe insurer's filing that activates and keeps an MC number, in the certificate of insurance guide.MC insurance requirementsThe limits, filings and endorsements FMCSA checks before granting authority.What is bobtail insurance?Bobtail and non-trucking liability for owner-operators leased to a motor carrier.What companies offer commercial auto insurance?The household insurance brands that also sell commercial auto.

Talk to Redoubt

Not sure which trucking insurer will take you?

Text Redoubt your USDOT number, your drivers' CDL dates, your trucks and what you haul. We will talk through which insurers' published rules fit your operation and what each will ask for before it quotes.

Text us your operation Call 385-375-7655

This is general insurance information, not legal advice or a coverage determination. The policy forms, the endorsements the carrier issues, and the requirement in writing from whoever is asking control.