Freight insurance is required in most cases to ship your goods by truck or van. You want your shipping company to meet all the federal and state standards for road freight shipping. About 85% of all goods delivered in the United States are shipped by truck from ports and warehouses. Working with respected and trusted shipping agencies is crucial. While it is important to make sure you have your freight insurance needs covered, it also makes sense that you meet or verify your shipper’s permit regulations.
Here are the permit requirements for interstate shipping in the United States. Please note that intrastate shipping (shipping that does not leave a state’s borders) must comply with the regulations of each state.
- Truck drivers must have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). The Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 established standards on which each state must base its CDL testing on. This is so truckers do not have a license in more than one state at a time. Class A CDL allows drivers to haul any vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Restriction (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more. Class B CDL allows for GVWR of 26,001 pounds or towing vehicles less than 10,000 pounds. Class C CDL covers anything not in the previous CDLs.
- The vehicle must meet all of the standards set in place by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This is a department within the Department of Transportation. (DOT). These requirements range from size and weight limits, emissions, noise emissions, safety standards, and the transportation of hazardous materials.
Listed below are the freight insurance requirements for interstate shipping within the Unites States (again, intrastate shipping will have different requirements depending on the state).
- You must file the form known as the BMC-91X and the BMC-34 with the DOT.
- The minimum cargo insurance liability required by the DOT is $750,000 in coverage for non-hazardous goods.
- Hazardous materials require a minimum of $1,000,000 in cargo insurance coverage for those substances listed as the “least” hazardous.
- The most hazardous substances require at least $5,000,000 in cargo insurance coverage.
- The Carmack Amendment to the DOT regulations makes the shipping company liable for goods if they are lost or stolen, however that minimum coverage is only $5,000.
This is just a brief overview of the various federal regulations and cargo insurance requirements pertaining to interstate road freight hauling. This information can provide a backbone on which to begin researching your policy. Whether you are shipping your goods or providing a trucking cargo service, these regulations are important to remember. Use CargoInsurance.com to pick the company that best meets your cargo shipping needs.
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