ServicesPrimary Auto Liability
Primary Auto Liability Insurance in Denton
If your truck injures someone or damages their property, primary auto liability pays the other party. Your authority also depends on it staying active. We set limits that fit your loads, take care of the filings, and try to fix a policy that is close before suggesting a new one.
The Coverage Your Authority Stands On
Operating under your own DOT number and MC authority means primary liability is not optional. FMCSA has to have proof of it on file before your authority goes active, and Texas requires its own proof from intrastate carriers. If the policy lapses, the cancellation is reported, and that can end with your authority being revoked.
Most carriers who call us already have coverage. The trouble is that it is close but not quite right: a new broker wants a higher limit, a driver was never added, or the radius no longer matches the lanes you run. Our first step is adjusting the policy you already carry. If your insurer cannot or will not make the change, or the premium is clearly too high, we explain why moving makes sense and set the options side by side.
Our agency holds a license for property and casualty insurance, and we are 5 years into this business. Because of that, we quote, bind and service your policy ourselves rather than handing you off to someone else.
What We Handle With Your Liability Policy
Bodily injury and property damage
The policy responds when your truck injures someone or damages their vehicle or property while you are under dispatch. It also pays for your legal defense in a covered claim.
Federal and Texas filings
For interstate MC authority, the insurer files the BMC-91X with FMCSA. For intrastate operations, proof is filed with TxDMV. We request the right filing and confirm it posts.
The MCS-90 endorsement
Federal rules require this endorsement on for-hire interstate policies. We make sure it is attached and explain what it means for you if a claim falls outside the policy.
Limits matched to your contracts
Many brokers and shippers want a higher limit than the federal minimum. We read their requirements with you and set the limit once, so you are not reissuing coverage every time a new load board account asks.
Certificates of insurance
We issue certificates to your brokers, shippers and lessors with the correct holder and wording, so loads are not held up waiting on paperwork.
Signs Your Liability Coverage Needs Attention
Your authority is still pending
FMCSA will not switch on a new MC authority until an insurer has filed proof of liability for it. If you are stuck in the waiting period, a missing filing is often the reason.
A broker rejected your paperwork
When a broker says your limit is too low or something is missing from your certificate, a limit change or endorsement usually solves it. Starting over with a new policy is rarely necessary.
You are ending a lease
On a lease, you generally run under the motor carrier's primary liability. When you switch to your own authority, you need a policy of your own, and non-trucking liability (bobtail) coverage no longer fits how you operate.
A cancellation or nonrenewal notice arrived
Call us the same day it lands. That leaves time to fix the issue or move coverage before a gap gets reported to FMCSA.
Your operation looks different now
New drivers, another truck, longer lanes or a different commodity can take you outside what the policy was written to cover. Those unnoticed mismatches lead to the toughest claim disputes.
How Getting Covered Works With Us
- 1
Start with a conversation
Phone, video or a visit to our office all work. We will want to know about your trucks and drivers, the lanes you run, what you haul and who you haul it for.
- 2
We go over your current policy
If you already carry coverage, we look through it together. You will hear what is working, what needs a change and whether your current insurer can make that change.
- 3
Options in plain language
If replacing the policy is the better call, we show you the quotes we collected, what each covers and why the premiums are different. The choice is yours, with no pressure.
- 4
Binding, filing and certificates
When you are ready, we bind coverage, request the filing and confirm it posts. After that, certificates go out to your brokers, shippers and anyone else who needs one.
What Moves Your Liability Premium
For most operations, primary liability is the biggest line on the trucking insurance bill. Two carriers with similar trucks can see very different premiums. Underwriters are estimating how likely your trucks are to cause a claim and how large that claim could get. These are the things that usually weigh the most.
- Who is behind the wheel
- Underwriters look at how long each driver has held a CDL and what turns up on their MVR, including tickets and crashes from the last few years. One less experienced driver with a recent violation can move your premium further than a second truck would.
- How long your authority has been active
- A new MC authority has no history for underwriters to judge, so pricing starts higher. A clean first year or two often brings it down at renewal.
- Radius, lanes and commodity
- Long-haul miles, dense metro traffic and hazardous or high-value freight all raise the risk. Short local runs around Denton price differently than cross-country lanes.
- Limits and safety history
- A higher limit costs more. Your CSA scores, roadside inspection results and past claims also count. Keeping inspections clean is one of the few levers fully in your hands.
Primary Liability Questions We Hear Often
Something not covered here? (940) 267-2913
Will primary liability pay to repair my own truck?
No. This policy pays the other side, meaning people your truck injures and property it damages. Fixing your own tractor or trailer falls under physical damage insurance, and the load you are hauling is protected by motor truck cargo insurance.
How soon will my filing appear with FMCSA?
Once the policy is bound, the insurer submits the filing electronically. Most of the time it shows on the FMCSA record within a few business days. We keep checking the record and let you know when it has posted.
Can I raise my limit without changing insurance companies?
Often you can. Plenty of insurers will increase a limit by endorsement partway through the term, and that is usually the simplest fix. If your insurer says no, or the added premium is out of line, we will tell you plainly and look at other options.
I drive under another carrier's authority. Do I carry my own primary liability?
Usually not. The motor carrier you are leased to provides that coverage while you are under their dispatch. You still need non-trucking liability for the times the truck is used off dispatch. If you are planning to run under your own authority, talk with us before the lease wraps up.
Is this required if I only run loads within Texas?
Yes. Intrastate carriers have to carry liability coverage as well, but the proof is filed with TxDMV instead of FMCSA. We arrange the filing that fits where your trucks really run.
Let's Get Your Liability Right
Tell us what you run and what your brokers are asking for. We will check whether your current policy can be fixed, and quote a new one only if it should be replaced.