Whether you are an owner-operator or own a small trucking fleet, it is important to have the right coverage for your truck, trailer, and cargo. Your business depends on being available to haul cargo quickly. That is why the best semi-truck insurance companies offer a simple experience when filing insurance with the United States Department of Transportation (DOT).
They also have support services when you have to file a claim to help you get back on the road quickly and provide easy access to your policy. Ideally, the carrier will have heavy truck claim specialists and body shops nationwide to make the turnaround time on your claim as quick as possible.
Using our in-house rubric, we evaluated 18 companies to find the five best commercial truck insurance providers for your business.
- Progressive: Best overall for semi-truck insurance
- The Hartford: Best for tow trucks
- Tivly: Best marketplace for finding commercial truck insurance
- Nationwide: Best for small fleets
- 1st Guard: Best for owner-operators
- Best Insurance Companies for Semi Trucks
- Progressive: Overall Best Commercial Truck Insurance Company
- The Hartford: Best for Tow Trucks
- Tivly: Best Marketplace for Finding Commercial Truck Insurance
- Nationwide: Best for Small Fleets
- 1st Guard: Best for Owner-operators
- How We Evaluated the Best Commercial Truck Insurance Companies
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Bottom Line
Best Insurance Companies for Semi Trucks
| Quote Process | Policy Purchase Process | Accessibility | Financial Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Online or via an agent | Through an agent | 24/7 call center | A+ (Superior) |
| Get a Quote From Progressive | ||||
 | Through an agent | Through an agent | 24/7 call center | A+ (Superior) |
| Get a Quote From The Hartford | ||||
 | Begin online or over the phone | Through the carrier | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday | A (Excellent) to A+ (Superior) |
| Get a Quote from Tivly | ||||
 | Through an agent | Through an agent | 24/7 call center | A (Excellent) |
| Get a Quote From Nationwide | ||||
 | Request contact from an agent online | Through an agent | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET | A (Excellent) |
| Get a Quote From 1st Guard | ||||
Progressive: Overall Best Commercial Truck Insurance Company
When considering the options for the best semi-truck insurance companies, Progressive Commercial distinguishes itself based on its nationwide availability, appetite for nearly any type of heavy truck, and great services, which help you repair your truck and get back on the road as quickly as possible. It is the only provider in our roundup that lets you get a quote online.
Customers vote with their money, and more commercial auto business owners have chosen Progressive over any other carrier. Progressive has 15% of the market for commercial auto insurance. Not only does this make it the top insurer of commercial auto in the US for any type of commercial vehicle, but the second largest company has 5% of the market.
Unlike the other options on this list, you can start a quote online. However, you will likely need to finish it with an agent.
You can purchase standard auto coverages from Progressive: collision, comprehensive, and uninsured motorists. Specialty coverage—like motor cargo, nontrucking liability, are also available but if you need additional coverages like a BOP, you’ll need to either go to another carrier or use Progressive’s broker services.
In addition, rental reimbursement with downtime is available, so if your vehicle is disabled in a loss, then you can still receive some form of business assistance.
Progressive stated that in 2023, its policyholders paid an average monthly premium of $767 for truckers and $1,041 for transportation truckers. This is a very minimal increase over 2022.
After filing a claim, you will have one point of contact throughout the entire process, plus access to Progressive’s network of repair shops, where your vehicle will have priority status. The company also offers online services where you can easily manage your policy and premium payments.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) monitors complaints filed at the state level against insurance companies. Complaints filed against Progressive for commercial auto are slightly higher than the national average. However, based on the data over the past three years, there has been a downward trend in complaints filed against Progressive for commercial trucking insurance.
Eligible customers can use the free Snapshot Proview® feature, a commercial fleet management tool that tracks whether each vehicle in your fleet is being driven safely.
The Hartford: Best for Tow Trucks
Small business provider The Hartford consistently appears in our roundup of the best small business insurance companies. Not only does it offer semi truck insurance, but it also has a wide range of different business insurance policies. It stands out for commercial truck insurance by having an appetite not only for tow trucks but also for auto body shops, salvage companies, and roadside service businesses.
What’s more, the company offers other optional coverages depending on your business needs—like dealer plate coverage, property in transit coverage, and coverage for customer vehicles in your care, custody, or control. If you are an owner-operator of a tow truck or salvage business, you can insure your tow truck, and get all of the other necessary coverages through The Hartford.
To get a quote, you will need to reach out to an agent in your area. If you need help finding one, The Hartford has an option to locate agents or brokers near you on its commercial truck insurance page.
The Hartford has convenient online policy management, including the ability to create an instant COI.
While The Hartford has higher-than-expected complaints for commercial auto, the amount of complaints is decreasing. And the only area of any concern is commercial auto: for all other lines of small business insurance, The Hartford has high marks in customer satisfaction.
Tivly: Best Marketplace for Finding Commercial Truck Insurance
Tivly is a commercial marketplace dedicated to offering small business insurance. Finding commercial trucking insurance can be a challenge: commercial rates for auto are high and rising, and if you have had any type of loss in the past few years, it will only cost more. That is why being able to work with a marketplace that can help match your specific business needs to a provider is a helpful way to find commercial trucking insurance.
For certain industries, Tivly does publish some average costs. However, for commercial truck insurance, there is no information.
In terms of coverage, Tivly has coverage available for semi trucks, dump trucks, tow trucks, and box trucks. The typical coverages you need are offered, including cargo insurance, nontrucking liability, and bobtail insurance.
Because it specializes in small business insurance, other coverages like workers’ comp, general liability, and commercial property can be acquired through its services.
Tivly’s hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Its process is straightforward and makes purchasing commercial trucking insurance simple: fill out a request for a quote or call it. The turnaround time is very quick: in just minutes, you can get matched up with a top provider for insurance and get a quote.
The service it offers is free, so you are under no obligation when working with them, and the quote is free.
Nationwide: Best for Small Fleets
Nationwide Insurance is an established commercial provider that offers commercial auto, commercial truck, and small fleet insurance. The company stands out for its customer support services and its appetite to insure small fleets―one to 10 power units. It insures short, intermediate, and long-haul trucks. So if you are just getting your business started or you’ve grown your fleet to several trucks, this is a great option for you.
To get a semi truck insurance quote, you will need to contact an agent who works with Nationwide. The company provides commercial auto through its excess line. There are many coverages to choose from, including auto, general, cargo, and bobtail liability. The coverage is highly customizable to your specific needs.
What’s more, Nationwide covers livestock and specialty truck movers, such as hazardous materials, including LPG, and mobile home movers.
You can manage your policy online. For filing a claim, you can go online or call the 24/7 call center. There is minimal information on proof of insurance or federal filings.
Nationwide can install a high-definition (HD), forward-facing dash cam in your trucks, and in exchange, you will receive two years of free monthly service. Forward-facing dash cams can make a big difference when investigating a claim.
The provider also offers a telematics program to help promote safe driving, which includes an app where you can find data on your drivers’ safety and awareness.
1st Guard: Best for Owner-operators
1st Guard Insurance is a dedicated commercial truck provider focusing on owner-operators. It is a direct writer for truck insurance, meaning it is a provider that works directly with customers instead of going through agents. By working directly with a provider, business owners usually gain lower costs. The downside is that you will be unable to work with a local agency. However, with nearly 100 years of experience in selling insurance to owner-operators, 1st Guard is a great option for small business owners.
To get a quote, you’ll need to fill out a contact request form online, and an agent will contact you.
Owner-operators typically need less coverage for their trucks because the trucking companies they drive for already have coverage. 1st Guard offers three types of coverage—auto physical damage, nontrucking liability insurance, and occupational accident insurance—and each has options to expand coverage. It does not provide liability for hauling.
1st Guard has a mobile app for policyholders where you can review your policy and account status, schedule payments, and contact your claims adjuster. It will also provide location-specific notifications for weather events that could impact your route. However, the app is only available for iOS.
Complaints against 1st Guard monitored by the NAIC are lower than the national average.
How We Evaluated the Best Commercial Truck Insurance Companies
We determined the best trucking insurance companies using our in-house proprietary evaluation rubric. We reviewed 18 insurers and presented the five with the highest scores. In evaluating them, we focused on the customer’s needs and paid particular attention to convenience, financial ratings (AM Best), customer service, types of policies offered, and the overall experience as a policyholder for a specific provider.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Commercial truck insurance, or semi truck insurance, refers to many policies for owner-operator or truck company fleets. Primarily, it relates to auto physical damage, general liability, nontrucking liability, auto liability, and motor cargo.
According to the FMCSA, a Federal DOT division, “you must have specific insurance” documents on file if you apply to be a motor carrier. Some insurers will file the forms online on your behalf once you purchase the policy.
Bobtail liability insurance is for when you are driving your truck without a trailer for business or personal use; nontrucking liability insurance is limited liability protection for operating a truck only for noneconomic and personal use. Both coverages involve a truck that isn’t pulling a trailer.
Commercial trucking insurance refers to larger trucking operations, while business auto is insurance for standard-size vehicles. An owner-operator with an 18-wheel Freightliner needs commercial trucking insurance, while someone driving for Uber needs a business auto policy.
Bottom Line
To help you get on the road quickly, we’ve taken the time to find the best semi truck insurance companies. As the top insurer of commercial auto in the US, Progressive is our overall best commercial truck insurance company. No matter what type of business and vehicle you have, it has a policy for you.
