Pickup and trailer hauling
Hotshot trucking insurance for pickup and trailer haulers
Hotshot hauling moves time-sensitive loads with a heavy-duty pickup and a flatbed or gooseneck trailer. Kaufman Insurance Group compares hotshot insurance from multiple companies and helps you understand the coverage and filings your customers and regulators expect.
- Primary liability and cargo options
- Physical damage for your truck and trailer
- Help with new authorities and filings
Personal & Commercial · Quick Quotes – Good Rates · Great Companies
As an independent agency, we compare hotshot trucking insurance from the companies we work with. The companies that can quote you depend on your type of business, your operations, where you work, and each company’s own rules.
These logos show some of the insurance companies Kaufman Insurance Group may be able to quote as an independent agency. Showing a logo does not mean the company endorses us. Which companies can offer you coverage depends on the type of insurance, where you live, and each company’s own rules.
The basics
What hotshot trucking insurance is
Hotshot trucking insurance is commercial coverage for drivers who haul freight for hire with a pickup truck and trailer, often for expedited or smaller loads. It combines multiple coverages into a package that fits how hotshot operations work.
Because you are hauling for hire, a personal auto policy will not cover you. If you run under your own authority, you are the motor carrier, and you generally need primary liability with the required filings. Brokers and shippers also usually ask for proof of cargo coverage before they give you a load.
The weight of your truck and trailer combination can affect which rules apply to you, including whether you need a commercial driver’s license and which federal requirements apply. We will help you sort out what applies to your setup.
Your own authority
You carry your own primary liability and filings, plus cargo and physical damage coverage.
Leased onto a carrier
The carrier may provide primary liability under dispatch, and you may need physical damage and non-trucking liability.
Know what you are choosing
Coverages hotshot haulers commonly need
The right mix depends on your authority, your equipment, and the freight you haul.
Primary liability
Helps pay for injuries or damage you cause to others while hauling. Required when you run your own authority.
Motor truck cargo
Helps pay if the freight you are hauling is damaged or lost, up to policy limits and terms.
Physical damage
Helps repair or replace your pickup and trailer after a crash, theft, fire, or other covered loss.
Non-trucking liability
For leased-on drivers, liability when driving without a load or outside of dispatch.
Federal and state filings
The filings needed to keep your operating authority active, submitted by the insurance company.
Trailer coverage
Coverage for trailers you own, and options for trailers you pull that belong to others.
Is it right for you
Who we help
We work with hotshot haulers at every stage.
New authorities
Drivers just starting out who need insurance and filings in place before they can haul.
Experienced hotshot drivers
Operators shopping their renewal or adding equipment.
Equipment and vehicle haulers
Drivers moving machinery, cars, or construction materials on flatbed or gooseneck trailers.
Growing operations
Hotshot businesses adding a second truck or hiring drivers.
Launching a new hotshot authority? Talk with an agent early so your insurance is ready.
How Kaufman helps
How we help hotshot haulers
We explain each coverage in plain words and compare options from the companies we work with.
Share your details
Send your truck and trailer details, driving record, authority information, and the loads and routes you run.
We compare companies
An agent reviews hotshot options and explains limits, deductibles, and filing requirements.
Start hauling
Choose your coverage. We can help coordinate filings and send certificates to brokers and shippers.
We focus on Ohio and North Carolina, and we can also help hotshot haulers in most other states. For semi trucks and leased-on drivers, see owner-operator trucking insurance.
Common questions
Hotshot trucking insurance questions
Can I use my personal auto policy for hotshot hauling?
No. Hauling freight for hire is a commercial activity, and personal auto policies exclude it. You need commercial coverage.
Why do brokers ask for cargo insurance?
Brokers and shippers want to know their freight is protected if it is damaged or lost. Most will ask for proof of motor truck cargo coverage before assigning a load.
Is it harder to insure a new hotshot authority?
New authorities have less history, so fewer companies may be available and pricing can be higher at first. Driving experience and a clean record help. We can compare the options available to you.
Do I need a CDL for hotshot trucking?
It depends on the combined weight rating of your truck and trailer and what you haul. Check the federal and state rules for your setup. Your answer can also affect your insurance options.
What affects the price of hotshot insurance?
Your driving record and experience, the age of your authority, your equipment values, the freight you haul, your routes, and your coverage choices all affect price.
Related coverage
Related trucking and business coverage
Owner-operator trucking insurance
Coverage for semi truck owner-operators, leased on or on their own authority.
Explore owner-operator insuranceCommercial auto and fleet insurance
Coverage for business vehicles that are not hauling freight for hire.
Explore commercial autoGeneral liability insurance
Protection if your business is blamed for injuring someone or damaging their property.
Explore general liabilityCommercial insurance hub
See all the business insurance we can help with, from liability and property to vehicles and contractors.
Explore commercial insuranceReady to insure your hotshot operation?
Start a hotshot insurance quote online, or contact us with questions. An agent will help you compare your options.
Prefer to talk? Call (330) 486-8404.