Motor Carrier General Liability
The company's liability — beyond the trucks.
Motor Carrier General Liability is the general liability policy for the motor carrier or authority holder — the company itself. While truckers GL can be written at the driver or unit level, motor carrier GL covers the business entity: its terminals, offices, dispatch operations, brokerage activity, and the completed-operations exposure that follows the freight you've moved.
What It Covers
Coverage That Fits Your Operation
Motor Carrier General Liability is the general liability policy for the motor carrier or authority holder — the company itself. While truckers GL can be written at the driver or unit level, motor carrier GL covers the business entity: its terminals, offices, dispatch operations, brokerage activity, and the completed-operations exposure that follows the freight you've moved.
For a motor carrier with authority, this is the foundational business liability policy. It responds when a claim isn't about a specific truck in motion — it's about the company, its premises, its people, and its operations.
Business premises liability
Injury and damage at the motor carrier's offices, terminals, and yards.
Operations liability
Coverage for the company's dispatch, brokerage, and logistics operations.
Completed operations
Claims arising after freight has been tendered or brokerage completed.
Products liability
Coverage relevant to carriers handling or storing goods.
Personal & advertising injury
Protection for certain business and advertising liability claims.
Damage to rented premises
Coverage for damage to leased terminal and office space.
Why the authority holder needs its own GL
A motor carrier's primary auto liability covers trucks on the road, but the company has liability exposures that have nothing to do with a moving vehicle — a visitor injured at the terminal, a brokerage error, or property damage at a leased facility. Motor Carrier GL is the policy that covers the entity. Without it, these claims fall on the company directly or get forced into an auto policy that wasn't built for them.
How motor carrier GL is priced
Motor carrier GL is rated on gross revenue, operations, number of locations, and claims history. A small carrier with one terminal often pays $2,000–$6,000 per year for a $1M policy; larger carriers with multiple locations and brokerage revenue scale higher. Umbrella layers above $1M are common for fleets and brokers.
Common Endorsements & Add-Ons
- Broker/3PL coverage. Extends GL to freight brokerage and logistics operations.
- Additional insured — contracted parties. Add shippers, warehouses, and partners as required by contract.
- Employees as additional insured. Coverage extensions for leased-on operators where appropriate.
- Umbrella / excess. Layer higher limits above the primary GL for fleet and broker operations.
Motor Carrier GL FAQ
Motor Carrier GL — Your Questions
It covers the company's non-auto liability — injuries at your terminal, brokerage and operations errors, completed-operations claims, and damage to rented premises. Auto liability only covers the truck on the road. Motor carrier GL covers the business itself.
Many shipper and broker contracts require motor carriers to carry GL at specified limits (often $1M). Even where it's not contractually required, it's foundational protection for any authority holder with a terminal, office, or brokerage operation.
They overlap, but motor carrier GL is written for the company/entity and its broader operations (brokerage, offices, completed work), while truckers GL can be more unit- or operation-specific. For a carrier with authority, motor carrier GL is typically the primary business liability policy. We structure the right form for your operation.
Ready to Bind Motor Carrier General Liability?
Get a specialized trucking liability quote. We shop A-rated carriers and structure the right limits — usually within one business day.