ServicesPrimary Auto Liability
Primary Auto Liability Insurance in Marietta
Primary auto liability pays for injuries and property damage your trucks cause to others, and it keeps your authority active. We build the policy with care: correct names, VINs, radius and filings, so it holds up when a broker, a shipper or an officer checks it.
The coverage your authority stands on
Every for-hire motor carrier needs primary auto liability before the FMCSA will activate an MC authority. It is the policy that answers when your truck injures someone or damages their vehicle or property. Shippers and brokers also look at it first, and many ask for a limit above the federal minimum before they will load you.
Most liability problems we see do not come from the wrong carrier. They come from small details: a business name on the policy that does not match the DOT record, a truck added by phone but never put on the schedule, a radius that does not reflect where the freight actually goes. In business 5 years, we have learned where those gaps hide, and we check for them before a policy is bound.
What we set up on your liability policy
- 01
Limits matched to your freight and contracts
We confirm the federal minimum for what you haul, then read your broker and shipper agreements to see what they require. You choose the limit knowing both numbers.
- 02
Federal and state filings
We arrange the BMC-91X filing with the FMCSA for interstate work and the state filing if you run intrastate in Georgia. We follow up until the filing shows on the public record.
- 03
MCS-90 endorsement
The required federal endorsement is attached and explained, including what it does and does not do for you.
- 04
An accurate vehicle schedule
Each power unit is listed by year, make and VIN. One wrong digit can leave a truck uncovered, so we check each VIN against the title or registration.
- 05
Certificates of insurance
We issue certificates showing the certificate holder and any extra wording a broker's contract calls for. Names are spelled exactly the way the contract spells them, so the certificate is accepted the first time.
Questions about Primary Auto Liability?
Call(770) 762-4540Signs your liability needs a closer look
Your authority is pending
New MC authority will not go active without a liability filing on record. If the clock is running, this is the first policy to put in place.
Brokers keep rejecting your certificate
Usually the limit is too low, the holder name is wrong or a truck is missing from the schedule. Each one is fixable.
You added or swapped a truck
A new tractor that never made it onto the schedule is one of the most common gaps we find. It should be listed before it runs a load.
Your lanes changed
Moving from local runs around Marietta to regional or long-haul freight changes your radius, and the policy should say so.
Your renewal jumped and nobody explained why
A sharp increase often traces back to a specific violation, claim or change in the rating details. We will walk through it with you line by line.
How we build your policy
- 1
A conversation about your operation
By phone, by video or at our office, we go over your DOT number, your trucks, your drivers, what you haul and where. This takes the guesswork out of the quote.
- 2
Records checked before quoting
We compare your FMCSA record, VINs and driver details to what you told us. Discrepancies get fixed now, not after a claim.
- 3
Quotes explained side by side
You see limits, deductibles where they apply, and the terms that differ between options. We point out what each one leaves out, not only the premium.
- 4
Binding, filings and certificates
Once you choose, we bind coverage, put the filings in place and send certificates to the brokers you name. We confirm the filing posts to the public record before calling the job done.
What shapes your liability premium
Liability is usually the largest part of a trucking insurance bill, and the price depends on how risky your operation looks on paper. We will show you which details are driving your number and which ones you can actually change.
- Driver experience and records
- Years of commercial driving, violations and accidents weigh heavily. Adding a driver with a recent ticket can move the premium more than adding a truck.
- Radius and lanes
- Longer hauls and dense metro corridors carry more exposure than short local runs.
- What you haul
- Some freight carries higher federal minimum limits, and certain commodities are rated as higher risk.
- Limit and number of units
- Higher limits and more power units raise the premium, though not always in a straight line.
- Your safety history
- Time under authority, inspection results and claim history all count. A newer authority is priced differently than an established one.
Questions about primary auto liability
Is primary auto liability the same as commercial trucking insurance?
It is one part of it. Commercial trucking insurance usually means a package, and primary auto liability is the piece that covers damage you cause to others. Your own truck needs physical damage insurance, and the freight needs motor truck cargo insurance.
Does this cover my truck if I hit something?
No. Liability pays for other people's injuries and property. Damage to your own tractor or trailer falls under physical damage coverage, which we can quote at the same time.
I am leased to a motor carrier. Do I need my own?
Usually the carrier you are leased to provides primary liability while you are under dispatch. You would then need non-trucking liability, sometimes called bobtail coverage, for the times you are not. Your lease agreement will tell us which applies.
How long does a filing take to show up?
We put the filing through as soon as the policy is bound, and it typically posts to the FMCSA record within a few business days. We check the public record ourselves and call to let you know when it appears.
What happens if I add a truck mid-term?
Call us before it runs. We add the VIN to the schedule, adjust the premium for the rest of the term and send updated certificates to anyone who needs them.
Get the liability details right from the start
Have your DOT number, VINs and driver list nearby, and we will go through each line with you. You will know what you are buying and why.