HaulCarrier Insurance Statistics
Every carrier with active for-hire FMCSA operating authority is supposed to keep liability insurance on file. Using the public FMCSA authority register, this study counts how many active for-hire authorities actually have a liability (BIPD) insurance amount recorded — and how many do not. These are public filing records, not a determination that any carrier is uninsured or operating unlawfully.
The headline numbers
Among 328,575 carriers holding active common (for-hire) operating authority, 16,938 have no BIPD liability insurance amount recorded in the public authority register (dataset 6eyk-hxee).
Liability insurance on file vs. not
Split of the 328,575 active for-hire authorities by whether a BIPD liability insurance amount is recorded. The smaller “no amount on file” group is the one worth watching — but, again, it reflects what is filed, not verified coverage.
Show data table
| Filing status | Authorities | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Liability amount on file | 311,637 | 94.8% |
| No liability amount on file | 16,938 | 5.2% |
Other filing gaps
Show data table
| Filing signal | Carriers |
|---|---|
| Active contract authority, no liability amount on file | 2,056 |
| Cargo insurance required, no cargo filing on file | 50,314 |
| Bond required, no surety bond on file (may be met by a trust) | 206,268 |
The bond figure is shown for completeness only: brokers and freight forwarders can satisfy the financial-responsibility requirement with a trust fund (form BMC-85) instead of a surety bond (BMC-84), so a missing surety-bond filing does not mean the requirement is unmet. We deliberately do not headline it.
Why this matters — and why you can’t find it elsewhere
SAFER and other lookup tools show a single carrier’s current insurance status one USDOT at a time. Because HaulReport aggregates the entire authority register, we can answer the population-level question — how many active for-hire carriers have no liability amount on file? — and, by keeping a daily history, track when carriers file, lapse, or face revocation over time. For the surprising answer to who those carriers are, see our breakdown of carriers without insurance on file by state (most are cross-border, not U.S., carriers). Follow the movement on our daily authority change feed.
Frequently asked questions
- How many trucking companies have no insurance on file with the FMCSA?
- Of 328,575 carriers with active common (for-hire) operating authority, 16,938 — about 5.2% — have no liability (BIPD) insurance amount recorded in the public FMCSA authority register. This is a filing-record signal: insurance filings can lag and a blank amount is not proof a carrier is uninsured or operating unlawfully.
- What is BIPD insurance for trucking?
- BIPD stands for Bodily Injury and Property Damage liability insurance. The FMCSA requires for-hire motor carriers to keep a minimum level of BIPD coverage on file (commonly $750,000, and higher for hazmat) as a condition of active operating authority. The public authority register records the coverage amount a carrier's insurer has filed.
- How many carriers have no cargo insurance on file?
- 50,314 carriers in the authority register are flagged as cargo-insurance required but show no cargo filing on file. Cargo-insurance requirements vary by authority type and commodity, so this count is a filing-status signal rather than a measure of who is under-insured.
- Where does this insurance data come from?
- From the public FMCSA Licensing & Insurance (L&I) authority register (dataset 6eyk-hxee), which records each carrier's operating-authority status and the insurance and bond amounts filed on their behalf. HaulReport aggregates it; we do not set or verify the filings themselves.