The most common reason a trucking quote takes days instead of hours is a missing document. Underwriters send incomplete applications back. Here is what to gather before you start.
Your company
- Legal business name, address and how long you have operated under that name
- U.S. DOT and MC numbers, if you have them
- What you haul, how far you run and the main cities or regions you travel through
Your drivers
- Full name and date of birth
- Driver license number and state
- Years of experience and date of hire
- Motor vehicle reports (MVRs), if you have recent ones
Your equipment
- Year, make, model and VIN of every truck and trailer
- The value you want each unit insured for, including attached equipment
- The lender or lienholder on each financed unit
Your insurance history
- Loss runs from your current and prior insurance companies. Underwriters usually want them dated within the last three months
- Your current policy expiration date and the limits you carry now
- Whether any policy was cancelled or non-renewed in the last three years
Helpful extras
- IFTA reports, which support your mileage
- Your written safety and hiring procedures
- Year-end financial statements for larger operations
If you do not have everything, apply anyway and tell us what is missing. We will tell you what the underwriter can work without.
This article is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Coverage depends on the policy that is issued, and requirements can change. Confirm current federal rules at fmcsa.dot.gov.