The short answer
Fleet and trucking insurance covers a group of commercial vehicles, usually trucks, tractors and trailers, along with the drivers and the freight they carry. It brings together liability, physical damage, cargo and sometimes regulatory filings. Insurers rate it on safety records, driver files, equipment and lanes. A licensed broker with trucking experience prepares the submission and approaches suitable insurers.
- For-hire carriers hauling freight within a province, across Canada or into the United States
- Owner-operators leased to a carrier, and carriers who contract with them
- Private fleets, such as a retailer or a distributor running its own trucks
- Growing businesses adding their fourth, tenth or fiftieth unit
- Fleets with an insurer that raised the renewal sharply or declined to continue
2 licensed brokers in the network handle this. In Alberta, Canada, a request for fleet and trucking insurance can be offered to up to three of them, chosen because they are licensed for this line and place. They are test brokers while we are in demo.
See the brokers → Outside Alberta, Canada you can prepare and save a request today; sending opens place by place. Brokers answer with their own quotes. Broker.insure does not quote, advise or take commission.
01 / What it covers
The parts worth understanding
Primary liability
The protection when a truck injures someone or damages property. Because of the size of the vehicles, this tends to be the central question, and limits are often set by customer contracts, brokers and shippers as well as by law.
Physical damage
Repair or replacement of tractors, trucks and trailers after a collision, fire or theft. Ask how values are set for older units and whether trailers you do not own are included.
Motor truck cargo
Freight in your care, which is a separate protection from liability. Ask what commodities are accepted, what is excluded, whether refrigerated loads and spoilage are covered, and how limits apply per truck and per loss.
Non-trucking liability
Aimed at an owner-operator leased to a carrier, it responds when the truck is being used for personal purposes rather than under dispatch. Ask the carrier what its own policy covers and where this one begins.
Trailer interchange
Covers trailers you pull under a written agreement with another party. Without it, damage to a trailer in your care can be your problem.
Cross-border and regulatory filings
Runs into the United States may need forms, proof of insurance or a separate policy structure that differ from domestic ones. Ask what each jurisdiction requires and who files it.
Related covers
Many fleets also need general liability for the yard and office, workers' compensation set by the province, environmental protection for spills, and equipment breakdown for refrigeration units. Ask which of these the policy discussion includes.
02 / Get ready
Bring this, and expect these questions
Gather
- A unit schedule listing year, make, model, vehicle identification number, value and garaging location for every tractor, truck and trailer
- Driver list with licence class, years of experience, date of hire, and records for each
- Your carrier profile or safety rating where the province or the United States issues one, and any recent inspection results
- Loss runs from current and prior insurers, usually for the last several years
- Operating radius, the main lanes and states or provinces entered, and whether you cross the border
- The commodities you haul, including anything refrigerated, hazardous or high-value
- Written safety, hiring and maintenance policies, and any telematics, cameras or driver scoring in place
- Contracts with shippers or brokers that set insurance requirements
- Details of owner-operators or subcontractors, and the agreements you hold with them
A broker will ask
- How many units do you operate, what types are they and how old are they?
- How are drivers hired, trained, supervised and reviewed, and what does each driver's record show?
- What do you haul, and are any loads hazardous, refrigerated or of unusually high value?
- What are your main lanes, and how often do you run into the United States?
- What does your safety rating or inspection history look like?
- Do you use owner-operators or subcontractors, and under what agreements?
- Which contracts set minimum limits or require named additional insureds?
- What has changed in the fleet or the operation since last renewal?
Not sure of an answer? Leave it. "Not known yet" is a fine answer, and a broker will help you fill it in.
03 / Build your request
Answer a few questions. Get your own list.
Pick what fits. Your answers shape the list beside them, and they are saved to your request as plain facts a broker can read. "Not sure yet" is always a fine answer.
04 / Three situations
See which one sounds like yours
A regional carrier with twelve tractors
A family-owned hauler in southern Ontario runs twelve tractors and twenty trailers, mostly on routes within the province, with an occasional run to Michigan. Its insurer has told it the renewal will change substantially after two accidents in the last year.
First steps. Prepare current loss runs, a unit and driver schedule, and a short explanation of what was done after each accident. A broker with trucking experience can approach insurers that look at fleet controls and not just the claims, and explain what documents they want first.
An owner-operator leased to a larger carrier
A driver in Saskatchewan owns his tractor and hauls under the authority of a carrier, who requires him to hold certain cover. He is unsure which of his policy and the carrier's covers him when he drives home or runs a personal errand.
First steps. Obtain the lease agreement and the carrier's insurance requirements in writing, and note when the truck is used outside dispatch. Ask the broker how non-trucking liability fits with the carrier's policy and which pieces the agreement says are his to buy.
A grocery distributor with its own trucks
A distributor in Winnipeg runs eight refrigerated straight trucks to supermarkets across the province. Product spoilage after a breakdown has been a worry, and the existing cargo policy was set when the business had half as many trucks.
First steps. List the units, the temperature-controlled loads and the typical value of a truck of product. Ask the broker how spoilage after a refrigeration failure is treated, what limits apply per load, and whether a private fleet is rated differently from a for-hire carrier.
05 / Words you will hear
The jargon, in plain words
- Loss runs
- A report from an insurer listing every claim on your account for a set period, with dates and amounts paid. A new insurer will almost always ask to see them.
- Power unit
- A tractor or truck that provides the motive power, as opposed to a trailer it pulls. Fleet schedules and underwriting forms count these separately from trailers.
- Motor truck cargo
- Protection for the freight in your care while it moves, as distinct from harm your truck does to others. Limits and excluded goods are set by the wording.
- Trailer interchange
- A protection for a trailer you pull under a written agreement with its owner. Without it, damage to that borrowed trailer could fall on your business.
- Non-trucking liability
- Protection for a leased owner-operator when the truck is used off dispatch, such as driving home. The carrier's own policy generally applies only while on assignment.
06 / Common mistakes
What trips people up
- Giving a broker a unit list without current driver records, then having a submission delayed or declined.
- Describing the operation as local when trucks regularly cross provincial or national borders.
- Assuming cargo is covered by liability or the reverse.
- Leaving an owner-operator's own insurance and the carrier's policy unreconciled.
- Not telling the broker about a safety or inspection issue and letting the insurer find it elsewhere.
- Moving to a new insurer at renewal without confirming claims reporting rules, which can complicate an open loss.
Ready when you are
Turn this into one clear request.
Save it, add what you know, and choose when to send it. A licensed broker who handles fleet and trucking insurance takes it from there.
07 / Questions people ask
Straight answers
What does fleet insurance cover?
It brings several commercial vehicles under one arrangement, usually including liability, physical damage to each unit, and often cargo for trucking operations. Some fleets add trailer interchange, non-trucking liability for owner-operators and cross-border filings. A licensed broker can describe how each part is arranged for your operation and what the insurer will want to see first.
What is the difference between motor truck cargo and liability insurance?
Liability covers what you owe others for injury or property damage caused by your truck. Motor truck cargo covers the freight you are carrying on behalf of the shipper. They protect different people and are written with different limits and exclusions. A shipper contract will often specify the minimum for each.
Do owner-operators need their own insurance?
Usually yes, but what they need depends on how they operate. A leased owner-operator may be required by the carrier to hold liability, physical damage and non-trucking liability, while the carrier's own policy covers dispatched trips. Read the lease and ask the broker to explain where each policy applies.
How do insurers decide fleet insurance rates?
They look at the safety record, driver history, equipment, what is hauled, where and how far you operate, and loss history. Management practices such as hiring standards, maintenance and telematics also matter. A broker can show which of those the insurer weighs most and how to present them clearly, without promising a result.
Do I need extra cover to drive into the United States?
Often some filing, proof of insurance or a policy structure for American runs is needed, and requirements differ by state and by the nature of the freight. Tell the broker how often and where you travel, and ask who handles the filings. Do not assume a domestic policy automatically meets cross-border rules.
What can I do if my fleet insurer will not renew?
Start early and ask for the reasons in writing. A broker can prepare a clear submission with loss runs, the corrective steps taken and a driver schedule, then approach insurers that write higher-risk trucking. Terms may be stricter, so also ask about the conditions of each offer and how the record could improve.
General information, not insurance advice. Broker.insure is a directory and request service: it is not an insurer and does not quote, bind or advise. Policy terms, availability and what is required where you live depend on your situation and on licensed professionals. Updated 2026-10-31.