Texas New Authority Insurance. Get Your MC Active.
Starting a trucking company in Texas? Your authority does not go active until insurance is on file. We shop 10+ carriers that write new ventures and handle your federal and TxDMV filings when you bind, so you can start hauling.
- ✓ We shop 10+ carriers that write new ventures
- ✓ Federal and TX filings handled when you bind
- ✓ Flexible down payment options
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Start Full Quote →Steps to Activate a New Texas Trucking Authority
Get Your USDOT Number and MC Authority
Register with the FMCSA for a USDOT number. If you haul other people’s freight across state lines for pay, you also apply for MC operating authority and file a BOC-3 to name your process agents.
Bind Primary Liability and File Proof
Your authority does not go active until proof of insurance is on file. For general freight the FMCSA minimum is $750,000 in primary liability, and many brokers require $1,000,000. Once you bind, your carrier files your federal proof of insurance with the FMCSA.
Register With TxDMV for Texas Intrastate Loads
If you run commercial vehicles over 26,000 lbs on loads that stay inside Texas, you also need a TxDMV number. Your insurer files your Form E with TxDMV, and the minimum for most carriers over 26,000 lbs is $500,000 in liability ($1,000,000 to $5,000,000 for certain hazmat).
Finish Your First-Year Setup
Most new carriers also need UCR registration, and interstate trucks over 26,000 lbs need IRP plates and IFTA. Expect an FMCSA new entrant safety audit during your first 12 months, so keep driver files, logs and maintenance records in order from day one.
Starting Out in Texas
Texas is one of the biggest trucking markets in the country, from Port of Houston drayage and Laredo cross-border freight to Permian Basin oilfield work and distribution loads on I-35, I-10, I-20 and I-45. New carriers here often start with one truck and a dry van, flatbed or hotshot setup. Tell us what you plan to haul and we will match you with carriers that write that work.
What Carriers Look At for New Ventures
- ✓CDL experience for you and any drivers you hire
- ✓Your driving record (MVR) and any past claims
- ✓The trucks and trailers you will run, with VINs and values
- ✓What you haul and how far (operating radius)
- ✓Where the trucks are garaged
More Texas Coverage
We also serve Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio, Laredo, all of Texas and new authority insurance. Renewing an existing policy instead? Compare your renewal →
Texas New Authority FAQs
Do I need a TxDMV number and a USDOT number?+
If you cross state lines, you need a USDOT number and, for most for-hire freight, MC authority. If you run vehicles over 26,000 lbs on loads that stay inside Texas, you also need a TxDMV number, and your insurer files your Form E with TxDMV. Many carriers need both.
How much is the down payment on new authority truck insurance in Texas?+
It depends on the carrier, your coverage limits, your CDL experience and what you haul. Down payments for new ventures are often higher than for established carriers, so we shop 10+ carriers to find workable down payment and payment plan options.
Can I get insured with less than two years of CDL experience?+
Some carriers will quote newer drivers, usually at a higher rate or with tighter rules on what you can haul. Tell us your experience on the quote form and a licensed agent will tell you which carriers will write you.
When does my authority go active?+
Your MC authority activates once the FMCSA has your insurance filing and BOC-3 on file and your application clears review. We handle your insurance filings when you bind, so your part is getting your paperwork to us complete.