Depending on whether you own a box truck to transport your own goods or you’re a for-hire trucker, you may require different types of box truck insurance. In this article we’ll explain what you need to know to get all the right box truck insurance for your situation and reveal the 6 best insurers for box truck insurance coverage.
- The 6 best box truck insurance companies
- What is box truck insurance?
- What kinds of businesses need box truck insurance?
- What kinds of vehicles can be covered by box truck insurance?
- What types of coverage do box truck operators need?
- Am I required to get box truck insurance?
- How much does box truck insurance cost?
- How to find cheap box truck insurance
- Amazon box truck insurance requirements
The 6 best box truck insurance companies
Many insurance companies offer box truck insurance. On a one hand, that’s good since there are many options for you to choose from. On the other hand, it can be confusing and overwhelming since you don’t know where to start. We have done intensive research to find the best providers of box truck insurance. Here are our recommendations for the top 6 to help you narrow your search more effectively.
- Progressive: Best for discounted coverage
- biBERK: Best for low-cost box truck insurance coverage
- Tivly: Best if you want to work with knowledgeable experts for your own situation
- THREE: Best for comprehensive box truck insurance policy at affordable rates
- The Hartford: Best for box truck operators looking for a sound and ethical insurer
- Smart Financial: Best for finding cheap rates for required minimum coverage
- Simply Business: Best for comparing quotes from multiple providers
Progressive: Best Overall and for discounted coverage
Progressive may seem like a less than serious company because of its ongoing series of commercials featuring Flo. You might feel concerned about entrusting your box truck to the insurer.
The truth: It’s a reputable company that’s been offering vehicle insurance for more than 80 years and is the top commercial vehicle insurer in the United States, which is a sign that it’s doing something right. The company is known for its flexibility, great rates, and top-tier service.
Progressive is famous for its discounts, which could help you save on your box truck insurance. You can earn discounts for things like:
- Paying your premium in full rather than monthly or quarterly
- Bundling your insurance
- Having a safe driving record
- Avoiding making claims
- Allowing Progressive to track your driving in real time
- Agreeing to autopay.
Progressive makes it easy to get a quote online or get coverage through a licensed insurance representative.
Pros:
- Market leader in the commercial truck insurance industry
- Excellent reputation and financial strength ratings
- Very comprehensive coverage with high limits
- Best online quoting experience – they offer online quotes to all customers with all special needs and for all types of trucks, including box trucks.
- Several discounts programs can help lower rates
Cons:
- Rates can be higher than others due to their comprehensive coverage
- Consumer satisfaction rating can be improved
biBERK: Best for low-cost box truck insurance coverage
biBERK is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway group, the parent of Geico, so it is safe to assume that they know how to run a low-cost vehicle insurance company. biBERK is the Berkshire Hathaway’s effort to enter small business insurance industry with its direct to customers business model. Similar to Geico, they offer small business insurance, including commercial truck insurance, direct to customers, bypassing agents and brokers. As a result, they are able to reduce costs and pass savings to its customers. In fact, biBERK claims that they are able to save their customers at least 20% on commercial truck insurance premiums.
biBERK is also one of a few companies offering easy and fast online quotes. It shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes to get a quote online with biBERK. If you are happy with the quote, you can proceed to buy the policy and manage the entire policy online as well.
Pros:
- A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway with excellent reputation and financial strength ratings
- Direct-to-customer business model to reduce costs and pass savings to their customers. In fact, they claim that they save at least 20% on premiums for their customers
- Excellent digital experience from getting quotes, buying a policy, and managing the policy completely digitally
- Great customer service support online and on phone
Cons:
- They are not available in all 50 states and DC yet. Drivers in some states may not be able to buy a policy from them
- Coverage limits can be lower than other options. If you compare several quotes, make sure to pay attention to similar coverage limits
Tivly: Best if you want to work with knowledgeable experts for your own situation
Tivly is a national business insurance brokerage. They work with a wide network of agents in all corners of the industry. However special and unique your own situation is, they will be able to find and match you with an agent who is the most knowledgeable and has the most expertise in your field.
Another advantage of working with Tivly is that their agents have to compete for your business. That ensures that the agents will make their best efforts to serve you. All of their agents are independent agents, which means that they do not represent just one carrier, instead, they work with several carriers and will get several quotes for you to compare and choose the best and the cheapest one for you.
Pros:
- An intensive network of knowledgeable and experienced agents
- Best for truckers and trucking businesses that have a hard time finding coverage elsewhere
- Easy to compare several quotes in one place
Cons:
- Limited digital capabilities: no online quotes
- If you don’t like to work with agents on the phone, you should look elsewhere
THREE: Best for small trucking businesses that need just one comprehensive box truck insurance policy to save money
THREE is another subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway and another effort to enter small business insurance industry of the group. They offer a unique and different product. THREE believes that all small and medium businesses, including trucking ones, should have all of their proper protection, in one policy and the policy document shouldn’t be more than 3 pages, and without insurance jargons or fine print exclusions.
As a result, THREE box truck insurance is a very comprehensive policy. The policy is best for businesses that use box trucks and need to have more than just commercial box truck insurance. If a delivery business needs a good commercial truck insurance policy, a good trucking general liability policy, and commercial property insurance as well, THREE would be the best option for you since you don’t need to have 3 separate policies with THREE. You can save a lot of money by having just one comprehensive policy from THREE.
THREE also offers box truck insurance quotes online. It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to get a quote and buy a policy online on THREE website. You should definitely give it a try.
Pros:
- One comprehensive policy for small trucking businesses at affordable rates. No need to have three separate policies
- Straightforward, simple, no insurance jargons or fine print exclusions
- Great reputation and excellent financial strength ratings. A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway
Cons:
- Not available nationwide yet
- If you only need commercial box truck insurance and don’t need other coverages (general liability and commercial property), you may need to work with them to take the other coverages out
The Hartford: Best for box truck operators looking for a sound and ethical insurer
The Hartford is one of the oldest companies of any kind in the United States. It’s been offering insurance solutions for more than 200 years and has helped one million plus businesses with their insurance needs. The company takes pride in the fact that the Ethisphere Institute named The Hartford a World’s Most Ethical Company twelve times. The Hartford’s longevity and focus on ethical business practices makes it a company that you can feel good about doing business with.
The Hartford’s dedicated and highly experienced small business team is available to help company owners explore their commercial insurance options. If you decide to purchase insurance from The Hartford, you can rest assured knowing you’re entrusting your business to a strong, stable, knowledgeable, and ethical provider.
Pros:
- One of the most reputable and ethical insurance companies in the world
- Vast experience in insuring 1 million small businesses in the past 200+ years
- Very comprehensive coverage
Cons:
- Rates can be higher than other options
- Limited digital capabilities. No online quotes available. You have to work with their agents
Smart Financial: Best for finding cheap rates for required minimum coverage
Smart Financial is an insurance brokerage. They have been around for decades, and started out to help people find cheap car insurance, especially those who have a hard time finding coverage elsewhere. They have expanded to help small businesses to find cheap insurance coverage.
If you can only afford to get the minimum coverage that is required by your state law, you may want to work with Smart Financial. That is their area of expertise.
Pros:
- Get several quotes and compare them in one place
- Have access to carriers offering cheap minimum coverage required by the state law, which are not easily accessible otherwise
- Great customer service support. Their agents are very knowledgeable and not pushy to sell
Cons:
- If you like to get quotes from a particular carrier that they don’t work with, you have to look elsewhere
- They don’t handle claims. You have to file a claim directly with the carrier.
Simply Business: Best for comparing quotes from multiple providers
The surest way to get good box truck insurance while saving money on your coverage, is to get quotes from multiple providers. The easiest way to do that is through Simply Business.
Simply Business is a cutting-edge insurance provider. The firm has developed its own state-of-the-art platform, based on its proprietary algorithms, to ensure it is able to connect box truck owners with the coverage they need at the most reasonable price. The platform makes it quick and easy to get quotes from several providers at once, making it possible to compare coverage and premium prices from highly reputable insurers all on a single screen.
The firm’s experts have used their extensive experience to make sure you only have to input the information needed to generate quick and accurate quotes. The entire process should take less than ten minutes.
Once you get your quote, Simply Business makes it easy to purchase box truck insurance online or through an agent. When you get your policy through Simply Business, it’s simple to manage your coverage online, including downloading proof of insurance, filing a claim, renewing your coverage, and more.
Simply Business earns a 4.1 rating out of 5 on Trustpilot, which is very high compared to their insurance provider peers.
Pros:
- Easy to get and compare several quotes in one place
- Work with several carriers that tend to offer affordable rates, who would be difficult for customers to have access otherwise
- Great customer support service
- Great consumer satisfaction rating on trustpilot
- They are backed by Travelers, one of the leading insurance company in the US
Cons:
- If you prefer a particular carrier that they don’t work with, you have to look elsewhere
- You have to file a claim directly with the carrier, Simply Business doesn’t handle claims
What is box truck insurance?
Box truck insurance is business insurance coverage for box truck drivers and businesses that depend on box trucks. It is a more specific commercial truck insurance, specifically for commercial box truck businesses.
What kinds of businesses need box truck insurance?
Many business types need box truck insurance to cover the risks associated with short-haul trucking. The most common industries include:
- Delivery and courier services
- Distributors and wholesalers
- Retail operations.
With the growth of online shopping, more types of businesses now offer delivery service and may need box truck insurance. Many types of small companies depend on box trucks for deliveries, such as bakeries and florists.
What kinds of vehicles can be covered by box truck insurance?
Box trucks are referred to by different names because of the type of cargo they carry or how they’re used. Some common types of box trucks include:
- Cargo cutaway
- Ice box
- Moving truck
- Reefer truck
- Sleeper box
- Tilt cab
If you’re not sure if your truck is considered a box truck, check with one of the insurers on our list.
What types of coverage do box truck operators need?
The box truck insurance coverages you need will depend on whether you carry products for your own business or work as a for-hire trucker.
Businesses that use box trucks to deliver their own goods typically purchase:
- Liability insurance, which covers injuries to other people or damage to their property if you’re found to be at fault in an accident while driving your box truck.
- Physical damage coverage, which pays for repairs to your box truck if you’re involved in an accident or it’s damaged because of a fire, weather, or other covered event. It also covers you if you’re the victim of a vehicle theft.
If you’re a for-hire trucker and your motor carrier provides your liability insurance, you may only need to purchase physical damage coverage along with other box truck insurance coverages like:
- Motor truck cargo insurance, which covers the goods you transport. Learn more at the best motor truck cargo insurance companies.
- Non-trucking liability insurance, which covers your truck when you aren’t hauling goods. Learn more at the best non-trucking liability insurance companies.
It’s also likely that businesses that own box trucks should get these two coverages, as well. The insurers on our list will be able to let you know for sure.
Am I required to get box truck insurance?
Yes. All states require commercial truck insurance for box trucks and other vehicles driven for business purposes.
Learn more about the details of box truck insurance requirements.
How much does box truck insurance cost?
The cost varies and is based on many factors. What you haul in your truck, your driving history, typical travel radius, and the specific coverages, all impact your box truck insurance costs. The three most important coverages that are either required by the state laws or by your clients, shippers or brokers and their average costs are as follows:
| Box truck insurance coverages | Average annual costs |
| Trucking primary liability coverage | $5,000-$14,000 |
| Trucking general liability insurance | $300-$800 |
| Workers comp insurance for truckers | $3,000-$5,000 |
Learn more the details and nuances of how much box truck insurance costs
What’s important is that you get quotes from at least three insurers and compare coverages and costs to ensure you’re getting the best possible coverage at a fair price.
What affects box truck insurance cost?
Many factors affect the final box truck insurance cost, below are a few important factors:
Your box truck’s value
Typically, box trucks with a higher value will require a higher insurance cost. This is understandable because an expensive box truck will cost more in repairs or replacement. Also, older trucks cost more to insure than newer ones. That’s because, as trucks age, there is a big chance that they will develop faults.
To get the correct value of your truck, the insurance company might request for the year, make, the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), and model of your box trucks.
Alternatively, they might just ask for your VIN. That will help them get the information about your vehicle without asking you to enter the values manually.
How many box trucks you want to insure?
The more box trucks in your fleet, the more insurance you’ll need to insure them. Having more box trucks means you have a more considerable risk of loss. As a result, you will have to pay higher insurance costs to cover the risks.
The drivers’ driving records
The type of truck drivers you have is another critical factor determining your box truck insurance cost. Most insurance companies will check to see the age and experience of your box truck drivers to give you a quote. The company might also request documents such as the Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) and the driver’s license of your truck drivers. The MVR provides a report on the driver’s tickets and accidents. It essentially reports the driving record of your drivers. Generally speaking, you might get a cheaper premium if your drivers have a trucking license, lots of truck driving experience, and a clean driving record.
The goods you haul and deliver
Your insurer will want to know what kind of goods you carry to give you the right quotes. Usually, companies that carry expensive items or perishable items will require a higher level of insurance than others. Some insurers do not even offer services to some box trucks that carry certain types of cargo. Also, the type of contract you have with your clients will define the type of rates you get from your insurance company.
Your company’s experience
If you’re a well-established firm that has been in operation for a few years, the insurance provider has more information to examine and data to evaluate. A mature firm with a relatively clean loss record would likely have cheaper rates than a younger one.
Your business’s claim record
Loss run describes the history of all of your losses and claims as a business. If your firm has a history of claims, accidents, traffic citations, or speeding penalties, your rates may be higher. That is because the insurance provider sees your business as a more significant risk to cover. These elements, in their opinion, make it more probable that you may face a lawsuit in the future.
Location
The primary location of your business will also influence your premium. Usually, rural areas tend to have less traffic which means there’s a reduced chance of having accidents. Therefore, you might pay more for your Box Truck Insurance cost if your business is in an urban area. Another critical factor is the distance that your trucks travel for business. The more the travel radius covered by your trucks, the more the chance of accidents and the higher the cost of your premium. So, if your box trucks frequently cross state boundaries, you might pay more irrespective of your location.
The type of insurance that you need
The final factor determining the cost of your premium is the type of insurance coverage you want. Most companies offer basic box truck insurance policies that only cover primary trucking liability, including third-party’s property damage and injuries. The this will cover you for damages your box truck causes to others in an accident.
If you add more coverages such as trucking physical damage, which will covers damages to your box truck and cargo insurance, whcih covers the damages and loss of the cargo that you haul, you will pay more for the policy.
How to find cheap box truck insurance?
Box truck insurance is expensive, but there are ways you can save money so that it doesn’t break your bank account:
- Maintain a clean driving record if you are driving yourself or hire drivers with clean records
- Require driving logs
- Enrolling in a safe-driving program (apps, or other devices to monitor driving). If you are a safe driver, your premiums will decrease accordingly.
- Provide continual safety training and monitoring safety best practices
- Shop around and compare several quotes to find the best rates
- Maintain your vehicles regularly
Learn more at the cheapest commercial truck insurance companies
Box truck insurance requirements
Similar to other types of trucks, all 50 states and DC have box truck insurance minimum requirements, which box truck drivers and businesses need to have before operating a box truck.
All states require trucking primary liability coverage only. Different states have different minimum coverage limits,usually from $150,00 to $300,000.
If you drive across the state lines, you may need to have higher coverage limits required by the The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The FMCSA requires different coverage limits for different classes of box trucks and different cargo types it hauls. Below are the details:
| Types of freight | Minimum coverage limits |
| Non-hazardous freight & vehicles under 10,001 lbs. | $300,000 |
| Non-hazardous freight & vehicles over 10,001 lbs. | $750,000 |
| Oil moved by For-Hire & Private Carriers | $1,000,000 |
| Other Hazardous Material moved by For-Hire & Private Carriers | $750,000 |
Remember that these are just the federal minimum requirements, your states or your shippers and brokers may have higher coverage requirements.
Amazon box truck insurance requirements
Amazon has a huge effect on practically everything, and the trucking industry is no different. Amazon now owns 40,000 semi-trucks, 30,000 vans, and 70 planes. If you want to drive for Amazon, there are a number of requirements you’ll have to meet.
- An active DOT number with interstate authority
- A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rating of “Satisfactory,” “None,” or “Not Rated.”
- Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASIC) scores:
- Unsafe driving below 60%
- HOS compliance below 60%
- Vehicle maintenance below 75%
- Commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate.
- Commercial truck primary liability from at least $1,000,000 million per occurrence, and at least $50,000 for trailer replacement coverage
- Cargo coverage of at least $100,000
- Workers compensation insurance in compliance with the state your company operates from
- Employer liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence
Best box truck insurance in all 50 states and Washington DC
Box truck insurance is a type of commercial truck insurance, that is the reason why you sometimes see another similar term, commercial box truck insurance being used as well. As we know, commercial truck insurance requirements vary by state and different companies operate in different states. If you are interested in finding the best box truck insurance companies in your particular state, although we haven’t done enough research to figure out that level of specifics, we have developed the list of best commercial truck insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington DC below for your consideration. Click on the link embedded in the name of the state will take you to the best commercial truck insurance companies we recommend in that state:
