Anyone into trucking will agree the business is more dangerous now than it was in the past. Box trucks are one of those trucks mostly affected by huge risks. Trucks in this category are best described as the heroes of the haulage and transportation industry. They pick up where rail and tractor-trailer shipments leave, transporting merchandise from warehouses, depots, and distributors or transporting supplies and equipment to the job site.
If you own one or more of these trucks, you must keep your investment safe by getting insurance coverage. Generally speaking, box truck insurance cost varies between $800 to $2,500 per box truck per month.
The wide range is because different companies offer different quotes after carefully considering several factors. This article considers box insurance cost in general and everything you need to know regarding the cost.
- How much does box truck insurance cost?
- What factors affect box truck insurance cost?
- How to save money on box truck Insurance?
- Who needs box truck insurance?
- Box truck insurance companies
How much does box truck insurance cost?
There are no ideal rules that state how much box truck insurance should cost. The cost varies from one trucking company to another and also depends on the carrier involved. The vast disparity is because box trucking companies differ and different drivers will have different rates. Therefore, when considering the price for your box truck insurance, your insurance company will put together all the factors peculiar to your business.
That said, box trucking businesses in the US can expect to pay an average of $912 per month, or $10,944 per year, per truck for their commercial box truck insurance. These costs are general estimates based on our general market survey. In reality, depending on the several factors that we describe in detail below, you might get higher or lower prices for your box truck insurance premium.
Box truck business might need other coverages. Below are some estimates of other coverages that a box trucking business may pay:
| Box truck insurance coverages | Average costs |
| Trucking primary liability insurance | $5,232 per year |
| Trucking general liability insurance | $396 per year |
| Cargo insurance | $1,476 per year |
| Physical damage insurance | $2,208 per year |
| Non-trucking liability insurance, or also called bobtail insuance | $432 per year |
| Workers comp insurance for truckers | $2,698 per year |
- Learn more about trucking general liability insurance at the best trucking general liability insurance companies.
- Cargo insurance is optional. However, it is usually required by the shipper or the broker
- Physical damage insurance: Depend on the value of your box truck. It is usually at 3-5% of your box truck value. Learn more about the trucking physical damage companies
- Learn more about bobtail insurance at the best bobtail insurance companies.
- Learn more about workers comp insurance for truckers at the best workers comp insurance for truckers.
Whether you are an owner-operator or you own a growing fleet of box trucks, you should make sure to shop around to find the best rates for your box truck insurance coverage.
Getting quotes from a few carriers or working with a top trucking insurance broker like Simply Business, Commercialinsurance.net, or Smart Financial to have them get several quotes for you to compare and choose the cheapest one. Progressive, biBERK, and THREE are the only three carriers offering trucking insurance quotes online. It shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes to get a quote on their websites. Starting with their online quotes may be a good idea.
If you only drive a few days a week or a month, you definitely want to get quotes from InsurePro, a newer provider offering flexible pay-per-day truck insurance coverage. You only pay for coverage when you are on the road.
Average box truck insurance cost per month
The average box truck insurance cost is $912 per month. This includes trucking primary liability, bobtail, trucking physical damage, and truck cargo insurance. Below are the breakdown of the average cost for each coverage:
| Box truck insurance coverages | Average cost |
| Trucking primary liability insurance | $536 per month |
| Bobtail insurance | $36 per month |
| Trucking physical damage insurance | $204 per month |
| Truck cargo insurance | $133 per month |
26 foot box truck insurance cost
The average cost of 26 foot box truck insurance is $475 per month. This is only for trucking primary liability coverage. A comprehensive truck insurance policy for a 26 foot box truck, including all coverages listed above, is $946 per month. The cost varies significantly depending on several factors that we discuss in details below.
16 foot box truck insurance cost
The average cost of a trucking primary liability insurance policy for a 16 foot box truck is $415 per month. A comprehensive insurance policy for a 16 foot box truck, including all coverages listed above, is $820 per month. The cost varies depending several factors such as driving history, location, driving radius, the type of cargo, etc. which we discuss in details below.
Amazon box truck insurance cost
More and more truck owners operators choose to drive for Amazon Relay program because the program offers several benefits. These truck owners operators have to secure box truck insurance satisfied Amazon requirements. Truckers who drive for the Amazon Relay program usually drive a 26-foot truck.
The average cost of Amazon box truck insurance is $952 per month. 2 different Amazon box truck drivers always have two different insurance costs. They actually vary significantly depending several factors that we discuss below.
How much is box truck insurance in Florida?
Location is an important factor to determine the box truck insurance cost. Insurance costs vary by state and Florida is actually one of the states with the most expensive box truck insurance.
The average cost of box truck insurance in Florida is $1,024 per month, about $112 more expensive than the national average. The primary driver of higher box truck insurance costs in Florida is trucking primary liability coverage. Florida has the highest rate of uninsured or underinsured drivers in the country. If a box truck is involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, even if the other driver is at fault, the box truck insurance company still needs to pay for the liability cost first. In many cases, they are not able to recover the full expense. And that is the reason why they have to increase the rates to make up for this.
What factors affect box truck insurance costs?
Generally speaking, the following factors affect the cost of box truck insurance or commercial truck insurance for box trucks.
The value of your box trucks
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.
Number of box trucks you have
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.
Your truck drivers
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 kind of goods you haul
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.
How long has your company been in operation
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.
Loss-runs
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.
The location of your business
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 property damage and injury liability. The property liability will cover you for damages to your box truck in cases of accident. On the other hand, the injury liability will cover for injuries or damages to someone else in an accident caused by your box truck.
Although these policies will work, they are insufficient to give you all the protection you need. As a result, you will need a few other policies to offer you additional protection. Some of these other coverages you will need include the following:
- Comprehensive damage policy covers all forms of perils, including fires, theft, and other risks covered by the policy.
- Collision policy: this covers damages to your truck due to accidents.
- Cargo insurance policy: this covers for loss or damage of your cargo
- Non-trucking liability coverage
- Other policies
These additional policies do not come for free. They extend the level of risk that the insurance company has to carry. Therefore, they attract come at a higher fee. The more additional policies you have, the more you will need to pay.
How to save money on box truck insurance?
Box truck insurance can be expensive, considering the risks involved in the business. However, using the following methods, you might save some money and reduce what you pay for box truck insurance cost.
Hire drivers with good driving history:
As discussed earlier, box truck insurance costs are less if your company has drivers with clean records.
Buy bundle packages
If you would be buying additional policies to your basic box truck insurance, it is better to buy everything together. Most companies offer discounts to clients that buy multiple policies at once.
Commit to a yearly payment
Insurance companies would allow you to pay for your monthly or yearly premiums. However, you might get up to a 10 or 20% discount when committing to a yearly plan. While this makes it cheaper, it also means you will be stuck with the provider for the whole year.
Look around for the best quote
The best way to find cheap box truck insurance is to look for it. If you have the time, request quotes from as many companies around you. Compare the costs and find the one that you can afford. However, be wary of insurance policies that seem too good to be true. In some cases, a ridiculous fee might signal that the provider does not offer the best service.
Working with a top truck insurance broker like Simply Business, commercialinsurance.net, or Smart Financial is a good way to make sure you are getting several quotes with similar coverages to compare and select the cheapest one. biBERK and Progressive are the only two carriers that offer a fast box truck insurance quote online. It shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes to get a quote on their websites, so it might be worth it. If you just need box truck insurance for a few days, you should definitely get pay-per-day truck insurance from InsurePro. They are the only provider offering flexible truck coverage in which you only pay when you are on the road.
Learn more where to find commercial truck insurance quotes and the best commercial truck insurance brokers
Ask about discounts
Insurance companies might lower your price for a variety of reasons. In most cases, they might tell you about your options. But then, if they don’t mention it, you can inquire about the discounts that they provide.
Learn more at the cheapest commercial truck insurance companies.
Who needs box truck insurance?
Firstly, a box truck is a commercial vehicle with separate cargo and cab compartments. The truck’s name comes from the fact that the vehicle’s cargo room is designed like a box. Although these trucks look like delivery or step vans, they are usually much larger. Another distinction is that you can only access a box truck’s cargo box from the back or side doors rather than the cab. Other trucks that fit within the category of box trucks are:
- Cube trucks
- Cube vans
- Dry freight
- Dry vans
- Medium-duty vans
- Straight trucks
If you have one of these box trucks, you need at least a minimum liability insurance. Most states require that you meet the minimum liability coverage requirements stated by the state laws. Your box truck must meet the minimal criteria for the state in which it is registered.
You can also get additional coverages to help safeguard your truck and your business from other potentially costly damages if you want to. The following are examples of typical enterprises that require box truck insurance or straight truck insurance:
- Contractors and builders
- Couriers
- Furniture delivery companies
- Movers
- Retail and wholesale distribution
- Transportation companies
- And many more.
Learn more about the box truck insurance requirements
How to find cheap box truck insurance?
Box truck insurance is expensive, but it is a critical protection for your trucking business and you must have it. The good news is that there are several ways for you to save money:
- Maintain a clean driving record or only hire drivers with clean records
- Require, maintain, and monitor driving logs
- Enroll in a safe-driving program (apps, or other devices to monitor driving), especially if it is offered by your insurance companies. If you are a safe driver, your premiums will decrease and you will save money thanks to your good driving habit.
- Provide continual safety training and monitor safety best practices of your drivers
- Shop around with several companies to find the best rates
- Maintain your vehicles regularly
Box truck insurance companies
There are many companies offering commercial truck insurance for box trucking businesses, whether a single box truck owner-operator or a fleet of box trucks.
We have done the research and recommend the top 6 providers of box truck insurance companies for your consideration.
- Progressive: Best overall and best for several discount programs
- biBERK: Best for low-cost coverage thanks to its direct-to-customer business model
- Simply Business: Best for comparing several quotes to find the cheapest one
- THREE: Best for small delivery business using box trucks – saving money by having one comprehensive policy for the entire business instead of several policies
- Smart Financial: Best for finding cheap coverage for minimum requirements
- Tivly: Best if you prefer working with an experienced agent
Progressive: Best Overall and best for several discount programs
Progressive is the biggest carrier insuring commercial trucks in the country. They are a household name for personal vehicle insurance. They have vast experience in insuring both personal and commercial vehicles.
Pros:
- Market leader in 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 that 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 coverage
biBERK is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, the parent company of Geico. So they know how to operate a successful vehicle insurance company. They specialize in insuring small businesses with their direct-to-consumer business model to cut costs and reduce rates for their customers.
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
Simply Business: Best for comparing several quotes to find the cheapest one
Simply Business is an insurance brokerage. They specialize in serving small businesses and help them find the cheapest quotes possible. They work with 30+ carriers, some of whom may not be well-known but these carriers offer affordable rates. They make sure all carriers they work with have excellent financial strength ratings.
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
The cheapest box truck insurance company
The truth is that there isn’t the cheapest box truck insurance company for everyone, universally. The cheapest box truck insurance for you may offer a very expensive rate to another driver. Insurance companies have different underwriting models and they view risks differently.
The only way for you to find out who offers you the cheapest box truck insurance quote is to gather quotes from a few companies to compare and choose the best and the cheapest one for you. In our research, biBERK seems to often offer more affordable rates and Simply Business offers several quotes for you to compare. So you should at least start with these two.
Box truck insurance quotes
You can get box truck insurance quotes directly from the carriers or through an insurance brokerage. If you want to get box truck insurance quotes directly from the carriers, you can either get it online or work with their agents. Most carriers do not offer online quotes for box trucks. In our intensive research, these three carriers offer online quotes: Progressive, biBERK, and THREE.
You can also get box truck insurance quotes by working with an insurance brokerage. If you want to compare several quotes in one place, your best bet is to work with an insurance brokerage. In our experience, Simply Business and Smart Financial are the two good one.
Box truck insurance requirements
Similar to other types of commercial trucks, all states have specific box truck insurance requirements. If you are new and just started your trucking business with a box truck, you need to research to know the minimum requirements of your state. All states, including Washington DC, require you to at least have trucking primary liability coverage. Different states have different minimum coverage limits, usually from $150,000 to $500,000. Some shippers and brokers will require you to have non-trucking liability and cargo coverage too. And if you want to protect your box truck, the most valuable asset of your business, you should have trucking physical damage coverage too.
If you drive across states, you need to have coverage limits satisfying the federal minimum requirements.
Minimum coverage limits depend upon the freight you haul and the size of your trucks, including box trucks. The absolute least amount of coverage you could have and still maintain minimum limits is $300,000.
| 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 become more and more popular as an online retailer. They have employed more and more delivery services to fulfill their orders. As a result, more and more people start their delivery business by delivering for Amazon. If you want to get into this business, you need to have a box truck and Amazon has specific insurance requirements for all box truck drivers to deliver for them. Below are the details:
- Commercial trucking 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 for your truckers in compliance with the state your company operates from
- Employer liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence
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