Illinois truck insurance

Hauling across state lines

Interstate for-hire freight needs the federal set: USDOT number, operating authority (MC), BMC-91 or BMC-91X filed with FMCSA by your insurer, a BOC-3 and at least $750,000 of liability for general freight in vehicles rated 10,001 lbs GVWR or more. See the new authority guide.

Hauling for pay inside Illinois: the Public Carrier Certificate

The ICC says anyone hauling property for hire, other than household goods, over public roads in intrastate commerce in Illinois must get a Public Carrier Certificate — and that federal operating authority from FMCSA does not replace it. According to the ICC:

• the application fee is $50, and you may not operate as a for-hire carrier before the certificate is issued;
• every vehicle used for for-hire hauling must carry a current ICC cab card — $5 per vehicle, bought each year before January 1; carriers that also run interstate and pay UCR are exempt from buying ICC cab cards;
• the certificate stays valid indefinitely while you comply, including keeping insurance on file; a lapse can get it suspended, and you may not operate while it is suspended;
• intrastate-only carriers display the carrier’s name (or logo) and ILL. C. C. number on both sides of the power unit;
• to run under another carrier’s intrastate authority, an equipment lease is filed with the ICC.

What the ICC does not regulate

Illinois law lists transportation outside the ICC’s jurisdiction (625 ILCS 5/18c-4102), including:

• hauling that is incidental to and within the scope of your primary business, when that business is not transportation;
• towing ordered by law enforcement, emergency towing of wrecked or disabled vehicles, and tows requested by the vehicle’s owner;
• certain farm, livestock and agricultural-cooperative hauling, U.S. mail, newspapers, waste with no commercial value going to a disposal site, and drinking water in a container of 1,600 gallons or less.

The ICC asks carriers that rely on an exemption to file a Petition for Certificate of Exemption (form COE-1).

Illinois insurance minimums for the certificate

10,000 lbs GVWR or more, non-hazardous

$750,000

Under 10,000 lbs GVWR

$300,000 for non-hazardous loads; $5,000,000 for any quantity of Class A or B explosives, poison gas or highway route controlled radioactive materials

Oil, hazardous waste, other hazmat

$1,000,000

Explosives, poison gas, radioactive (any quantity)

$5,000,000

Cargo (Form H)

$5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 per occurrence; $5,000 per vehicle for unprocessed farm products, bulk milk, dump-truck loads and ordinary livestock

Both filings come from your insurance company: Form E for liability and Form H for cargo. The ICC accepts a Cargo Insurance Waiver Affidavit instead of cargo coverage only if you never haul cargo worth more than $5,000 in any vehicle and never do a for-hire drive-away of a vehicle worth more than $5,000. Note the line: the ICC table splits at 10,000 lbs GVWR, while the federal tiers split at 10,001 lbs.

Safety rules and USDOT numbers

Illinois adopts the federal safety regulations — including Parts 382, 383, 387, 390–393 and 395–397 — for commercial motor vehicles of 10,001 lbs or more in intrastate as well as interstate commerce, with listed exceptions for intrastate carriers. One of them: the federal minimum driver age of 21 (49 CFR 391.11(b)(1)) does not apply to intrastate drivers (625 ILCS 5/18b-101, 18b-105).

FMCSA’s list of states that require USDOT numbers for intrastate registrants does not include Illinois; trucks of 10,001 lbs or more in interstate commerce need one under federal rules.

Getting truck insurance quotes in Illinois

• USDOT number, MC number if you haul interstate, and your ILL. C. C. number or application.
• For-hire, or hauling for your own business — it decides whether you need the certificate.
• For each truck: VIN, year, make, model and GVWR — Illinois splits its limits at 10,000 lbs.
• What you haul and its value per vehicle — for the cargo filing or a waiver.
• Drivers’ license details and experience, and loss runs from recent insurers.

Running into Indiana too? See the Indiana guide.