Quick Answer
Artisan and Truck Insurance Company provides commercial truck insurance with FMCSA-required minimums starting at $750,000 BIPD for general freight carriers. Their 2026 rates average 8-12% below industry standard, with monthly payment options available. The company focuses on owner-operators and small fleets with 1-10 trucks.
What Is Artisan and Truck Insurance Company
Artisan and Truck Insurance Company operates as a specialty commercial trucking insurer serving owner-operators and small fleet operators across 48 states. Founded in 2019, they've grown to insure over 12,000 commercial vehicles as of March 2026.
The company targets specific niches in trucking insurance. They won't write policies for new authorities under 90 days or carriers with serious violations in the past 24 months. Look, they're picky about who they'll cover, but that keeps their rates competitive for clean drivers.
Here's what sets them apart: same-day certificates and direct relationships with surplus lines carriers. A dispatcher from Phoenix called us last week needing coverage by 5 PM for a load pickup. Artisan and Truck had them covered in two hours.
Their underwriting focuses heavily on CSA scores and driver records. They'll decline applications from carriers with Unsafe Driving or Hours of Service scores above 65%. That's stricter than most insurers, but it explains their lower premium structure.
Coverage Types Offered by Artisan and Truck in 2026
Artisan and Truck provides the standard commercial truck insurance coverages required by FMCSA regulations. Their primary liability coverage meets federal minimums: $750,000 for general freight, $750,000 plus $5,000 cargo coverage for household goods movers, and up to $1 million for specific hazmat operations.
Physical damage coverage includes both collision and comprehensive protection. Their comprehensive policies cover theft, vandalism, fire, and weather damage with deductibles ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Collision coverage starts with $2,500 deductibles for trucks valued under $150,000.
Here's the thing: they don't offer every coverage type. No passenger transport insurance, no heavy hazmat over $1 million limits, and no coverage for carriers hauling explosives or radioactive materials. They stick to dry van, flatbed, and refrigerated freight operations.
Motor truck cargo insurance comes standard with most policies. Coverage limits range from $25,000 to $250,000 depending on the freight type. Trust me, that $250,000 limit isn't enough for high-value electronics loads, but it works fine for most general freight operations.
Non-trucking liability coverage protects drivers when operating under their own authority. This costs an additional $400-600 annually but covers you when driving the truck for personal use or deadheading without a load.
Artisan and Truck Premium Rates and Payment Options
Artisan and Truck's 2026 premium rates run approximately 8-12% below industry averages for qualified carriers. A clean owner-operator with a late-model truck typically pays $8,400-$11,200 annually for $1 million primary liability plus physical damage coverage.
Their rate structure rewards experience and safety records. Drivers with 5+ years of experience and no violations in 36 months qualify for their lowest tier pricing. New CDL holders or drivers with recent violations pay 25-40% higher premiums.
Payment options include annual lump sum, quarterly, or monthly installments. Monthly payments add a $25 processing fee per month, making the annual option $300 cheaper over 12 months. They also offer automatic bank draft with a 2% discount on total premiums.
Look, here's something most carriers don't know: Artisan and Truck offers a 90-day rate lock for new quotes. That means your quoted premium won't increase for three months, even if your carrier profile changes. A carrier from Memphis used this to shop around and still came back to their original quote.
Down payments typically range from 15-25% of annual premium. Carriers with excellent credit and safety scores can qualify for 10% down payment options. They run credit checks on all applicants and factor credit scores into their underwriting decisions.
How to Contact Artisan and Truck Insurance
Artisan and Truck Insurance maintains customer service operations Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 7 PM Central Time. Their main customer service line is 855-ARTISAN (855-278-4726) for policy inquiries and claims reporting.
Claims must be reported within 24 hours of incidents. Their claims hotline operates 24/7 at 855-278-4726, extension 3. They require police report numbers for all collision claims and photos of vehicle damage within 48 hours of incidents.
Policy certificates and endorsements can be requested through their online portal at artisanandtruck.com. Certificate requests typically process within 2-4 hours during business days. Emergency certificates outside business hours incur a $75 expedite fee.
For new quotes, they prefer working through licensed insurance brokers rather than direct sales. This keeps their overhead lower and passes savings to policyholders. You can request quotes through Full Coverage Truck Insurance or use our get a free quote system to compare their rates against other carriers.
Comparing Artisan and Truck to Other Trucking Insurers
Artisan and Truck's rates typically run 8-12% below major trucking insurers like Progressive Commercial and National Interstate. However, their underwriting standards are significantly stricter, declining approximately 40% of applications compared to 25% industry average.
Great West Casualty and CIG offer broader coverage options including heavy hazmat and passenger transport. Artisan and Truck focuses exclusively on general freight, refrigerated, and flatbed operations. This specialization allows them to price more aggressively in their target markets.
Claims handling sets them apart from budget insurers. Their average claim settlement time is 18 days compared to 31 days industry average according to 2026 FMCSA data. They handle most claims in-house rather than outsourcing to third-party administrators.
Here's what truckers tell us: Artisan and Truck's customer service beats the big carriers, but they're less flexible on coverage modifications. A fleet owner from Dallas wanted to add a truck mid-policy and had to wait until renewal. Progressive would have handled that same day.
Their financial strength rating from A.M. Best sits at B++ (Good), which is solid but not exceptional. Compare that to Great West's A- rating or National Interstate's A rating. The difference matters if you're concerned about long-term claim paying ability.
When to Consider Alternative Insurance Providers
Consider alternatives to Artisan and Truck if your operation doesn't fit their underwriting profile. New authorities under 90 days, carriers with recent violations, or fleets over 25 trucks should look elsewhere. They simply won't write those risks.
Hazmat carriers need higher liability limits than Artisan and Truck provides. Their maximum $1 million coverage falls short of requirements for many chemical or petroleum products. Carriers hauling flammable liquids typically need $5 million limits minimum.
Geographic limitations also matter. They don't write coverage in Alaska or Hawaii, and their rates in California run 15-20% higher than their standard pricing. West Coast carriers often find better deals with regional insurers like Canal Insurance or Employers.
Look, if you need flexible payment terms or frequent policy modifications, bigger insurers serve you better. Artisan and Truck keeps costs low by limiting administrative changes and maintaining strict underwriting guidelines. That rigidity doesn't work for every operation.
Alternative providers worth considering include Canal Insurance for West Coast operations, Northland Insurance for new authorities, and CIG for fleets needing multiple coverage types. You can compare all these options through our new authority insurance page or check out more insights on our trucking insurance blog.
The bottom line? Artisan and Truck works great for established owner-operators and small fleets with clean records operating standard freight. Everyone else needs to shop around. Use our free carrier lookup tool to check your safety scores before applying anywhere.
Reviewed by Nazar Mamaev, TRIP, CDS, TRS — Full Coverage LLC