Freight Broker Insurance Requirements for Carriers (2026)
Federal law asks a for-hire carrier hauling general freight for $750,000 of auto liability. Six of the seven large brokers we checked publish more: $1,000,000 of auto liability and $100,000 of cargo. Below is each broker's requirement, taken from its own website, with the date we checked it.
Updated November 4, 2026.
Insurance Minimums by Broker
Each row comes from the broker's own carrier page. A broker that does not publish a number is listed as "not published" - ask it for its carrier packet before you book. Brokers can change these at any time.
| Broker | Auto liability | Cargo | Other conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.H. Robinson | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | Authority active 7+ days; safety rating Satisfactory or Unrated. $1,000,000 auto liability became a certification rule after the May 2026 Supreme Court ruling. | C.H. Robinson carrier FAQchecked 2026-11-04 |
| TQL | $1,000,000 (more where local law requires) | $100,000 | Insurance verified directly with the carrier's agent, and monitored for lapses and cancellations. | TQL carrier vetting pagechecked 2026-11-04 |
| RXO | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | At least 3 months in business as a carrier. | RXO carrier registrationchecked 2026-11-04 |
| Echo Global Logistics | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | Active operating authority; safety rating Satisfactory or Unrated. | Echo carrier sign-upchecked 2026-11-04 |
| Arrive Logistics | $1,000,000 per occurrence | $100,000 per occurrence | General liability $1,000,000 per occurrence; workers comp at statutory limits. | Arrive freight termschecked 2026-11-04 |
| Uber Freight | $1,000,000 per occurrence | $100,000 per shipment | Reefer breakdown for reefer carriers; general liability $1,000,000; broker and shipper as additional insureds; insurer rated A-VII or better by A.M. Best. | Uber Freight carrier agreementchecked 2026-11-04 |
| J.B. Hunt | Federal minimum ($750,000); no higher J.B. Hunt number published | Not published | Specialized or high-value loads may need more cargo insurance; trailer interchange may be required. | J.B. Hunt carrier requirementschecked 2026-11-04 |
Hauling for Amazon? Its rules are longer - see our Amazon Relay insurance requirements.
Why Brokers Raised Their Minimums
Status as of November 4, 2026.
On May 14, 2026 the Supreme Court decided Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC (No. 24-1238). It held that federal law does not block a state claim that a broker carelessly hired the carrier in a crash. Brokers lost the defense they used to raise, so the carrier they pick, and its insurance, now matters more to them.
On July 23, 2026 a Dallas County, Texas jury returned a $604 million verdict in a crash case involving C.H. Robinson, the broker on the load. The trial judge upheld it on October 16, 2026, and C.H. Robinson says it is appealing, so the result can still change. C.H. Robinson says it added new carrier criteria, including $1 million auto liability, less than a week after the Supreme Court ruling. For the broker's side of these rulings, see freight broker insurance after Montgomery and our freight broker resource kit.
What to Check When a Broker Rejects Your Certificate
Check these four things on your certificate, in this order.
- 1. The auto liability limit
If your certificate shows $750,000 and the broker asks for $1,000,000, the load is gone until the limit goes up. The fix is a higher limit on your policy, or an excess layer above it.
- 2. Cargo limit and exclusions
Brokers read the cargo limit and the exclusions. A $100,000 limit with a reefer breakdown, unattended vehicle or named commodity exclusion can still fail their review if the load falls under it.
- 3. The certificate holder and additional insured wording
Follow each broker's own instructions. Uber Freight, for one, asks for Highway as the certificate holder and for the broker and shipper as additional insureds. A certificate that misses the broker's wording can be rejected even when the limits are right.
- 4. The insurer's financial rating
Some brokers set a minimum A.M. Best rating for your insurer; Uber Freight's agreement asks for A-VII or better. If yours is rated lower, the fix is a different market, not a different certificate.
Still under the line? We quote $1,000,000 auto liability and $100,000 cargo across the markets we are appointed with. See truckers liability insurance and cargo insurance.
Get a quote that meets broker minimumsBroker Insurance Requirements FAQ
What insurance do freight brokers require from carriers?
Six of the seven large brokers we checked publish $1,000,000 of auto liability and $100,000 of motor truck cargo, more than the federal $750,000 minimum for general freight. J.B. Hunt's page cites only the federal minimum. The table on this page lists each broker's number from its own website, with the date we checked it.
Is $750,000 enough to haul for brokers?
It meets the federal minimum for general freight, so you can legally operate. It does not meet the $1,000,000 that C.H. Robinson, TQL, RXO, Echo, Arrive and Uber Freight publish, so their loads stay closed to you. To book their loads, you need $1,000,000.
Does C.H. Robinson require $1 million?
Yes. C.H. Robinson's carrier FAQ asks for $1,000,000 of auto liability and $100,000 of cargo, and in June 2026 it listed $1 million auto liability among the criteria it added after the Supreme Court's May ruling. Checked on the date shown in the table.
Why did my broker reject my certificate of insurance?
Usually one of four things: the auto liability limit is under the broker's minimum, the cargo limit or an exclusion does not fit the load, the certificate names the wrong holder or misses additional insured wording, or the insurer's rating is below what the broker accepts. Send us the rejection and we will tell you which one.
Why are brokers asking for more insurance in 2026?
Two events raised the stakes for brokers. In May 2026 the Supreme Court ruled in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II that federal law does not block claims that a broker carelessly hired a carrier, and in July 2026 a Dallas County jury returned a $604 million verdict involving C.H. Robinson. C.H. Robinson says it added new carrier criteria, including $1 million auto liability, less than a week after the ruling.
Where These Facts Come From
Sourced 10 of 10Key federal requirements on this page, linked to the law they come from.
- 1.A for-hire carrier hauling general (non-hazardous) freight interstate in a vehicle of 10,001 pounds or more must carry at least $750,000 of liability coverage. 49 CFR 387.9 · checked 2026-10-01
- 2.C.H. Robinson lists $1,000,000 of automobile liability and $100,000 of cargo liability as proof of insurance for carriers, and names $1 million auto liability among the updated criteria it added after the Supreme Court's decision. C.H. Robinson, carrier FAQ and "New carrier safety measures" (June 5, 2026) · checked 2026-11-04Post-ruling criteria: https://www.chrobinson.com/en-us/resources/blog/new-carrier-safety-measures/
- 3.TQL's minimum required coverage for carriers is $1,000,000 auto liability, except where local law requires more, and $100,000 cargo. TQL, carrier vetting · checked 2026-11-04
- 4.RXO's carrier registration asks for at least 3 months in business, cargo insurance of at least $100,000 and auto insurance of at least $1,000,000. RXO, carrier registration · checked 2026-11-04
- 5.Echo's carrier sign-up asks for active authority, a Satisfactory or Unrated safety rating, and a certificate showing at least $100,000 cargo and $1,000,000 auto coverage. Echo Global Logistics, carrier sign-up · checked 2026-11-04
- 6.Arrive's freight terms require carriers to carry at least $1,000,000 general liability, $1,000,000 auto liability and $100,000 motor truck cargo per occurrence, plus statutory workers compensation. Arrive Logistics, freight terms and conditions · checked 2026-11-04
- 7.Uber Freight asks carriers for at least $1,000,000 auto liability and $100,000 cargo with reefer breakdown for reefer carriers; its carrier agreement adds $1,000,000 general liability, additional insured status and insurers rated A-VII or better by A.M. Best. Uber Freight, carrier insurance requirements and broker-motor carrier agreement · checked 2026-11-04Agreement: https://www.uber.com/us/en/legal/uber-freight-broker-and-motor-carrier-agreement-for-united-states-and-canada/
- 8.J.B. Hunt's carrier page says carriers must meet the federal minimum of $750,000 auto liability, that brokers may set their own requirements, and that specialized or high-value loads may need more cargo insurance. J.B. Hunt, carrier requirements and onboarding · checked 2026-11-04
- 9.On May 14, 2026 a unanimous Supreme Court held that the FAAAA does not preempt a claim that a company negligently hired a motor carrier. The Act's motor vehicle safety exception saves it. Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC, No. 24-1238 (U.S. May 14, 2026) · checked 2026-11-04Docket: https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24-1238.html (judgment issued June 15, 2026).
- 10.C.H. Robinson reported a July 23, 2026 Dallas County jury verdict of $604 million that found it negligently hired the motor carrier and put 23 percent of the damages on it, and said it intends to appeal. C.H. Robinson Form 10-Q for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2026 (filed Oct. 30, 2026) · checked 2026-11-04
Get the Limits Brokers Ask For
Tell us which brokers you haul for. We quote the limits they require and send each broker a certificate in its own name.