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Cargo Insurance in Maine

Maine’s §1611(2)(A) sets a $350,000 combined single limit for for-hire freight or merchandise vehicles in intrastate-exempt or federally exempt service, subject to paragraph E. Paragraph E lists a rental-truck alternative for vehicles with registered gross weight of 26,000 pounds or less rented or leased for fewer than 30 days: $125,000 combined single limit or $50,000/$100,000 bodily-injury and $25,000 property-damage split limits. Paragraph G separately sets $750,000 for intrastate commercial motor vehicles for policies executed, delivered, issued, continued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. Because G does not cross-reference E, confirm with the insurer which tier applies to an eligible short-term rental. These are vehicle-operation liability limits, not cargo cover. 1,2

What Is Cargo And Transit?

Cargo coverage fits a shipper protecting goods it owns or a carrier responsible for another party’s goods. The quote needs to match who bears the loss, the shipment route and storage stops. Read the national Cargo and transit guide.

Maine Requirements

RequirementDetails
Intrastate commercial motor-vehicle liability$350,000 combined single limit under paragraph A for for-hire freight/merchandise vehicles in intrastate-exempt or federally exempt service, subject to paragraph E. E provides a rental-truck alternative for a truck with registered gross weight of 26,000 pounds or less rented or leased for fewer than 30 days: $125,000 combined single limit or split limits of $50,000/$100,000 bodily-injury liability and $25,000 property-damage liability. Paragraph G separately sets a $750,000 combined single limit for intrastate commercial motor vehicles; PL 2025, c. 107 applies it to policies executed, delivered, issued for delivery, continued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. G does not expressly cross-reference E, so confirm which amount applies to an eligible rental truck. Neither tier is a goods-policy limit. 1

What to Watch for in Maine

  • Classify the Route Before Comparing Limits

    Separate the statutory categories before comparing limits: paragraph A sets $350,000 for qualifying for-hire freight/merchandise service and expressly excepts paragraph E; E permits a rental truck with registered gross weight of 26,000 pounds or less, rented or leased for fewer than 30 days, to use $125,000 combined single limit or $50,000/$100,000 bodily-injury plus $25,000 property-damage limits. Paragraph G separately sets $750,000 for intrastate commercial motor vehicles for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, but does not refer to E. Ask the insurer which rule governs the rental and keep the vehicle-liability terms separate from goods value. 1

  • Check the Carrier’s Declared-Value Option

    A Maine bill-of-lading or transport-agreement value cap is allowed only if rates depend on value and the consignor is advised of and offered the chance to declare more. It is ineffective for conversion to the carrier’s own use; keep the written selection. 2

  • Read the Contract’s Claim Procedure

    Maine allows reasonable claim-presentation and action-timing provisions in a bill of lading or transport agreement. Request those terms before loading and keep a copy with the inventory and delivery record. 2

  • Quote Your Goods Interest Separately

    Maine §1611 describes required insurance or bond as liability for damages arising from vehicle operation. It does not state whether your own stock, equipment or customer property is insured; identify the owner and request a separate cargo proposal. 1,2

Who Regulates Insurance in Maine

Maine Bureau of Insurance

The Maine Bureau of Insurance licenses producers and companies, enforces Maine insurance laws, and investigates property and casualty complaints including commercial coverage complaints. You can use its state lookup or complaint service to check a license or raise an insurance issue. 3,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 3% of gross direct premium when Maine is the insured's home state Maine charges 3% of gross direct premium when it is the insured's home state; your broker handles the tax and may include it with the premium. Surplus-lines policies are outside Maine guaranty-association protection. Maine generally requires a diligent search, with an exempt-commercial-purchaser exception requiring broker disclosure and the purchaser's written request. 6,7,8

Providers With Documented State Licenses

These providers publish a national listing for Cargo and transit; the state records document licenses for the entities and roles shown below. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in Maine. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • CorgiCorgi Insurance Services, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28Corgi’s company producer-license table lists 50 jurisdictions: 49 states and the District of Columbia, including DC license 3003091619. New Mexico does not appear in the table and is not included here; the omission does not establish that Corgi is unlicensed there. The company-reported table has no stated as-of date and does not establish product availability. 11

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Maine

  1. Which paragraph covers this service: for-hire freight in intrastate-exempt/federally exempt service under A, or an intrastate commercial motor vehicle under G? If this is a rental truck at or below 26,000 pounds registered gross weight hired for fewer than 30 days, which statutory limit does the insurer apply and why?
  2. Does the rate depend on declared value, and what written value and claim terms are in the bill of lading?
  3. Whose inventory, equipment or customer property is moving, and what separate policy would protect that goods interest?

Cargo And Transit in Maine: FAQ

Does Maine’s $750,000 commercial-vehicle limit insure cargo for $750,000? 1,2

No. Maine §1611(5) describes the required policy or bond as liability insurance for damages arising from operation of a motor vehicle. Review the bill of lading and ask for a separate goods-policy quote for the value you want protected. 1,2

When can a Maine carrier cap liability at a stated value? 2

When rates depend on value and the consignor is advised of and given an opportunity to declare a higher value. The cap does not apply to conversion to the carrier’s own use. 2

Cargo And Transit in Other States

Other Coverage in Maine

Sources

  1. 29-A M.R.S. §1611, Insurance, Bond or Self-Insurance Required. Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes; §1611(2)(A), (E), (G), (5); PL 2025, c. 107 §§1-2, including Jan. 1, 2026 policy applicability; official 2026 second-session Laws compilation checked for later §1611 amendments. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. 11 M.R.S. §7-1309, Duty of Care; Contractual Limitation of Carrier’s Liability. Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes; §7-1309(1)-(3); PL 2009, c. 324, Pt. A, §2. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Maine Bureau of Insurance. Maine Bureau of Insurance; Homepage and commercial insurance resources. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Insurance License Lookup. Maine Bureau of Insurance; State-designated producer/company search. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. File an Insurance Complaint. Maine Bureau of Insurance; State complaint process and contact. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. 36 M.R.S. §2531. Maine Legislature; 36 M.R.S. §2531(1)-(2), current page: home-state basis; 3% tax; producer pays on chapter 19 surplus lines. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. 24-A M.R.S. §4433. Maine Legislature; Surplus-lines contracts excluded from guaranty association. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. 24-A M.R.S. §2002-A. Maine Legislature; ECP disclosure and written-request procedure. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  10. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  11. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  12. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  13. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  14. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  15. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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