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Trucking Insurance in Tennessee

Tennessee requires motor carriers to file liability insurance or a bond for department approval before an intrastate permit is issued; intrastate common carriers also file cargo insurance. The Department of Revenue requires Form E and requires Form H for general freight, household goods, and mobile homes, so identify the freight class before applying. 1,2,3

What Is Trucking?

Trucking coverage can address liability, damage to your trucks and cargo losses, but one quote may not include all three. If you haul goods for customers or yourself, compare those protections and check whether the quote needs motor-carrier or other commercial auto coverage. Read the national Trucking guide.

Tennessee Requirements

RequirementDetails
Intrastate for-hire authorityDepartment-approved liability policy or bond filed before permit issuance 2,3
Common-carrier cargo insuranceSeparate cargo policy/Form H for general freight, household goods, or mobile homes 1,2

What to Watch for in Tennessee

  • File Insurance Before Seeking Intrastate Authority

    Tennessee will not issue or keep an intrastate carrier permit in force until the Department approves liability insurance or a bond. The state’s application page says the insurer—not just the applicant—must furnish Form E, so confirm delivery and approval before scheduling Tennessee-only loads. 2,1

  • Add Form H For The Freight Tennessee Lists

    Tennessee requires cargo Form H for carriers hauling general freight, household goods, or mobile homes. Check the commodities on your authority application and make sure the insurer files cargo proof for each category that applies. 1

  • Keep Common-Carrier Cargo Coverage Continuous

    Tennessee’s motor-carrier rule requires common carriers of property to keep cargo coverage in force and requires 30 days’ written cancellation notice to the Commissioner. Ask the agent to coordinate renewal and cancellation endorsements with the permit record so a policy change does not leave a gap. 3

  • Separate The Tennessee And Federal Filing Tracks

    Tennessee directs Form E filings for intrastate authority to the state, while the state rule assigns interstate filings to the U.S. Department of Transportation. If your trucks cross the state line, make sure the authority and insurer filing are active in both systems. 1,3,4

Who Regulates Insurance in Tennessee

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance

TDCI regulates and licenses insurance companies, agents, brokers, surplus-lines agents, and public adjusters. Its complaint process accepts complaints about agents or companies when the policy was written in Tennessee, and its property/casualty unit reviews filed policy rates, rules, and forms. 5,6,7

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 5% of gross premium plus 0.175% SLAS transaction fee For Tennessee-home-state surplus-lines policies, TDCI lists a 5% tax on gross premium and a 0.175% SLAS transaction fee on gross premium; the agent receives an invoice and pays both through SLIP. The sources reviewed do not establish that the fee is always separately charged to the policyholder or resolve guaranty-association treatment, so ask your broker to itemize charges and review the policy notice. 8,9

Providers With Documented State Licenses

No provider in Spot’s research documents both a state license record and this coverage line. This does not establish that providers are unlicensed. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm availability with a provider when requesting a quote.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Tennessee

  1. Has Tennessee approved the insurer’s Form E before our intrastate permit is issued?
  2. Do our loads include general freight, household goods, or mobile homes that require Tennessee Form H?
  3. What liability and cargo amounts does the Department require for our vehicle and commodities?
  4. If our trucks cross the state line, are both the Tennessee and FMCSA filings current?

Trucking in Tennessee: FAQ

Does Tennessee require insurance before issuing intrastate motor-carrier authority? 2,3

Yes. The Department must approve liability insurance or a bond before issuing the permit; intrastate common carriers also need cargo insurance. 2,3

Which Tennessee freight carriers need Form H cargo insurance? 1

The Department of Revenue lists general-freight, household-goods, and mobile-home carriers as needing Form H cargo proof. 1

Trucking in Other States

Other Coverage in Tennessee

Sources

  1. Intrastate Authority. Tennessee Department of Revenue; Application documents and insurer-filed Forms E and H by freight type. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Tennessee Code § 65-15-110: Liability Insurance Requirements. Tennessee General Assembly, reproduced by Justia; § 65-15-110(a): approved liability and common-carrier cargo insurance before permit. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. Tennessee Rules 1340-06-01-.06: Insurance. Tennessee Secretary of State; Rule 1340-06-01-.06(1)(a): continuous common-carrier cargo proof and 30-day cancellation notice. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  4. Insurance Filing Requirements. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Federal property-carrier limits and filings. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  5. tennessee insurance regulator. State insurance regulator; TDCI official insurance-division and consumer pages describe department scope, review units and complaint role. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. TDCI Agent/Producer Resources. State insurance regulator; Agent Licensing Section licenses producers, business entities, surplus-lines agents, brokers, and public adjusters; page links to Verify License. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. File an Insurance Complaint. State insurance regulator; TDCI accepts online complaints about insurers and agents only for policies written in Tennessee; third-party claimants are directed to call. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Surplus Lines Filing Procedures. Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance; Tax Payments section: 5% gross premium plus .175% of gross premium SLAS transaction fee; agents receive quarterly invoices and pay via ACH in SLIP. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Tennessee Public Chapter 446 (2011), T.C.A. §56-14-113. Tennessee Secretary of State; Current tax framework enacted in §56-14-113: 5% applies when Tennessee is the insured’s home state; tax collected from insured in addition to premium. Read with current TDCI filing-procedure page for current fee and SLIP handling. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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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