What insurance must a US carrier have?

For general freight in interstate commerce, at least $750,000 of liability cover under 49 CFR 387.9. Some hazardous materials need $1,000,000, and the most dangerous $5,000,000.

The FMCSA form on which a carrier names its process agents — people who can accept legal papers for it — in all 48 contiguous states and DC. Without one, the carrier's USDOT number is deactivated.

What does an EU haulier need to carry goods between member states?

A Community licence, issued for renewable periods of up to 10 years, with a certified copy kept in each vehicle — and financial standing of €9,000 for the first vehicle and €5,000 for each one after.

Term

Carrier onboarding

Carrier onboarding is checking that a carrier is licensed, insured and who it says it is before it moves a load. In the US that means its operating authority, at least $750,000 of liability cover for general freight, and process agents on file; in the EU, a Community licence; in the UK, an operator licence.

Also called carrier vetting, carrier setup, carrier qualification, carrier packet, carrier compliance checkUpdated 13 October 2026

What to check, by region

Where	Licence or authority	Money behind it
US	FMCSA operating authority, $300 per type; BOC-3 process agents	Liability cover: $750,000 general freight; $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 for hazmat
EU	Community licence, renewable for up to 10 years; a certified copy in every truck	Financial standing: €9,000 for the first vehicle, €5,000 each extra
UK	Goods vehicle operator licence above 3,500 kg	Fees: £257 to apply, £401 to issue
Saudi Arabia	A licence for any road transport activity	Penalties up to SAR 5,000,000
UAE	A national transport vehicle permit	AED 100 plus AED 10 a tonne of load; UAE insurance

In the US every carrier must name process agents on Form BOC-3 for all 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, and failing to file deactivates its USDOT number. A broker must hold a surety bond or trust fund of $75,000 — a rule in its current form since 16 January 2026 — and if it falls below that and isn't replenished within 7 calendar days, FMCSA suspends its authority. FMCSA has also proposed no longer assigning MC numbers, which would leave the USDOT number as the one identifier.

Worked example: what a 10-truck European haulier must show

Financial standing: €9,000 + 9 × €5,000 = €54,000 · 10 certified copies of the Community licence, one in each truck

Regulation (EC) 1071/2009 sets the money for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes; Regulation 1072/2009 sets the copies. A UAE carrier with one 30-tonne truck would pay AED 100 + 30 × AED 10 = AED 400 for its national permit.

The mistake people make

Trusting the paperwork the carrier sends. FMCSA's fraud guidance says to confirm brokers' and carriers' phone numbers against its SAFER database rather than the number you were given, and warns that even insurance certificates can be fraudulent — check the cover with the insurer, and check the carrier again before each new load, not only at setup.

FAQ