The FMCSA requires trucking companies by law to comply with state commercial trucking insurance regulations. FMCSA mandates that carriers must file the states’ specified insurance forms and policy copies with every state in which they do business. On the surface this can appear a paperwork and logistic nightmare. Contacting the appropriate agencies in each state takes time, even if one attempts to accomplish all that is needed online.

Here is what the FMCSA says on its website on this matter: “Before beginning new or expanded interstate operations, you must contact the appropriate regulatory agencies in all states in and through which you will conduct business to obtain information regarding state rules applicable to interstate motor operations. It is your responsibility to comply with registration, fuel tax, and other state regulations and procedures.

“Transportation agencies in 38 states register interstate authorities under the single state registration system (SSRS). Under the SSRS, as an interstate motor carrier you may register your operation by contacting your base state (principal place of business) and, for one fee, register for all states in which operations will be conducted. If your home state does not participate in the SSRS, you may contact a neighboring state and declare that state your “base” for registration purposes. State SSRS contacts are listed on the following pages.”

Adding insult to injury, FMCSA also notes that “Fuel taxes are levied by the individual state. For more information you must contact the state agency which handles fuel taxes.”

Depending on the helpfulness and streamlining of the process by individual states, the trucking company owner may also have to contact an individual state’s insurance commissioner to determine what its commercial truck insurance requirements are.

Another important insurance related factor is that worker compensation insurance is regulated by the individual states. FMCSA says, “Rules regarding workers’ compensation vary greatly from state to state. You may find it useful to contact the state insurance board for the state in which your business is located. The respective insurance boards should be able to furnish you with detailed information on workers’ compensation rules and regulations. These offices normally are located in the state capital and their telephone numbers may be obtained from the state government section of telephone directories or through local telephone information operators.”

Fortunately, in practice few, if any, truckers perform these gargantuan chores themselves. Commercial truck insurance companies and brokers most often include filing all of the necessary Federal and State insurance forms and policies as part of their services. They will go so far as to interpret the rules and regulations for a trucking company and, depending on its description of its business and intended operations, tell the company exactly what they need in terms of coverage and file the papers for them. Indeed, they will even jump through the Federal hoops necessary to get a trucking company’s DOT numbers and operating authority—usually for a fee of around $600. It’s a fee most truckers are more than willing to pay to be able to avoid the confusing paperwork and government and insurance company bureaucracies.