The business carries goods, its own or a customer's, and the auto policy does not pay for them

Car hauler insurance

A car hauler paid to move other people's vehicles is a for-hire carrier, and ISO's business auto form excludes the cars it carries; a cargo endorsement answers for them. 49 CFR 387.9 sets $750,000 of liability for interstate for-hire carriers of non-hazardous property at 10,001 lb GVWR and up, with no auto-hauler row, and FMCSA's filing chart, updated March 26, 2026, prints $0 for cargo. The hauler answers for the cars under 49 U.S.C. 14706 (2023 edition) and Utah Code 72-9-401 (amended 1998). Progressive's Utah-filed cargo endorsement Z434 (02/19) never pays an auto hauler's pre-existing damage and makes coverage depend on a signed inspection document before loading.

What insurance do I need to haul cars?

A car hauler paid to move other people's vehicles is a for-hire carrier, and its liability floor turns on the route and the truck's weight rating. 49 CFR 390.5T, the definitions section eCFR prints in force as of October 1, 2026, says a for-hire motor carrier is "a person engaged in the transportation of goods or passengers for compensation." For interstate hauling, 49 CFR 387.9 sets $750,000 for a for-hire carrier of non-hazardous property with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 lb or more, and the schedule has no separate row for vehicles carried as cargo.

A lighter rig has a lower federal floor: 49 CFR 387.303T(b)(1)(i) sets $300,000 for a fleet of only vehicles under 10,001 lb GVWR carrying non-hazardous property. Inside Utah, Utah Code 31A-22-304 sets $30,000 per person, $65,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage on every policy issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, and Utah R909-1-4 states a $750,000 figure for intrastate private carriers but none for intrastate for-hire general freight; as of October 12, 2026 that figure is an open question.

Cargo cover for the cars is not a federal requirement: FMCSA's insurance filing chart, last updated March 26, 2026, prints $0 under cargo for for-hire non-hazardous property carriers. Set the cargo limit against the highest value of a full load and any limit a dealer, auction or broker names in writing.

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 5

Does my truck insurance cover the cars I'm hauling?

A car hauler's truck insurance pays for damage the rig does to others, not for the vehicles loaded on it. ISO's business auto form CA 00 01 11 20 excludes property damage "involving property owned or transported by the "insured" or in the "insured's" care, custody or control," and the federal MCS-90 endorsement, as the 2017 print of 49 CFR 387.15 shows it, "does not apply to injury to or death of the insured's employees while engaged in the course of their employment, or property transported by the insured, designated as cargo." A carrier's policy may use a later edition of CA 00 01 or its own form, so read the exclusions in the policy being quoted.

ISO's garagekeepers endorsement lists the activities it covers, and transporting a customer's car is not one of them. ISO's CA 99 37 10 13 pays for loss to a customer's auto left in the insured's care "while the "insured" is attending, servicing, repairing, parking or storing it in your "garage operations"," and Redoubt reads hauling the car as outside that list; the endorsement's own definition of garage operations is the place to check. Cover for the vehicles on the deck comes from a motor truck cargo form; Progressive's Utah-filed Z434 (02/19) is one that writes auto haulers into its wording.

Sources: 9, 10, 11, 19

Is a car hauler insured the same way as a tow truck?

Utah Code 72-9-102(8) defines a tow truck by its purpose, towing or removing damaged, disabled, abandoned, seized or impounded vehicles, and Utah R909-19-5 sets its liability floor. Utah Code 72-9-102(8), in the version effective May 6, 2026, defines a tow truck as a motor vehicle equipped "primarily for the purpose of towing or removing damaged, disabled, abandoned, seized, or impounded vehicles," and Utah R909-19-5, last changed October 22, 2024, requires a tow truck motor carrier to carry at least $750,000 per occurrence for emergency moves and $1,000,000 for non-emergency moves. Moving vehicles for dealers, auctions and buyers is not among the purposes that definition lists.

49 CFR 390.5T names a third operation, driveaway-towaway: "an empty or unladen motor vehicle with one or more sets of wheels on the surface of the roadway" moved between manufacturers, dealers and buyers, to a repair facility, or by saddle-mount or tow-bar. Tell the insurer which of these the business does, and in what share.

Car hauling, towing, driveaway and garage keeping, side by side
OperationWhere the rule or form defines itWhat it says
Hauling cars for pay49 CFR 390.5T and 387.9; Progressive's Z434 (02/19)For-hire carriage; $750,000 interstate at 10,001 lb GVWR and up; loading and unloading defined for auto haulers
Towing or removing disabled vehiclesUtah Code 72-9-102(8); Utah R909-19-5A tow truck; $750,000 per occurrence for emergency moves, $1,000,000 for non-emergency moves
Driveaway-towaway49 CFR 390.5TAt least one set of the vehicle's wheels stays on the road
Holding a customer's car at a shop or lotISO CA 99 37 10 13, garagekeepersCovers the car while attending, servicing, repairing, parking or storing it; transport is not listed

Sources: 12, 13, 2, 1, 3, 19, 11

Who is responsible if a car is damaged during transport?

Federal and Utah statutes make a car hauler liable for loss or damage to the vehicles it carries. 49 U.S.C. 14706(a)(1), in the 2023 edition of the U.S. Code, makes an interstate carrier liable "for the actual loss or injury to the property," and Utah Code 72-9-401(1), last amended in 1998, makes a motor carrier moving property between two Utah points liable for "any loss, damage, or injury to the property caused by the motor carrier," and 72-9-401(1)(b) says "A contract, receipt, rule, regulation, or other limitation of any character whatsoever may not exempt the motor carrier from this liability."

Progressive's cargo endorsement Z434 (02/19), filed for use in Utah on December 6, 2019, pays a hauler's liability only under a written shipping document. Z434 pays for loss "that you are legally liable to pay as a trucker under a written: bill of lading, tariff document, rate confirmation sheet, shipping receipt, or contract of carriage," and excludes any property for which none of those "has been issued, or which is carried gratuitously or without charge."

Z434 excludes damage already on a vehicle at pickup and makes coverage depend on a signed inspection before loading. Z434 says "With respect to auto haulers, we will not pay for pre-existing damage to vehicles being transported by the insured," and "the insured auto hauler must provide to us a signed inspection document attesting to the condition of covered property before loading." Write up and sign each vehicle's condition before it goes on the trailer, and keep the document with the bill of lading.

Sources: 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20

What should I ask about car hauler cargo insurance?

Progressive's Utah-filed cargo endorsement Z434 (02/19) has two terms written for auto haulers: loading a car under its own power and damage already on a car at pickup. Z434 extends loading and unloading for auto haulers to "moving a motor vehicle under its own power solely for the purpose of loading or unloading it from the insured auto, but no more than one road mile from the insured auto," and excludes pre-existing damage to vehicles an auto hauler transports.

Four general cargo terms in Z434 also matter on a full car trailer; ask about each in the form being quoted:

  • Value: Z434 pays the least of legal liability, declared value, the shipper's repair or replacement cost "not including any claim for diminution of value," or the cargo limit.
  • Full trailer: Z434's cargo limit applies per occurrence "Regardless of the number of insured autos or trailers involved."
  • Storage: Z434 excludes property left on an insured auto at any location "for more than 72 hours."
  • Scratches: Z434 excludes "marring or scratching" without damage to an insured auto, and Progressive's Cargo Plus A439 (01/25), filed in Utah February 7, 2025, narrows that exclusion to contamination.

Sources: 19, 20, 24, 25, 23, 21, 22

What do I send for a car hauler insurance quote, and what happens next?

Redoubt asks a car hauler for the rig, the load value, the USDOT and MC numbers, the radius and the drivers. Text Redoubt the list below; the first reply is a conversation about the liability limit, the cargo limit, and what the cargo form says about loading, inspection and scratches.

  • The rig: truck year, make, model, GVW and value, the trailer type and value, and the number of car slots
  • The highest value of a full load, and the kind of vehicles carried
  • USDOT number, and the MC or docket number if you have one, with the vehicle and driver counts SAFER shows
  • How far the vehicles go: a local radius or long distance
  • Every driver: name, date of birth, licence number and class
  • Who you haul for (dealers, auctions, brokers or private owners), any cargo limit they ask for in writing, and the date coverage has to start

Sources: 26

Frequently asked questions

Does FMCSA require $1 million of insurance for car haulers?

No. 49 CFR 387.9 sets $750,000 for for-hire interstate carriers of non-hazardous property at 10,001 lb GVWR and up; its $1,000,000 row is for oil and hazardous materials. Ask any dealer, auction or broker that names a higher limit for it in writing.

Do I need an MC number to haul cars?

For interstate hauling for pay, FMCSA's FAQ, last updated May 20, 2023, says "In general, companies that do the following are required to have interstate operating authority (MC number) in addition to a DOT number," and lists "Operating as for-hire carriers (for a fee or other compensation)."

Sources

Where these answers come from

Each entry carries the exact words of the source so you can check it yourself. Forms, rules and carrier pages change; read the current version before acting.

  1. 1. 49 CFR 390.5T, definition of for-hire motor carrier, eCFR
    “For-hire motor carrier means a person engaged in the transportation of goods or passengers for compensation.”
    ecfr.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. The T section is the text eCFR prints in force; the unsuffixed 390.5 is marked suspended since January 14, 2017 and again on July 21, 2026.
  2. 2. 49 CFR 390.5T, definition of driveaway-towaway operation, eCFR
    “Driveaway-towaway operation means an operation in which an empty or unladen motor vehicle with one or more sets of wheels on the surface of the roadway is being transported:”
    ecfr.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. Same pull. Six cases follow: between manufacturer's facilities; manufacturer to dealer or purchaser; seller or lessor to purchaser or lessee; to a terminal or repair facility after a crash; the same for a component failure; "By means of a saddle-mount or tow-bar." The contrast with a car hauler is Redoubt's reading of the definition.
  3. 3. 49 CFR 387.9, schedule of limits, rows 1 and 3, eCFR
    “For-hire (In interstate or foreign commerce, with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds) Property (nonhazardous) $750,000”
    ecfr.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. Versioner API, 2026-10-01 point in time. Row 3, $1,000,000, covers "Oil listed in 49 CFR 172.101; hazardous waste, hazardous materials, or hazardous substances"; rows 2 and 4, $5,000,000. No row names vehicles or auto haulers. No suspension note on 387.9.
  4. 4. 49 CFR 387.303T(b)(1)(i), vehicles under 10,001 lb GVWR, eCFR
    “Fleet including only vehicles under 10,001 pounds (4,536 kilograms) GVWR Property (non-hazardous) $300,000”
    ecfr.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. Versioner API, 2026-10-01 point in time. The T section is the text eCFR prints in force; the unsuffixed 387.303 prints the same row and is marked suspended since January 14, 2017 and again in 2019.
  5. 5. FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements, chart row for for-hire property carriers
    “For-Hire Property Carriers (Non-Hazardous) GVWR ≥ 10,001 pounds $750,000 $0 $0 BMC-91, or BMC-91X, or BMC-82”
    fmcsa.dot.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. Table cells read in order: BIPD, cargo, surety bond, forms. The page prints "Last updated: Thursday, March 26, 2026". The household goods row prints $5,000 cargo. The chart's heading cites "49 CFR 387.303", which eCFR marks suspended; 387.303T is the text in force.
  6. 6. FMCSA FAQ, What is operating authority (MC number) and who needs it?
    “In general, companies that do the following are required to have interstate operating authority (MC number) in addition to a DOT number: Operating as for-hire carriers (for a fee or other compensation)”
    fmcsa.dot.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. The page prints "Last Updated: May 20, 2023" and still names the Unified Registration System, which Motus replaced on 2026-05-19.
  7. 7. Utah Code 31A-22-304(2), motor vehicle liability minimums from January 1, 2025
    “a policy issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, containing motor vehicle liability coverage may not limit the insurer's liability under that coverage below the following: (a) (i) $30,000 because of liability for bodily injury to or death of one person”
    le.utah.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. (2)(a)(ii) sets $65,000 for two or more persons and (2)(a)(iii) $25,000 for property damage.
  8. 8. Utah Admin. Code R909-1-4(2), intrastate private motor carrier minimum
    “Each intrastate private motor carrier must have a minimum amount of $750,000 liability.”
    adminrules.utah.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. R909-1-4 names private carriers and oil and hazmat carriers only; it states no figure for intrastate for-hire carriers of general freight.
  9. 9. ISO CA 00 01 11 20, Business Auto Coverage Form, Section II B.6, Care, Custody Or Control exclusion
    “"Property damage" to or "covered pollution cost or expense" involving property owned or transported by the "insured" or in the "insured's" care, custody or control. But this exclusion does not apply to liability assumed under a sidetrack agreement.”
    assets.touchpointmarkets.com, accessed October 12, 2026. A carrier's policy may carry a later edition or its own form.
  10. 10. 49 CFR 387.15, Illustration I, Form MCS-90 text, 2017 CFR print, govinfo
    “Such insurance as is afforded, for public liability, does not apply to injury to or death of the insured's employees while engaged in the course of their employment, or property transported by the insured, designated as cargo.”
    govinfo.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. The current MCS-90 PDF (rev. 01/05/2017) on fmcsa.dot.gov prints the same operative sentences. The MCS-90 is attached to the policy, not filed.
  11. 11. ISO CA 99 37 10 13, Garagekeepers Coverage, B. Coverage 1., IIAT InfoCentral
    “We will pay all sums the "insured" legally must pay as damages for "loss" to a "customer's auto" or "customer's auto" equipment left in the "insured's" care while the "insured" is attending, servicing, repairing, parking or storing it in your "garage operations"”
    iiat.org, accessed October 12, 2026. That transporting a customer's car is not a listed activity is Redoubt's reading of the list.
  12. 12. Utah Code 72-9-102(8), definition of tow truck
    “"Tow truck" means a motor vehicle constructed, designed, altered, or equipped primarily for the purpose of towing or removing damaged, disabled, abandoned, seized, or impounded vehicles from a highway or other place by means of a crane, hoist, tow bar, tow line, dolly, tilt bed, or other means.”
    le.utah.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. Subsection (4) counts a tow truck business as a motor carrier; (9) defines a tow truck motor carrier.
  13. 13. Utah Admin. Code R909-19-5(1), tow truck motor carrier insurance
    “Tow truck motor carriers performing emergency moves shall maintain liability insurance coverage of at least $750,000 per occurrence. Tow truck motor carriers performing non-emergency moves shall maintain liability insurance coverage of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence.”
    adminrules.utah.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. the rule prints "Date of Last Change: October 22, 2024". R909-19-5(2) adds an MCS-90 for environmental restoration on consent and non-consent tows.
  14. 14. 49 U.S.C. 14706(a)(1), liability for actual loss, 2023 edition, govinfo
    “The liability imposed under this paragraph is for the actual loss or injury to the property caused by (A) the receiving carrier, (B) the delivering carrier, or (C) another carrier over whose line or route the property is transported”
    govinfo.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. The same paragraph requires a receipt or bill of lading and says failure to issue one does not affect the carrier's liability.
  15. 15. Utah Code 72-9-401(1), motor carrier liability for property carried within Utah
    “A motor carrier receiving property for transportation from one point in this state to another point in this state shall issue a receipt or bill of lading for the property, and shall be liable to the lawful holder of the property for any loss, damage, or injury to the property caused by the motor carrier,”
    le.utah.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. the page prints "Amended by Chapter 270, 1998 General Session". Subsection (1)(b): "A contract, receipt, rule, regulation, or other limitation of any character whatsoever may not exempt the motor carrier from this liability." Subsection (3) addresses value-dependent rates authorized "by order of the commission"; whether that route still works is not resolved.
  16. 16. Utah Code 72-9-401(1)(b), no exemption from carrier liability
    “A contract, receipt, rule, regulation, or other limitation of any character whatsoever may not exempt the motor carrier from this liability.”
    le.utah.gov, accessed October 12, 2026. Same file and pull as 72-9-401(1); amended by Chapter 270, 1998 General Session.
  17. 17. Progressive Form Z434 (02/19), Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage Endorsement, insuring agreement
    “we will pay for the direct physical loss to covered property that you are legally liable to pay as a trucker under a written: bill of lading, tariff document, rate confirmation sheet, shipping receipt, or contract of carriage.”
    serff-sfa.naic.org, accessed October 12, 2026. Progressive (United Financial Casualty Co) Form Z434 (02/19), Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage Endorsement, Utah SERFF filing PRGS-132168602, submitted 12/5/19, filed for use in Utah December 6, 2019. The link opens the filing summary, not the PDF; Primary only for what Progressive's endorsement says. Page 1. Continues: the property must be in the insured's exclusive physical custody and control in due course of transit or during loading or unloading.
  18. 18. Progressive Form Z434 (02/19), Excluded Properties e., Property Not Under Bill of Lading
    “Any property for which no bill of lading, tariff document, rate confirmation sheet, shipping receipt, or contract of carriage has been issued, or which is carried gratuitously or without charge.”
    serff-sfa.naic.org, accessed October 12, 2026. Progressive (United Financial Casualty Co) Form Z434 (02/19), Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage Endorsement, Utah SERFF filing PRGS-132168602, submitted 12/5/19, filed for use in Utah December 6, 2019. The link opens the filing summary, not the PDF; Primary only for what Progressive's endorsement says. Page 4.
  19. 19. Progressive Form Z434 (02/19), Additional Definitions 7, loading or unloading for auto haulers
    “However, for auto haulers, loading or unloading means moving covered property onto or off of your insured auto, including moving a motor vehicle under its own power solely for the purpose of loading or unloading it from the insured auto, but no more than one road mile from the insured auto.”
    serff-sfa.naic.org, accessed October 12, 2026. Progressive (United Financial Casualty Co) Form Z434 (02/19), Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage Endorsement, Utah SERFF filing PRGS-132168602, submitted 12/5/19, filed for use in Utah December 6, 2019. The link opens the filing summary, not the PDF; Primary only for what Progressive's endorsement says. Page 5.
  20. 20. Progressive Form Z434 (02/19), Excluded Perils j., Pre-existing Damage
    “With respect to auto haulers, we will not pay for pre-existing damage to vehicles being transported by the insured. For coverage to apply, the insured auto hauler must provide to us a signed inspection document attesting to the condition of covered property before loading.”
    serff-sfa.naic.org, accessed October 12, 2026. Progressive (United Financial Casualty Co) Form Z434 (02/19), Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage Endorsement, Utah SERFF filing PRGS-132168602, submitted 12/5/19, filed for use in Utah December 6, 2019. The link opens the filing summary, not the PDF; Primary only for what Progressive's endorsement says. Page 3.
  21. 21. Progressive Form Z434 (02/19), Excluded Perils m., Corrosion, Contamination
    “We will not pay for corrosion, contamination, marring or scratching to any covered property or business equipment unless it results from damage to an insured auto.”
    serff-sfa.naic.org, accessed October 12, 2026. Progressive (United Financial Casualty Co) Form Z434 (02/19), Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage Endorsement, Utah SERFF filing PRGS-132168602, submitted 12/5/19, filed for use in Utah December 6, 2019. The link opens the filing summary, not the PDF; Primary only for what Progressive's endorsement says. Page 3.
  22. 22. Progressive Form A439 (01/25), Cargo Plus Coverage Endorsement, Excluded Peril m.
    “Excluded Peril m. is deleted and replaced by the following: m. Contamination We will not pay for contamination to any covered property or business equipment unless it results from damage to an insured auto.”
    serff-sfa.naic.org, accessed October 12, 2026. Progressive Form A439 (01/25), Utah SERFF filing PRGS-134386193, submitted 2/7/25, status FILED FOR USE. The link opens the filing summary; It modifies the Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage endorsement. Primary only for what Progressive's endorsement says.
  23. 23. Progressive Form Z434 (02/19), Excluded Properties f., Storage
    “Any property in or on an insured auto after it has remained at any location for more than 72 hours. This includes locations you own or use.”
    serff-sfa.naic.org, accessed October 12, 2026. Progressive (United Financial Casualty Co) Form Z434 (02/19), Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage Endorsement, Utah SERFF filing PRGS-132168602, submitted 12/5/19, filed for use in Utah December 6, 2019. The link opens the filing summary, not the PDF; Primary only for what Progressive's endorsement says. Page 4. The exclusion does not apply to weather delays outside the insured's control while transport resumes when the emergency ends.
  24. 24. Progressive Form Z434 (02/19), Limits of Liability 1.a., Amount of Payment
    “(iv) The actual cost to the shipper to repair or replace the covered property with material of like kind and quality, not including any claim for diminution of value to the covered property; or”
    serff-sfa.naic.org, accessed October 12, 2026. Progressive (United Financial Casualty Co) Form Z434 (02/19), Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage Endorsement, Utah SERFF filing PRGS-132168602, submitted 12/5/19, filed for use in Utah December 6, 2019. The link opens the filing summary, not the PDF; Primary only for what Progressive's endorsement says. Page 7. 1.a. pays "the least of the following": (i) legal liability, (ii) declared value on the shipping document, (iii) an agreed household goods valuation, (iv) above, (v) the "Cargo" limit on the declarations.
  25. 25. Progressive Form Z434 (02/19), Limits of Liability 1.b., per occurrence
    “Regardless of the number of insured autos or trailers involved, insureds, premiums paid, policies issued by us, claims made, or lawsuits brought, the most we will pay for loss to covered property in any one occurrence is the limit of liability shown on the declarations page for “Cargo Liability” coverage.”
    serff-sfa.naic.org, accessed October 12, 2026. Progressive (United Financial Casualty Co) Form Z434 (02/19), Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage Endorsement, Utah SERFF filing PRGS-132168602, submitted 12/5/19, filed for use in Utah December 6, 2019. The link opens the filing summary, not the PDF; Primary only for what Progressive's endorsement says. Page 7. The form prints no dollar limit of its own for covered property.
  26. 26. Redoubt, commercial auto insurance guide, what to send
    “Text Redoubt the broker packet, the lender's insurance letter, the platform's upload screen or the renewal itself, with the vehicles and the date you need it by. We will say what can be bound now, what needs the carrier, and what to send back.”
    www.redoubt.insure, accessed October 12, 2026
The same moment

The business carries goods, its own or a customer's, and the auto policy does not pay for them

Own-product delivery, furniture and household goods, high-value loads, loading and unloading, and vehicles carried as cargo: where the auto form stops and what cargo and property forms do.

Elsewhere on the site

Talk to Redoubt

You haul cars for dealers, auctions or owners

Text Redoubt the year, make, model, GVW and value of the truck, the trailer type, value and number of car slots, the highest value of a full load, your USDOT and MC or docket numbers if you have them, how far the cars go, every driver's name, date of birth, licence number and class, a line on who you haul for, and the date cover has to start, and we will talk through the liability limit, the cargo limit and what the cargo form says.

This is general insurance information, not legal advice or a coverage determination. The policy forms, the endorsements the carrier issues, and the requirement in writing from whoever is asking control.