TL;DR: Michigan truckers carry the no-fault stack of PIP, $1,000,000 property protection insurance, and residual liability on every registered vehicle, plus for-hire liability evidenced to CVED by an insurer-filed Form E. Cargo, physical damage, and workers compensation from the first employee complete the program, with federal tiers governing interstate work.
What does Michigan law require on every truck?
Michigan's no-fault law attaches three coverages to every registered vehicle before any trucking-specific requirement appears. Personal injury protection pays medical benefits to injured occupants regardless of fault, at benefit levels the insured selects under the 2019 reform. Property protection insurance pays up to $1,000,000 for damage the vehicle causes to property within Michigan, again without regard to fault. Residual liability coverage, with a 50/100/10 base, responds to claims the no-fault system leaves open, including serious injury threshold cases and out-of-state losses. A truck cannot legally register without this stack, which makes Michigan's baseline the most distinctive in the country.
What does for-hire authority add?
Intrastate for-hire carriers need CVED operating authority under the Motor Carrier Act, and the application requires a certificate of liability insurance plus a Form E filed by the insurer certifying the policy meets Michigan's financial responsibility requirements. The commonly applied floor for intrastate for-hire property carriers is $750,000, aligned with the federal standard, and household goods movers add a Form H certifying cargo coverage along with tariff obligations for longer moves. Authority renews each fall, and the insurance filing must stay continuous or the authority falls with it.
What do the federal rules require?
Interstate operation brings the federal tiers: $750,000 minimum for general freight over 10,001 pounds, $1,000,000 for oil products, $5,000,000 for the most hazardous cargo, evidenced by the insurer through an MCS-90 endorsement or BMC-91X filing with the FMCSA. Michigan's border position makes this practical rather than theoretical, since Detroit-area carriers cross into Ohio, Indiana, and Ontario constantly, and any through movement in interstate commerce triggers the federal standard even if the truck never leaves the state.
| Coverage | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PIP | Mandatory, chosen benefit level | No-fault medical |
| PPI | $1,000,000 | Michigan property damage, no fault |
| For-hire liability | $750,000 floor, Form E to CVED | Market standard $1,000,000 |
| Motor truck cargo | Broker and shipper driven | $100,000 common, Form H for movers |
| Workers compensation | First employee, exclusions possible | Private market |
How does workers compensation work in Michigan?
Coverage is required from the first employee, with an approved exclusion path for certain owner-operators and small closely held businesses that CVED accepts in place of a policy. The market is private and competitive, with the Lansing-born Accident Fund among the prominent trucking writers. Misclassification is the recurring hazard: an owner-operator agreement only excludes a driver who genuinely operates independently, and a lease that controls the driver like an employee will be treated as employment when a claim arrives.
What completes the program?
Motor truck cargo sized to real load values, with auto parts and steel demanding attention to theft and load-shift exposure. Physical damage on tractors and trailers, which Michigan winters and freeze-thaw pavement test hard. General liability for premises and operations, trailer interchange for fleets pulling others' equipment, and umbrella layers where contracts require more than $1,000,000. Cross-border fleets add coverage that responds in Canada and paperwork that satisfies customs brokers on both sides of the Detroit River.
How should a carrier put it together?
Build from the no-fault base up: register the trucks with PIP, PPI, and residual liability structured deliberately, put the for-hire liability and Form E in place before applying to CVED, bind workers compensation or document the exclusion, and layer cargo and physical damage to match the freight. Then keep the fall renewal window sacred, because in Michigan the authority, the filing, and the insurance stand or fall together, and reconstructing a revoked authority in January costs far more than renewing it in October.
Real questions Michigan owner-operators and fleet managers ask
What is the minimum liability for a Michigan intrastate for-hire truck?
The commonly applied floor is $750,000, aligned with the federal standard and evidenced to CVED by an insurer-filed Form E, though most carriers buy $1,000,000 because shippers and brokers require it.
Does every Michigan truck need PIP and PPI even if it is commercial?
Yes. The no-fault law attaches personal injury protection and $1,000,000 property protection insurance to every registered vehicle, commercial trucks included, before any for-hire requirement applies.
What is a Form H and who needs it in Michigan?
Form H is the insurer's certification of cargo insurance. Michigan requires it from household goods movers seeking CVED authority, alongside the Form E liability filing and tariff obligations for moves beyond 40 miles.
Can a Michigan owner-operator skip workers compensation?
Sometimes. CVED accepts an approved exclusion form for qualifying owner-operators in place of a policy, but the exclusion must be genuine, documented, and consistent with how the work is actually performed.
When do the federal insurance tiers replace Michigan's rules?
Whenever a vehicle over 10,001 pounds operates in interstate commerce, including through freight that never leaves the state. The federal tiers run from $750,000 to $5,000,000 depending on cargo.
Can Morrow write trucking insurance in Michigan?
Not directly today. Morrow is the brand name of Afthonea Inc, licensed in Massachusetts, Florida, California, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Texas. If your trucking company is based in Michigan, we can refer you to a licensed Michigan agent, and this guide still shows you exactly what to ask that agent for. Everything above comes from public Michigan and federal sources, not from us selling you a policy.
Related Michigan trucking guides
The other Michigan trucking questions, answered the same way.
- Trucking insurance in Michigan (start here)
- Intrastate authority and filings
- Minimum liability limits for trucks
- Cost of trucking insurance
- Business insurance in Michigan
- Federal minimum liability limits by commodity
- What is an MCS-90 endorsement?
- Federal minimum liability limits by commodity
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Limits, forms, and deadlines change, so verify current requirements with the Michigan State Police CVED and the Department of Insurance and Financial Services before you rely on them. Morrow is a brand name of Afthonea Inc. Last updated: July 2026.