TL;DR: Minnesota intrastate carriers need an insurer-filed Form E at the 100/300/50 floor, household goods movers add a $50,000 Form H cargo filing, and every registered truck carries $40,000 no-fault PIP. Workers compensation applies from the first employee, and interstate or hazmat work takes the federal tiers.
What does Minnesota law require of for-hire carriers?
The Minnesota truck book sets a schedule by carrier type. Motor carriers of property, hauling anything except household goods, must maintain public liability of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident with $50,000 in property damage, evidenced by a Form E the insurer files electronically with MnDOT. Household goods movers carry the same liability plus $50,000 in cargo insurance on a Form H. Building movers stand apart at $500,000 in motor vehicle liability and $500,000 in general liability, and passenger operations range from $1,500,000 to $5,000,000 depending on seating. Hazardous materials take the federal tiers of 49 CFR 387.9 no matter the radius.
What does the no-fault law add?
Every registered vehicle, commercial trucks included, carries Minnesota personal injury protection of $40,000 per person, structured as $20,000 for medical expenses and $20,000 for non-medical losses such as wage replacement and replacement services. PIP pays without a fault analysis, which resolves smaller injury claims quickly but adds a layer that must be coordinated with workers compensation for drivers hurt in the course of employment, so the same injury is not paid twice or, worse, disputed by both coverages.
What do interstate operations require?
Crossing a state line moves the floor to the federal tiers: $750,000 for general freight over 10,001 pounds, $1,000,000 for oil products, $5,000,000 for the most hazardous cargo. The insurer evidences compliance with a BMC-91X filing or MCS-90 endorsement, and brokers verify the filing before tendering loads. Minnesota's long-haul position on I-90 and I-94, plus the Duluth-Superior port and the Canadian border crossings, puts a large share of the state's fleet under the federal rules in practice.
| Coverage | Requirement | Practical standard |
|---|---|---|
| Auto liability | 100/300/50 intrastate floor | $1,000,000 CSL |
| PIP | $40,000 per person | Statutory |
| Motor truck cargo | $50,000 for HHG movers | $100,000 common |
| Physical damage | Lender driven | Stated value |
| Workers compensation | First employee | Statutory limits |
How does workers compensation work in Minnesota?
Coverage is mandatory from the first employee, regulated by the Department of Labor and Industry, with a competitive private market, regional mutuals active in trucking, and an assigned risk plan backstopping hard-to-place accounts. Owner-operator classification follows substance over form: a driver leased to a carrier and dispatched like an employee will be treated as one when a claim arrives, so agreements need to reflect genuine independence and fleets should verify each contractor's own coverage.
What completes a Minnesota program?
Motor truck cargo sized to real loads, with grain, taconite, and timber each bringing distinct loss patterns; physical damage rated for winter, since ice and whiteout losses cluster from November to April; general liability; trailer interchange where fleets pull others' equipment; and umbrella layers over the primary casualty lines when contracts demand more than $1,000,000. Refrigerated haulers add breakdown coverage for temperature-sensitive loads, and harvest-season surge capacity deserves a mid-year conversation with the underwriter rather than a claim-time surprise.
How should a carrier sequence it?
Bind the liability program and have the insurer e-file the Form E before applying to MnDOT, add the Form H if household goods are in scope, confirm PIP is on every registered unit, and put workers compensation in force before the first hire. Then size the real program, limits, cargo, and physical damage, to the freight and the contracts rather than the statutory schedule, because Minnesota's floors are among the nation's lowest and no shipper prices freight against them. The filing keeps you legal; the full stack keeps you in business through a Minnesota winter.
Real questions Minnesota owner-operators and fleet managers ask
What liability limits must a Minnesota freight carrier file?
The Form E certifies at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident in public liability plus $50,000 property damage. Most carriers actually buy $1,000,000 combined single limit to satisfy shippers and brokers.
Who files the Form E and Form H in Minnesota?
The insurance company files both electronically with MnDOT Motor Carrier Services. Carriers cannot self-file, so insurer responsiveness at application and renewal is part of choosing a market.
How does PIP interact with workers compensation for drivers?
Workers compensation is primary for on-the-job injuries, with PIP responding around it under the no-fault coordination rules. Fleets should align the two programs so medical and wage benefits flow without duplication or dispute.
What cargo insurance do Minnesota movers need?
Household goods carriers must maintain $50,000 in cargo coverage certified on an insurer-filed Form H, alongside the Form E liability filing. General freight carriers face no state cargo mandate, but brokers typically require $100,000.
Do Minnesota building movers have different limits?
Yes. Building and house movers must carry $500,000 in motor vehicle liability plus $500,000 in general liability, evidenced by certificate filing, reflecting the exposure of oversized structural moves.
Can Morrow write trucking insurance in Minnesota?
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 Minnesota, we can refer you to a licensed Minnesota agent, and this guide still shows you exactly what to ask that agent for. Everything above comes from public Minnesota and federal sources, not from us selling you a policy.
Related Minnesota trucking guides
The other Minnesota trucking questions, answered the same way.
- Trucking insurance in Minnesota (start here)
- Intrastate authority and filings
- Minimum liability limits for trucks
- Cost of trucking insurance
- Business insurance in Minnesota
- 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 MnDOT Motor Carrier Services and the Minnesota Department of Commerce before you rely on them. Morrow is a brand name of Afthonea Inc. Last updated: July 2026.