By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Jul 30, 2026
What Tennessee requires
These are the state-level rules attached to Tennessee intrastate operating authority. A field reading "Not confirmed" means this guide has not confirmed that value. The note explains the gap; unknown is not evidence of absence.
- Cargo minimum
- The schedule adds $5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 per occurrence to the $750,000 liability minimum for household goods cargo. Cargo coverage is filed by the insurer on Form H, which is required for carriers hauling general freight, household goods, or mobile homes, and for all bus accounts.
Minimum liability by operation type
Review the operation-specific scope and source notes before relying on a coverage amount.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Minimum liability by gross vehicle weight
Tennessee sets intrastate liability minimums on a schedule printed on the Application for Intrastate Authority rather than as one statewide figure, so no single figure is shown, by design (see the weight-tier table and the operation-type table). The form's own weight labels overlap: it prints 10,001 pounds or less against the $300,000 tier and 10,001 pounds or more against the $750,000 tier. Both labels are recorded exactly as the state prints them rather than silently corrected.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
The $750,000 minimum for non-hazardous freight over 10,001 pounds matches the federal minimum for general freight. The $300,000 tier for lighter vehicles, the $1.5 million and $5 million passenger tiers, and the household goods cargo add-ons are Tennessee's own intrastate schedule.
Who files the proof of insurance
The rows identify stored proof-of-coverage filings. Confirm which filing applies to your authority and who submits it before requesting a form.
Both forms must be furnished by the insurance company, not the carrier. Form H is required for carriers hauling general freight, household goods, or mobile homes, and for all bus accounts applying for intrastate authority. The Motor Carrier Education Guide also lists a Certificate of Liability Insurance (COI). Tennessee publishes no separate insurance filing fee.
The federal minimums, for contrast
Federal financial-responsibility requirements depend on the operation, vehicle and commodity. Review the rows and exclusions in 49 CFR Part 387 (property carriers 387.303, brokers and freight forwarders 387.307, endorsements 387.15), as displayed on FMCSA's insurance filing requirements page; the filing mechanics live in our BMC-91 and BMC-34 insurance filings guide.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Where insurance fits in the Tennessee launch
Coverage sits early in the sequence: the federal filing sequence needs your insurer's proof of coverage on file before authority activates, and the state rules above attach to the credential covered on the Tennessee intrastate authority page. For the full order of operations, work through start a trucking company in Tennessee.