Savannah shapes Georgia dry van work. The Georgia Ports Authority reported 11.4 percent of the U.S. container market in fiscal 2023, and import freight transloaded from those boxes can move on in vans. Under 49 CFR 390.5, freight from an import box can remain interstate commerce on a move that never leaves Georgia, so the $750,000 federal minimum can apply even though GIMC's Form E limits are lower. If you run for Savannah warehouses, give your agent the origin of the freight. Atlanta adds its own rule: DPS says through trucks on I-75, I-85 and I-20 must take I-285, and vehicles with more than six wheels cannot use the left lanes on highways with three or more lanes each way.
Dry van is an enclosed trailer, usually 53 feet, for palletized and boxed freight that does not need temperature control: retail goods, packaged food, paper and consumer products. Most van authorities depend on brokers and shippers for loads, so what your certificate shows matters almost as much as the policy itself. Theft, cargo claims and long miles shape the risk.
What it costs
Across 14 policies Protec sold in 2026, commercial auto liability for this type of truck ran about $11,300 to $16,000 per truck per year, with a middle of $14,600. That's before taxes and fees, mostly from new and small Texas carriers, so your state and record can move it. It isn't a quote.
Filings in Georgia
Staying inside Georgia? You register under the Georgia Intrastate Motor Carrier (GIMC) program with the Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS). It applies to commercial motor vehicles with a weight rating or actual weight of 10,001 pounds or more, and to placarded hazmat, with exemptions such as certain covered farm vehicles. Private carriers register too, but the Form E is required of for-hire carriers only.
What DPS asks for: the GIMC application, the Form E filed by your insurance company (not your agent), a notarized Georgia Security and Immigration Act affidavit, a copy of a secure and verifiable document, and proof of a DPS-authorized motor carrier safety seminar taken within the past 12 months.
Minimum liability: DPS Rule 570-38-2-.05(8) lists $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $50,000 for property damage. An agent should confirm which limits apply to your operation, including any cargo limits.
If you cross state lines, the federal rules apply. A for-hire carrier of general freight in interstate commerce with vehicles of 10,001 pounds GVWR or more needs at least $750,000 under 49 CFR 387.9. The policy carries the MCS-90 endorsement, and your insurance company, not you, files the BMC-91 or BMC-91X with FMCSA. Hazmat limits run higher.
Interstate carriers register under UCR rather than GIMC.
Coverages to ask about
- Primary auto liability
- Motor truck cargo
- Physical damage on the tractor and owned trailer
- Trailer interchange, if you pull trailers you do not own
- Non-trucking liability, for leased owner-operators
- General liability, when a broker or shipper requires it
What underwriters look at
- Radius and the lanes you actually run
- Commodities, especially high-value or theft-prone freight
- Motor vehicle records for every driver
- Age of the MC and years of trucking experience
- FMCSA safety data and inspection history
- Prior insurance and loss runs
Other trucks in Georgia
- Dump truck insurance in Georgia
- Flatbed insurance in Georgia
- Hot shot insurance in Georgia
- Box truck insurance in Georgia
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Protec Consulting Group is a licensed insurance agency in Georgia.
Sources: Georgia DPS, Instructions for Georgia Intrastate Motor Carrier (GIMC) · Georgia DPS, GIMC Application 2025 · Georgia DPS Rules, Chapter 570-38 (2026 compilation) · Georgia Rules, Subject 560-10-31 Commercial Vehicles · Georgia DPS Fact Sheet 07, Trucks Using Multi-Lane Highways · 49 CFR 387.9, schedule of limits (Cornell LII) · 49 CFR 390.5, definition of interstate commerce (Cornell LII) · FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements · USGS, The Mineral Industry of Georgia · USGS, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2020, Crushed Stone (2019 data) · Georgia Ports Authority, Georgia Ports CEO: We are Preparing for Growth · Georgia Ports Authority, Georgia Ports expanding inland connectivity · Georgia Department of Economic Development, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America · GDOT, Oversize Permits and Regulations. Reviewed: 2026-11-03.