Casey places commercial insurance for livestock hauling operations — pot bellies, livestock trailers, and double-deckers running cattle, swine, poultry, and equine. We know the mortality cargo language, the AG hours-of-service exemption, and which carriers actually want the class instead of just tolerating it.
FMCSA-required $750K minimum (most feedyards and packers require $1M). Bodily injury and property damage from on-the-road incidents.
02
Physical Damage
Coverage on the tractor and the pot belly or livestock trailer. Stainless and aluminum pot bellies are high-value — stated-value scheduling matters.
03
Livestock Mortality / Cargo
Specialty cargo form that pays for dead, dying, or injured animals during transport. Per-animal limits, per-load limits, and exclusions (heat, transport stress, pre-existing conditions) vary by carrier — we read the form before bind.
04
General Liability
Premises and operations including loading at feedyards, ranches, and packing plants.
05
Excess / Umbrella
Major packers and feedlot networks often require $2M–$5M total liability. Excess sits over primary auto.
06
Non-owned Trailer
If you pull other producers’ trailers (common in the cattle business), you need non-owned trailer physical damage.
What drives your premium
Pricing factors for livestock haulers.
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Years in business (3+)
Three years of clean experience under the same MC# is the largest single premium reducer.
▼
CDL with livestock experience
Driver tenure in livestock specifically matters — handling pot bellies is a skill, and underwriters know it.
▼
Air-ride / climate-controlled equipment
Newer trailers with ventilation and lift axles reduce mortality frequency; carriers credit.
▼
Telematics / dashcam
Forward-facing cams and trailer GPS earn 5–15% credits with livestock programs.
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Long-distance routes
24+ hour transports add mortality risk and may push to E&S placement.
▲
Equine / exotic livestock
Horses and high-value breeding stock need higher mortality limits and may need stated-value schedules.
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Rollover claim history
Pot belly rollovers are catastrophic; even one in five years affects the market.
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Heat-prone summer routes
Plains and Southwest summer routes carry higher heat-stress mortality claims.
Quote in 24–48 hours
What you’ll need to send to get a real quote.
—DOT Number (we pull SAFER + L&I)
—Currently-effective dec page
—Loss runs (3 to 5 years, current within 60 days)
—Driver list with CDL # and DOB
—MVRs (we can pull if you authorize)
—Schedule of tractors and trailers (year, make, model, VIN, stated value, pot belly vs. straight)
Most livestock operations get a real quote in 24–48 hours. New ventures and accounts with rollover or mortality history can run 3–5 business days because we’re submitting to specialty markets that underwrite manually.
It pays for animals that die, are injured, or have to be euthanized during transport. Forms vary widely — some exclude heat stress, some exclude pre-existing conditions, some have per-animal and per-load sublimits. We read the form before binding.
Mortality. Standard motor truck cargo forms generally don’t pay on dead animals because livestock has unusual valuation and exclusion considerations. The two should not be confused.
Yes. A small carrier panel writes new authority livestock. Pricing is rated up but steps down after 12 months of clean experience.
If you’re within 150 air-miles of source, parts of HOS are exempted (49 CFR 395.1(k)). This doesn’t affect insurance directly but it does affect how underwriters think about your radius and duty cycles.
Up modestly on auto liability and meaningfully on mortality cargo. Heat-stress mortality claims have driven cargo loss ratios higher, especially in plains states.
Yes — packer, feedyard, and producer COIs are routine. Endorsements (adding a unit, changing trailer config) are typically same-day.
Get a quote
Quote your livestock haulers operation
Send your DOT and a few details. A broker will reach out within 1 business hour.
Casey places commercial insurance for livestock hauling operations — pot bellies, livestock trailers, and double-deckers running cattle, swine, poultry, and equine. We know the mortality cargo language, the AG hours-of-service exemption, and which carriers actually want the class instead of just tolerating it.
Livestock cargo isn’t dry van cargo. A dead animal is a total loss on a singular VIN-less item. A trailer rollover with 80 head of cattle is a catastrophic event. The cargo line on a livestock policy has its own form, its own limits structure (per-animal and per-load), and its own claim adjustment process.
Add the agricultural hours-of-service exemption, the 150-air-mile radius rules, and the unique commodity considerations (animal welfare, brand inspection in some states, BSE/HPAI biosecurity), and you have a class where most brokers either decline or quote you blind. We don’t.
“On livestock, the cargo line is everything. Standard motor truck cargo doesn’t pay on dead animals — you need a mortality form.”
Coverage you’ll typically need
What goes on a livestock hauler policy.
Livestock policies share the core lines with other for-hire trucking but the cargo line is fundamentally different — mortality forms replace standard cargo.
01Auto LiabilityFMCSA-required $750K minimum (most feedyards and packers require $1M). Bodily injury and property damage from on-the-road incidents.
02Physical DamageCoverage on the tractor and the pot belly or livestock trailer. Stainless and aluminum pot bellies are high-value — stated-value scheduling matters.
03Livestock Mortality / CargoSpecialty cargo form that pays for dead, dying, or injured animals during transport. Per-animal limits, per-load limits, and exclusions (heat, transport stress, pre-existing conditions) vary by carrier — we read the form before bind.
04General LiabilityPremises and operations including loading at feedyards, ranches, and packing plants.
05Excess / UmbrellaMajor packers and feedlot networks often require $2M–$5M total liability. Excess sits over primary auto.
06Non-owned TrailerIf you pull other producers’ trailers (common in the cattle business), you need non-owned trailer physical damage.
Why livestock is its own class
What gets livestock haulers declined.
Livestock decline reasons cluster around rollover history, animal welfare exposure, and the difficulty in pricing mortality cargo.
Rollover history
Pot belly rollovers are catastrophic events. One rollover claim in 36 months tightens the panel sharply.
Animal welfare claims
Mistreatment or "downer" animal claims create reputational and contract exposure. Carriers underwrite to the issue explicitly.
New ventures under 12 months
Most livestock markets want a year. A small panel writes new authority livestock at rated-up pricing.
Long-distance hauling
Over 24-hour transport raises mortality risk and may trigger surcharges.
Heat-stress exposure
Summer hauling in TX/OK/KS/NE has higher mortality frequency; some carriers seasonal-rate.
Driver MVR issues
Major violations matter heavily on livestock because of the cargo severity exposure.
What drives your premium
Pricing factors for livestock haulers.
Livestock premiums depend on the species hauled, average load value, and rollover/mortality claim history more than radius.
▼Years in business (3+)Three years of clean experience under the same MC# is the largest single premium reducer.
▼CDL with livestock experienceDriver tenure in livestock specifically matters — handling pot bellies is a skill, and underwriters know it.
▼Air-ride / climate-controlled equipmentNewer trailers with ventilation and lift axles reduce mortality frequency; carriers credit.
▼Telematics / dashcamForward-facing cams and trailer GPS earn 5–15% credits with livestock programs.
▲Long-distance routes24+ hour transports add mortality risk and may push to E&S placement.
▲Equine / exotic livestockHorses and high-value breeding stock need higher mortality limits and may need stated-value schedules.
▲Rollover claim historyPot belly rollovers are catastrophic; even one in five years affects the market.
Livestock haulers operate under FMCSA, but with some industry-specific exemptions and additions — including AG hours-of-service and state brand-inspection requirements.
Federal minimums (FMCSA). $750,000 combined single limit auto liability for non-hazardous freight on a vehicle over 10,001 lbs. The MCS-90 endorsement is required.
Agricultural HOS exemption. Drivers transporting livestock within 150 air-miles of the source are exempt from certain hours-of-service requirements (49 CFR 395.1(k)). State variations apply.
State brand inspection and animal welfare. Several Western states require brand inspection certificates for cattle transport. Federal Animal Welfare Act and 28-Hour Law govern transport durations for some species.
Common questions
Livestock Haulers insurance, answered.
Most livestock operations get a real quote in 24–48 hours. New ventures and accounts with rollover or mortality history can run 3–5 business days because we’re submitting to specialty markets that underwrite manually.
It pays for animals that die, are injured, or have to be euthanized during transport. Forms vary widely — some exclude heat stress, some exclude pre-existing conditions, some have per-animal and per-load sublimits. We read the form before binding.
Mortality. Standard motor truck cargo forms generally don’t pay on dead animals because livestock has unusual valuation and exclusion considerations. The two should not be confused.
Yes. A small carrier panel writes new authority livestock. Pricing is rated up but steps down after 12 months of clean experience.
If you’re within 150 air-miles of source, parts of HOS are exempted (49 CFR 395.1(k)). This doesn’t affect insurance directly but it does affect how underwriters think about your radius and duty cycles.
Up modestly on auto liability and meaningfully on mortality cargo. Heat-stress mortality claims have driven cargo loss ratios higher, especially in plains states.
Yes — packer, feedyard, and producer COIs are routine. Endorsements (adding a unit, changing trailer config) are typically same-day.
Get a quote