How to Grow a Commercial Trucking Insurance Agency

At Carrier IQ, we work with commercial insurance agencies across the country—many focused on trucking—and we see exactly what separates the ones growing fast from the ones treading water.

The trucking niche is brutally competitive, but incredibly rewarding when you know how to play it right.

Through conversations with producers, underwriters, and agencies actively using Carrier IQ, we’ve seen what actually works in the field.

Here’s what top-performing trucking agencies are doing to scale sustainably.

1. Pick a Lane and Master It

You can’t write every class of business and expect to stand out. The best producers specialize—by fleet size, geography, or risk profile.

• Small Fleets (1–9 units): 90 % of the market lives here. High-volume, quick-turn quoting where speed wins.
• Mid-Size Fleets (10–50 units): Care about service, safety programs, and consistency.
• New Ventures: Harder to place but loyal once you help them launch.

Pick your lane and go deep. Learn the filings, safety metrics, and carrier appetites until you can talk shop like an operator, not an outsider.

2. Stop Relying on Static Lists

If you’re still buying DOT spreadsheets once a month, you’re already behind. By the time you call, another agent has already bound the policy.

Top producers use real-time motor carrier data to spot:

• New Ventures filing DOT authority yesterday
• Reinstated Carriers getting back on the road
• Mid-Term Cancellations happening today

That’s where Carrier IQ helps—delivering those updates the moment they happen. It’s not about dialing faster; it’s about calling first.

Pro Tip: Block one hour a day to work fresh data only (carriers that changed status in the past 24 hours). That’s where the money is.

3. Build Real Relationships with Your Markets

You can’t grow without strong carrier partners. Start with a mix of A-rated trucking markets and specialized wholesalers to stay flexible on pricing and terms.

Underwriters remember agents who make their jobs easy. Submit clean apps, complete VIN lists, and honest loss runs. Follow up with context, not pressure. Those habits buy you leverage when it matters most.

Pro Tip: Send a short “app checklist” to every prospect before submission. It saves time and makes you look like a pro.

4. Lead with Safety and Compliance — Not Price

Trucking clients are hammered by price-driven calls every day. The agents who win lead with safety and compliance instead.

Show them you understand their world:

• Explain how inspections and CSA scores affect premiums.
• Review their FMCSA profile together.
• Recommend actions to improve safety ratings before renewal.

When you help a carrier stay compliant, you stop being just another quote—you become a partner.

5. Systematize Renewals and Retention

You can’t out-sell poor retention. The best agencies build renewal discipline into their calendar:

1. 90 days out: Review losses, inspections, and safety data.
2. 60 days out: Re-market if needed or lock renewal pricing early.
3. 30 days out: Confirm filings and certificates to avoid surprises.

Retention compounds your book. Each renewal means more revenue without more prospecting.

6. Be Known in Your Trucking Community

Even in a digital business, local credibility still matters. 

• Partner with dispatch companies, factoring firms, truck stops, and CDL schools for referrals. 
• Sponsor DOT-compliance workshops or safety meet-ups. 
• Get involved in regional trucking associations—anything that makes you the go-to insurance resource in your market.
  

7. Build a Website That Sells to Truckers

Your website is your 24/7 storefront. Truckers live on the road, so make it fast, mobile-friendly, and dead simple to request a quote.

Include:

• A clear “Get a Quote” button on every page
• A one-minute form asking for DOT number, number of units, and operation type
• Clear, conversational CTAs (“Need coverage to activate your authority? Start here.”)
• Real reviews and testimonials from other fleets

The easier you make it to get a quote, the more you’ll write.

8. Cross-Sell to Protect the Whole Operation

Don’t stop at auto liability. Trucking operations need broader protection:

• General Liability for yards or terminals
• Non-Trucking Liability for owner-operators between hauls
• Workers Comp for growing fleets
• Cyber for logistics and dispatch systems

Every added line deepens your relationship and improves retention.

9. Use Technology That Does the Heavy Lifting

Your ability to scale depends on efficiency. Tie your AMS, CRM, and data platform together so nothing falls through the cracks.

• AMS Integrations: Carrier IQ connects seamlessly with AgencyZoom, AgencyMate, and NowCerts, feeding real-time carrier data directly into your workflows.
• CRM Automation: Track leads, follow-ups, and renewals automatically.
• FMCSA Alerts: Get notified the moment a carrier changes authority, safety status, or ownership.

The less time you spend chasing information, the more time you have to quote and sell.

10. Automate the Busywork

Manual FMCSA lookups and spreadsheet tracking kill productivity. Modern agencies automate:

• Status monitoring through Carrier IQ
• Certificates, filings, and renewal reminders
• Driver and unit updates inside the AMS

Even small automations—like an alert when a client’s authority lapses—can save an account and your reputation.

11. Tell the Truth About Trucking

Trucking isn’t easy. You’ll lose accounts over $500 or a pair of game tickets. You’ll quote fleets that ghost you.

But the agents who last treat trucking like a craft—learning DOT regs, knowing every carrier appetite, and showing up first when policies cancel or renew.

They don’t chase. They consult. And that’s why their books grow while others stall.

12. Track the Right Numbers

You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

The top producers we talk to track:

• Quotes per week: 10–15
• Quote-to-bind rate: 20–25 %
• Retention: 85 % +
• Average commission per account: $1,200–$1,800

Know your numbers, watch your trends, and adjust early.

The Bottom Line

Growing a commercial trucking agency takes grit, speed, and strategy. It’s not about being the loudest—it’s about being the most informed.

Carrier IQ gives agencies the edge with real-time access to over 2 million motor carriers, live policy signals, and integrations that push data straight into your management system.

If you’re ready to quote smarter, retain longer, and grow faster, see how Carrier IQ can help you lead the pack.

👉 See It in Action

About the Author

Scott Schubert; CEO & Co-Founder, Carrier IQ

Scott Schubert is the CEO & Co-Founder of Carrier IQ, the leading platform for real-time commercial auto policy data. A serial entrepreneur and technologist, Scott co-founded Carrier IQ after hearing countless frustrations from independent agents trying to grow their trucking book. Today, he helps agencies across the country sell more commercial auto insurance by surfacing renewal, cancellation, and new venture opportunities before competitors do.