Collapse to view only § 387.9 - Financial responsibility, minimum levels.

§ 387.1 - Purpose and scope.

This subpart prescribes the minimum levels of financial responsibility required to be maintained by motor carriers of property operating motor vehicles in interstate, foreign, or intrastate commerce. The purpose of these regulations is to create additional incentives to motor carriers to maintain and operate their vehicles in a safe manner and to assure that motor carriers maintain an appropriate level of financial responsibility for motor vehicles operated on public highways.

[46 FR 30982, June 11, 1981, as amended at 48 FR 52683, Nov. 21, 1983]

§ 387.3 - Applicability.

(a) This subpart applies to for-hire motor carriers operating motor vehicles transporting property in interstate or foreign commerce.

(b) This subpart applies to motor carriers operating motor vehicles transporting hazardous materials, hazardous substances, or hazardous wastes in interstate, foreign, or intrastate commerce.

(c) Exception. (1) The rules in this subpart do not apply to a motor vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of less than 10,001 pounds. This exception does not apply if the vehicle is used to transport any quantity of a Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 material, any quantity of a Division 2.3, Hazard Zone A, or Division 6.1, Packing Group I, Hazard Zone A, or to a highway route controlled quantity of a Class 7 material as it is defined in 49 CFR 173.403, in interstate or foreign commerce.

(2) The rules in this subpart do not apply to the transportation of non-bulk oil, non-bulk hazardous materials, substances, or wastes in intrastate commerce, except that the rules in this subpart do apply to the transportation of a highway route controlled quantity of a Class 7 material as defined in 49 CFR 173.403, in intrastate commerce.

[46 FR 30982, June 11, 1981; 46 FR 45612, Sept. 14, 1981, as amended at 48 FR 5559, Feb. 7, 1983; 48 FR 52683, Nov. 21, 1983; 49 FR 38290, Sept. 28, 1984; 59 FR 63923, Dec. 12, 1994; 73 FR 76496, Dec. 16, 2008; 83 FR 22876, May 17, 2018]

§ 387.5 - Definitions.

As used in this subpart—

Accident includes continuous or repeated exposure to the same conditions resulting in public liability which the insured neither expected nor intended.

Bodily injury means injury to the body, sickness, or disease including death resulting from any of these.

Cancellation of insurance means the withdrawal of insurance coverage by either the insurer or the insured.

Endorsement means an amendment to an insurance policy.

Environmental restoration means restitution for the loss, damage, or destruction of natural resources arising out of the accidental discharge, dispersal, release or escape into or upon the land, atmosphere, watercourse, or body of water of any commodity transported by a motor carrier. This shall include the cost of removal and the cost of necessary measure taken to minimize or mitigate damage to human health, the natural environment, fish, shellfish, and wildlife.

Evidence of security means a surety bond or a policy of insurance with the appropriate endorsement attached.

Financial responsibility means the financial reserves (e.g., insurance policies or surety bonds) sufficient to satisfy liability amounts set forth in this subpart covering public liability.

For-hire carriage means the business of transporting, for compensation, the goods or property of another.

In bulk means the transportation, as cargo, of property, except Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 materials, and Division 2.3, Hazard Zone A gases, in containment systems with capacities in excess of 3500 water gallons.

In bulk (Division 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 explosives) means the transportation, as cargo, of any Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 materials in any quantity.

In bulk (Division 2.3, Hazard Zone A or Division 6.1, Packing Group I, Hazard Zone A materials) means the transportation, as cargo, of any Division 2.3, Hazard Zone A, or Division 6.1, packing Group I, Hazard Zone A material, in any quantity.

Insured and principal means the motor carrier named in the policy of insurance, surety bond, endorsement, or notice of cancellation, and also the fiduciary of such motor carrier.

Insurance premium means the monetary sum an insured pays an insurer for acceptance of liability for public liability claims made against the insured.

Motor carrier means a for-hire motor carrier or a private motor carrier. The term includes, but is not limited to, a motor carrier's agent, officer, or representative; an employee responsible for hiring, supervising, training, assigning, or dispatching a driver; or an employee concerned with the installation, inspection, and maintenance of motor vehicle equipment and/or accessories.

Property damage means damage to or loss of use of tangible property.

Public liability means liability for bodily injury or property damage and includes liability for environmental restoration.

State means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

[46 FR 30982, June 11, 1981; 46 FR 45612, Sept. 14, 1981; 47 FR 12801, Mar. 25, 1982, as amended at 48 FR 52683, Nov. 21, 1983; 51 FR 33856, Sept. 23, 1986; 53 FR 12160, Apr. 13, 1988; 59 FR 63923, Dec. 12, 1994; 62 FR 16709, Apr. 8, 1997; 63 FR 33275, June 18, 1998; 78 FR 58482, Sept. 24, 2013]

§ 387.7 - Financial responsibility required.

(a) No motor carrier shall operate a motor vehicle until the motor carrier has obtained and has in effect the minimum levels of financial responsibility as set forth in § 387.9 of this subpart.

(b)(1) Policies of insurance, surety bonds, and endorsements required under this section shall remain in effect continuously until terminated. Cancellation may be effected by the insurer or the insured motor carrier giving 35 days' notice in writing to the other. The 35 days' notice shall commence to run from the date the notice is transmitted. Proof of transmission shall be sufficient proof of notice.

(2) Exception. Policies of insurance and surety bonds may be obtained for a finite period of time to cover any lapse in continuous compliance.

(3) Exception. (i) A Mexico-domiciled motor carrier operating solely in municipalities in the United States on the U.S.-Mexico international border or within the commercial zones of such municipalities with a Certificate of Registration issued under part 368 may meet the minimum financial responsibility requirements of this subpart by obtaining insurance coverage, in the required amounts, for periods of 24 hours or longer, from insurers that meet the requirements of § 387.11.

(ii) A Mexican motor carrier so insured must have available for inspection in each of its vehicles copies of the following documents:

(A) The Certificate of Registration;

(B) The required insurance endorsement (Form MCS–90); and

(C) An insurance identification card, binder, or other document issued by an authorized insurer which specifies both the effective date and the expiration date of the temporary insurance coverage authorized by this exception.

(iii) Mexican motor carriers insured under this exception are also exempt from the notice of cancellation requirements stated on Form MCS–90.

(c) Policies of insurance and surety bonds required under this section may be replaced by other policies of insurance or surety bonds. The liability of the retiring insurer or surety, as to events after the termination date, shall be considered as having terminated on the effective date of the replacement policy of insurance or surety bond or at the end of the 35 day cancellation period required in paragraph (b) of this section, whichever is sooner.

(d) Proof of the required financial responsibility shall be maintained at the motor carrier's principal place of business. The proof shall consist of—

(1) “Endorsement(s) for Motor Carrier Policies of Insurance for Public Liability Under Sections 29 and 30 of the Motor Carrier Act of 1980” (Form MCS–90) issued by an insurer(s);

(2) A “Motor Carrier Surety Bond for Public Liability Under Section 30 of the Motor Carrier Act of 1980” (Form MCS–82) issued by a surety; or

(3) A written decision, order, or authorization of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration authorizing a motor carrier to self-insure under § 387.309, provided the motor carrier maintains a satisfactory safety rating as determined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under part 385 of this chapter.

(e)(1) The proof of minimum levels of financial responsibility required by this section shall be considered public information and be produced for review upon reasonable request by a member of the public.

(2) In addition to maintaining proof of financial responsibility as required by paragraph (d) of this section, non-North America-domiciled private and for-hire motor carriers shall file evidence of financial responsibility with FMCSA in accordance with the requirements of subpart C of this part.

(f) All vehicles operated within the United States by motor carriers domiciled in a contiguous foreign country, shall have on board the vehicle a legible copy, in English, of the proof of the required financial responsibility (Form MCS–90 or MCS–82) used by the motor carrier to comply with paragraph (d) of this section.

(g) Any motor vehicle in which there is no evidence of financial responsibility required by paragraph (f) of this section shall be denied entry into the United States.

[46 FR 30982, June 11, 1981; 46 FR 45612, Sept. 14, 1981, as amended at 48 FR 5559, Feb. 7, 1983; 48 FR 52683, Nov. 21, 1983; 51 FR 22083, June 18, 1986; 54 FR 49092, Nov. 29, 1989; 59 FR 63923, Dec. 12, 1994; 67 FR 12661, Mar. 19, 2002; 73 FR 76496, Dec. 16, 2008; 83 FR 16226, Apr. 16, 2018; 83 FR 22876, May 17, 2018]

§ 387.9 - Financial responsibility, minimum levels.

The minimum levels of financial responsibility referred to in § 387.7 are hereby prescribed as follows:

Table 1 to § 387.9—Schedule of Limits—Public Liability

Type of carriage Commodity transported January 1, 1985 (1) For-hire (In interstate or foreign commerce, with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds)Property (nonhazardous)$750,000 (2) For-hire and Private (In interstate, foreign, or intrastate commerce, with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds)Hazardous substances, as defined in 49 CFR 171.8, transported in bulk in cargo tanks, portable tanks, or hopper-type vehicles with capacities in bulk; in bulk Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 materials; Division 2.3, Hazard Zone A material; in bulk Division 6.1, Packing Group I, Hazard Zone A material; in bulk Division 2.1 or 2.2 material; or highway route controlled quantities of a Class 7 material, as defined in 49 CFR 173.4035,000,000 (3) For-hire and Private (In interstate or foreign commerce, in any quantity; or in intrastate commerce, in bulk only; with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds)Oil listed in 49 CFR 172.101; hazardous waste, hazardous materials, or hazardous substances defined in 49 CFR 171.8 and listed in 49 CFR 172.101, but not mentioned in entry (2) or (4) of this table1,000,000 (4) For-hire and Private (In interstate or foreign commerce, with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 10,001 pounds)In bulk Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 material; in bulk Division 2.3, Hazard Zone A material; in bulk Division 6.1, Packing Group I, Hazard Zone A material; or highway route controlled quantities of a Class 7 material as defined in 49 CFR 173.4035,000,000
[86 FR 57071, Oct. 14, 2021]

§ 387.11 - State authority and designation of agent.

A policy of insurance or surety bond does not satisfy the financial responsibility requirements of this subpart unless the insurer or surety furnishing the policy or bond is—

(a) Legally authorized to issue such policies or bonds in each State in which the motor carrier operates; or

(b) Legally authorized to issue such policies or bonds in the State in which the motor carrier has its principal place of business or domicile, and is willing to designate a person upon whom process, issued by or under the authority of any court having jurisdiction of the subject matter, may be served in any proceeding at law or equity brought in any State in which the motor carrier operates; or

(c) Legally authorized to issue such policies or bonds in any State of the United States and eligible as an excess or surplus lines insurer in any State in which business is written, and is willing to designate a person upon whom process, issued by or under the authority of any court having jurisdiction of the subject matter, may be served in any proceeding at law or equity brought in any State in which the motor carrier operates.

(d) A Canadian insurance company legally authorized to issue a policy of insurance in the Province or Territory of Canada in which the Canadian motor carrier has its principal place of business or domicile, and that is willing to designate a person upon whom process, issued by or under the authority of any court having jurisdiction over the subject matter, may be served in any proceeding at law or equity brought in any State in which the motor carrier operates.

[46 FR 30982, June 11, 1981, as amended at 48 FR 52683, Nov. 21, 1983; 75 FR 38430, July 2, 2010]

§ 387.13 - Fiduciaries.

The coverage of fiduciaries shall attach at the moment of succession of such fiduciaries.

[46 FR 30982, June 11, 1981]

§ 387.15 - Forms.

Endorsements for policies of insurance (Form MCS–90) and surety bonds (Form MCS–82) must be in the form prescribed by the FMCSA and approved by the OMB. Endorsements to policies of insurance and surety bonds shall specify that coverage thereunder will remain in effect continuously until terminated, as required in § 387.7 of this subpart. The continuous coverage requirement does not apply to Mexican motor carriers insured under § 387.7(b)(3) of this subpart. The endorsement and surety bond shall be issued in the exact name of the motor carrier. The Forms MCS–82 and MCS–90 are available from the FMCSA website at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/forms.

[83 FR 16226, Apr. 16, 2018]

§ 387.17 - Violation and penalty.

Any person (except an employee who acts without knowledge) who knowingly violates the rules of this subpart shall be liable to the United States for a civil penalty as stated in part 386, appendix B, of this chapter, and if any such violation is a continuing one, each day of violation will constitute a separate offense. The amount of any such penalty shall be assessed by FMCSA's Administrator, by written notice. In determining the amount of such penalty, the Administrator, or his/her authorized delegate shall take into account the nature, circumstances, extent, the gravity of the violation committed and, with respect to the person found to have committed such violation, the degree of culpability, any history of prior violations, ability to pay, and any effect on ability to continue to do business, and such other matters as justice may require.

[80 FR 18158, Apr. 3, 2015]

§ 387.19 - Electronic filing of surety bonds, trust fund agreements, certificates of insurance and cancellations.

(a) Insurers of exempt for-hire motor carriers, as defined in § 390.5 of this subchapter, and private motor carriers that transport hazardous materials in interstate commerce that are registered with FMCSA on September 30, 2016, must file certificates of insurance, surety bonds, and other securities and agreements with FMCSA by April 14, 2017. Insurers of all other exempt for-hire motor carriers, as defined in § 390.5 of this subchapter, and private motor carriers that transport hazardous materials in interstate commerce must file certificates of insurance, surety bonds, and other securities and agreements with FMCSA at the time of the application for registration. These filings must be made electronically in accordance with the requirements and procedures set forth at § 387.323.

(b) The requirements of this section do not apply to motor carriers excepted under § 387.7(b)(3).

[80 FR 63708, Oct. 21, 2015; 81 FR 49554, July 28, 2016] Effective Date Note:At 82 FR 5307, Jan. 17, 2017, § 387.19 was suspended, effective Jan. 14, 2017.