Section 387.7 prohibits a motor carrier from operating a CMV in interstate commerce unless it maintains the financial responsibility — typically auto liability insurance — required by §387.9. Minimums depend on the cargo:
- General freight (non-hazardous): $750,000 per occurrence.
- Hazardous substances and certain hazmat: $1,000,000 to $5,000,000.
- Passenger carriers: varies by vehicle capacity, $1.5M to $5M.
Filings
The carrier must file proof of financial responsibility with FMCSA on Form BMC-91 (or BMC-91X for surety) for property carriers, and BMC-34 for property/passenger combination, before operating.
Common citations
- Insurance lapsed, FMCSA filing not updated.
- Coverage below the §387.9 minimum.
- Operating between filing and effective date.
How to prevent it
- Renew insurance well before expiration; insurer files BMC-91 with FMCSA on your behalf.
- Verify the FMCSA Licensing & Insurance database shows current coverage.
- Don't dispatch on the day insurance lapses; the FMCSA database lag means you may show as uninsured for several days.
- Set a calendar reminder 60 days before policy expiration.
How Roadworthy HQ helps
Insurance certificate uploads with expiration dates are tracked in Roadworthy HQ. The dashboard alert window surfaces the renewal at 60 days and 30 days. Audit binder export includes current coverage documentation.