BMC-91X cancellations: the fastest trucking insurance leads

What a BMC-91X is

A for-hire interstate motor carrier can't run under its own operating authority (its MC number) without proof of liability insurance on file with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The carrier doesn't file that proof itself: its insurer does, on a Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X. Both certify bodily injury and property damage (BI&PD) coverage. The X version can cover more than one policy, such as a primary policy plus an excess layer.

The amount required depends on what the carrier hauls. Most general freight carriers need $750,000 on file; oil and hazardous materials need more. BMC Radar shows the required limit and the limit on file for every lead.

What happens when it's cancelled

A BMC-91X stays in force until it's cancelled, so there is no policy end date in FMCSA's records. When a policy is cancelled, for non-payment, an underwriting decision or a move to another insurer, the insurer notifies FMCSA, and the cancellation takes effect after 30 days' notice. If no new filing is on record by then, FMCSA moves to revoke the carrier's authority.

For an agent, that makes a cancellation with no replacement the most urgent lead there is. The carrier has to buy a policy, and soon, or stop hauling under its own authority.

How fast it shows up in public data

You might expect a 30-day head start. In practice, FMCSA's daily open data (the Motus insurance history files on data.transportation.gov) records cancellations on or a few days after the date they take effect. We measured a typical lag of 1 to 5 days. So the honest reading of a cancellation lead is: this filing just ended, and the carrier needs coverage now.

Four outcomes worth telling apart

• Cancelled, no replacement yet. The filing ended and nothing else is on file. Call first. In an October 2026 cohort, about a third of these carriers had a new policy within weeks, which is the window you're competing in.
• Cancelled, then reinstated. The same policy was refiled, often after a missed payment. A softer lead: the carrier is price-sensitive but may stay put.
• Cancelled and replaced. A different insurer filed right away. Too late for this term, but you now know the new insurer and the next X-date.
• Rewritten with the same insurer. A new filing from the same company, often a rewrite at renewal. It resets the anniversary.

Which insurers are cancelling

Cancellations cluster by insurer. In the week to November 4, 2026, the insurers filing the most BI&PD cancellations were United Financial Casualty (66), GEICO Marine (52), Great West Casualty (41) and Sentry Select (40). A spike from one insurer can mean it's pulling back from a class of business, which is a reason to call every carrier it dropped.

Working a cancellation lead

1. Call the same morning. The carrier is already being called by other agents and its old insurer.
2. Check the carrier's fleet size, cargo and hazmat flag so you quote the right markets.
3. Ask why the policy ended. Non-payment, a loss or an insurer exit each point to different markets.
4. Follow FMCSA filing rules for your market: the new insurer files the replacement BMC-91X.

Contacts in FMCSA's census are the ones carriers filed themselves. CAN-SPAM, TCPA and Do Not Call rules apply when you reach out.

Questions

What is a BMC-91X?

It is the form an insurer files with FMCSA to certify that a for-hire motor carrier has the bodily injury and property damage (BI&PD) liability coverage its operating authority requires. The BMC-91 covers a single policy; the BMC-91X can certify coverage made up of more than one policy, such as primary and excess layers.

How long after a cancellation does a carrier lose its authority?

The insurer has to give FMCSA 30 days' notice before a BMC-91X cancellation takes effect. If no replacement filing is on record by then, FMCSA moves to revoke the carrier's operating authority.

How quickly do cancellations appear in FMCSA's public data?

In FMCSA's daily open data since the May 2026 Motus cutover, cancellations show up on or a few days after the date they take effect, typically 1 to 5 days later. Treat a cancellation lead as a carrier that needs a policy now, not a 30-day heads-up.

Does a cancellation mean the carrier is uninsured?

Not always. A replacement filing can lag behind, or the same policy can be reinstated after a missed payment. That is why BMC Radar labels these 'no replacement yet' and splits out reinstatements and switches.