Short answer
Radius is the customary distance your trucks travel from where they are garaged, measured in a straight line. IRMI describes three standard radius classes: local (not more than 50 miles), intermediate (between 50 and 200 miles), and long distance (more than 200 miles). Underwriters use radius to rate the policy, and some policies restrict coverage or rating to the radius you declared.
- Radius on an insurance application is not the same as the 150 air-mile short-haul exception in the hours-of-service rules.
How radius is measured and used
Radius is measured from the place of garaging to the destination, as a straight line rather than road miles. A dump truck running aggregate around a single metro area is usually local. A flatbed running Dallas to Houston and back is intermediate or longer depending on where it is garaged. A dry van running to the Midwest is long distance.
Underwriters use radius because exposure changes with distance: more highway miles, more unfamiliar roads, more nights away. That is why the same truck can rate differently depending on what you declare.
| Radius class | Customary distance from garaging |
|---|---|
| Local | Not more than 50 miles |
| Intermediate | Between 50 and 200 miles |
| Long distance | More than 200 miles |
Why an accurate radius matters
Declaring a shorter radius than you actually run can look like a premium saving, but it creates problems:
- Audits and telematics. Many trucking policies are audited, and ELD and fuel records show where trucks go.
- Restrictive endorsements. Some policies limit coverage or rating to the declared radius. Running outside it can lead to an additional premium charge or a coverage dispute, depending on the policy wording.
- Lane changes. Picking up a new customer with longer lanes is a policy change. Tell your agent before the first load, not at renewal.
Radius often comes up for dump trucks, hotshots, and oilfield haulers, where operations can shift from local to regional quickly.
Radius vs the 150 air-mile rule
The hours-of-service rules have their own distance test. Under 49 CFR 395.1(e)(1), a driver who operates within a 150 air-mile radius (172.6 statute miles) of the normal work reporting location, and returns and is released within 14 consecutive hours, is exempt from certain logging requirements. That is a compliance rule for drivers. It does not determine your insurance radius class, though the same trip records often answer both questions.
Common questions
Is radius measured in road miles?
Standard radius classes are measured in a straight line from the garaging location to the destination. Your policy or application may define it, so check the wording.
What if one truck runs farther than the rest?
Radius can be declared truck by truck. List each unit accurately rather than averaging the fleet.
Does an intrastate-only Texas carrier have a local radius?
Not necessarily. Texas is large: El Paso to Beaumont is well over 200 miles, so an intrastate carrier can be long distance.
Sources
- IRMI glossary: radius class. Straight-line measurement from garaging and the 50-mile and 200-mile class boundaries.
- 49 CFR 395.1, Scope of rules in this part (Cornell LII). Short-haul exception: 150 air-mile radius (172.6 statute miles), 14-hour release.
This page explains insurance, not law. Have your attorney review indemnity and contract language; our job is making the insurance match it.
Keep reading
Questions
How much does truck insurance cost in Texas?
By operation
What insurance does a Texas dump truck operation need?
By operation
What insurance does a Texas hotshot operation need?
Coverage
Primary truck liability: what it covers, what the law requires, and where it breaks
Questions
What insurance do Texas intrastate trucking companies need?