Insurance for pickup trucks: basics and ways to save

No matter if you live in the backcountry or downtown, owning a truck is different than driving a sedan or SUV. They’re great for towing, tailgating, and begrudgingly helping your friends move. But trucks have one thing in common with other vehicles: they gotta be insured. The good news is that on average, trucks are the second cheapest vehicle type to insure, with an average annual premium of $1,731 in 2019. Still, saving anywhere is saving everywhere, so let’s explore the cheapest and most expensive trucks to insure by comparing rates across providers for top truck models.

Insuring your pickup truck — table of contents:

1. Cheapest car insurance rates by company for pickup trucks
2. Do you need additional insurance coverage for a pickup truck?
3. How else can you save?
4. Additional resources

Best cheap car insurance for pickup trucks by company

Because all pickup trucks are not created equal, we broke down car insurance quotes by top companies for popular makes and models. Reference the below list to compare pickup truck insurance rates for the model you're considering buying. Spoiler alert: the Chevy Colorado is the cheapest pickup to insure.

• Chevrolet Colorado
• Chevrolet Silverado
• Ford F-150
• GMC Canyon
• GMC Sierra
• Honda Ridgeline
• Nissan Frontier
• Nissan Titan
• Toyota Tacoma
• Toyota Tundra
  
  

Do you need additional insurance coverage for a pickup?

Auto insurance is designed to cover as many vehicle types as possible. However, some attributes of pickup trucks — and their common uses —  may call for additional insurance. Additional insurance is most often necessary if you use your truck to tow trailers or other vehicles.

Does auto insurance cover towing a trailer?

It depends. Let’s say you’re helping a friend move with a U-Haul rental or a similar trailer. Most insurance policies' liability coverage extends to cover bodily injury and property damage caused to someone else by your trailer. Physical coverage of the trailer, on the other hand, depends on the details of your policy. If you carry comprehensive and collision insurance, your trailer may be protected. But there's a chance your insurance only extends to cover a certain amount — for example, a limit of $500. So if your trailer is more valuable than that, you might want to look into supplemental physical coverage for your trailer.

It's unlikely your auto insurance would extend to cover individual items you are towing, whether in the trailer or on their own. For instance, a boat or the belongings inside a U-Haul may not be covered by car insurance. While the trailer and hitch might be covered, the actual boat and belongings would not be.

Customized parts and equipment

If your truck has any particularly costly customizations, they could exceed the limitations of a basic auto insurance policy. In this case, look into coverage for customized parts and equipment to make sure your truck is fully protected. Common examples of these custom additions include:

• Stereos, Wi-Fi equipment
• Custom paint, murals, or decals
• Suspension enhancers
• Height-extending roofs

How else can you save?

No matter which company you select, you’re probably paying more for car insurance for your pickup truck than you’d prefer. Let’s break down some money-saving solutions.

Be smart with your claims

While the point of car insurance is to protect your investment, there are only a handful of situations in which you should file a claim. You should file a claim if the incident necessitates a comprehensive claim (something that occurred while not driving your vehicle), if you were hit by an uninsured motorist and have uninsured motorist coverage, or if the value of the damage greatly exceeds the premium increase that would be triggered by the claim. While the first two examples are pretty straightforward, the last one introduces some complexity. Here’s our guide to determining whether you should file a claim:

• Get an estimate for the repairs at a local repair shop.
• Use our State of Insurance analysis to see how much an at-fault accident would raise your rates, given your location. You should consider the potential cost over a three-year period, as that’s how long most companies will elevate your rates after a claim.
• Compare the rate increase plus your deductible to the out-of-pocket cost. Whichever option is cheaper, do that.

If you’ve damaged someone else’s vehicle, you have less flexibility in terms of whether or not to involve insurance companies. If the other driver does not want to be paid out-of-pocket for the damage, which is common, you don’t have a choice.

While there is a considerable difference from state to state regarding rate increases for at-fault claims, below is the average across the US. An at-fault accident may raise your rates by more than $2,300 over a three-year period.

Average Rate Increase After an At-Fault Claim

Double-check for discounts

Although most pickup truck discounts are quite small, they can add up. When looking for ways to save, consider the following discounts:

• Multi-policy discount
• Good driver discount
• Paperless discount
• Payment by bank account
• Paid-in-full discount (paying your premium in one payment)
• Multi-vehicle discount
• Telematics

Learn more about common discounts on auto insurance.

Shop around

It’s important to see understand how driver-specific car insurance is. The data we presented is reflective of one single user profile (see our methodology here) which may or may not apply to you or anyone else in your driving profile. You should think of our data as a jumping-off point before using our comparison tool to receive quotes from top insurers based on your make, model, and personal profile. Just enter your ZIP code below to start.

Additional information

Didn't find the information you need? Reference our additional car insurance resources for more ways to save.

• Cheap car insurance policies for families
• What goes into your car insurance quote?
• Car insurance for six-month policies
• Car insurance for multiple vehicles
• The best coverage for SUVs
• Best cheap car insurance companies

Methodology

The Zebra conducted comprehensive auto insurance pricing analysis using its proprietary quote engine, comprising data from insurance rating platforms and public rate filings. The Zebra examined nearly 53 million rates to explore trends for specific auto insurance rating factors across all United States zip codes, averaged by state, including Washington, DC.

The analysis used a consistent base profile for the insured driver: a 30-year-old single male driving a 2013 Honda Accord EX with a good driving history and coverage limits of $50,000 bodily injury liability per person/$100,000 bodily injury liability per accident/$50,000 property damage liability per accident with a $500 deductible for comprehensive and collision. For coverage level data, optional coverage (that must be rejected in writing) is included where applicable, including uninsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection.

Some rate data may vary slightly throughout the report based on rounding.