Kansas Trucking Insurance

Trucking in Kansas

I-70 crosses 424 miles of Kansas from Kansas City to Colorado, and west of Salina it becomes one of the most wind-exposed trucking corridors in the country. Crosswinds exceeding 50 mph can flip empty trailers. KDOT closes sections during severe weather. Cell coverage drops out between Hays and Colby, and again between Colby and the Colorado border. This is not a corridor to run unprepared. If you are pulling an empty van or flatbed west of Hays, check the KDOT wind advisory before committing to the run.

I-35 is the other major corridor, running north-south from the Oklahoma border through Wichita and up to Kansas City. This is the NAFTA freight lane connecting Texas and Oklahoma to the Midwest distribution hubs. The Kansas Turnpike overlaps I-35 for most of this stretch. I-135 connects I-70 at Salina to I-35 at Wichita, completing the triangle that carries the majority of in-state truck traffic. US-56 and US-54 serve the southwest portion of the state, handling agricultural freight from the wheat belt and cattle country.

The Kansas Turnpike runs 236 miles and went all-electronic in July 2024. There are no cash lanes anywhere. E-ZPass does not work — you need K-TAG, PikePass (Oklahoma), TxTag or TollTag (Texas), BestPass, or PrePass. Without a compatible transponder, you get billed by license plate at $0.276 per mile, double the K-TAG rate of $0.138 per mile. East Coast carriers running through Kansas for the first time get hit with this surprise regularly. If you are an owner-operator or small fleet running Kansas occasionally, BestPass or PrePass may be the most practical option since they cover multiple toll systems across the country without requiring state-specific transponders.

Kansas is an agricultural powerhouse, and the freight economy reflects it. Wheat, corn, soybeans, sorghum, and cattle dominate. Harvest season from June through October generates massive seasonal freight demand — grain trucks running from fields to elevators, then elevator to rail or processing facility. The state also has a significant aviation manufacturing sector centered in Wichita, where companies produce aircraft components that move as oversized or specialized freight. Oil and gas production in south-central Kansas generates energy sector freight, though at a smaller scale than Oklahoma or Texas.

Kansas has a 75 mph uniform speed limit with no truck speed split. The 14-foot height limit is more generous than most states (13.5-13.6 feet is standard), and trailer length runs to 59 feet 6 inches. Cylindrical hay bales get a height exception up to 14.5 feet, reflecting how deeply agriculture shapes the operating environment here. KDOT provides real-time truck parking data through the TPIMS system covering I-70 and I-135 rest areas. Truck stop clusters sit at Salina, Hays, Colby, and the KC metro, but western Kansas has long stretches between services. Plan fuel stops carefully west of Hays — the distance between stations grows and options narrow.

Weather in Kansas goes beyond wind. Tornado season runs roughly from April through June, and Kansas sits in the heart of Tornado Alley. Severe thunderstorms produce hail that can damage equipment and cargo — hailstones large enough to dent trailers and shatter windshields are not uncommon during spring supercells. Winter ice storms, particularly in the eastern third of the state, shut down I-70 and the Turnpike periodically. Western Kansas gets blowing snow and ground blizzards that reduce visibility to near zero on the open plains. The transition seasons — spring and fall — are when conditions change most rapidly. A clear morning can become a dangerous afternoon with little warning. KDOT’s 511 system and the KanDrive app provide real-time road conditions and are worth checking before any run through the state.

Weigh station enforcement in Kansas is active. Key I-70 stations include Station 5A westbound in the KC area, Stations 21W and 22W at mile post 329.5 in the Flint Hills, and Station 46 eastbound at Kanorado near the Colorado border. All CMVs must stop at open stations unless enrolled in PrePass or Drivewyze bypass programs. The Flint Hills stations between Topeka and Wichita see high volumes of agricultural traffic during harvest. Kansas Highway Patrol also conducts roadside inspections, and the state participates in CVSA enforcement events. Having your paperwork in order — registration, IFTA credentials, insurance filings, and any required Kansas permits — avoids delays that compound on tight delivery schedules.

Farm equipment sharing the road is a seasonal reality in Kansas that affects insurance risk. During planting and harvest, slow-moving combines, grain carts, and tractors operate on state highways and county roads, often without adequate lighting or signage. Rear-end collisions with farm equipment are a known hazard, particularly on two-lane roads at dawn or dusk. Carriers running rural Kansas routes during these seasons should factor this into their risk profile.

The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) handles intrastate authority with a unique requirement: you must attend a KCC safety class to get your authority. The application fee is $250. KCC intrastate minimums are $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 property damage — significantly higher than the state’s basic auto minimums of $25,000/$50,000/$25,000, and better than many states’ intrastate trucking requirements. The federal $750,000 interstate minimum applies to all for-hire carriers crossing state lines, and RMS recommends $1,000,000 CSL. Insurance rates in Kansas are low-to-moderate overall, driven primarily by western Kansas wind exposure, agricultural operations, and seasonal weather risk. Cargo coverage should account for the agricultural freight profile — grain, livestock, and ag chemicals each carry different risk profiles and valuation considerations. Physical damage claims in Kansas skew heavily toward wind-related incidents on the western corridors and hail damage during severe weather season. Carriers running I-70 through western Kansas should factor the wind exposure into their physical damage deductible decisions — a lower deductible may pay for itself quickly in this environment.

Starting a Trucking Company in Kansas?

If you’re launching a new carrier in Kansas, our free guide walks you through every step from business formation to passing your first FMCSA safety audit. Start with the decision guide or jump to insurance costs for new authorities.