Chattanooga insurance agency focused on transportation, placing coverage for trucking companies, freight brokers and 3PLs through a network of insurers, plus broker bonds and safety consulting.
Services
Who it serves
Overview
Reliance Partners is an insurance agency (broker) that focuses on transportation and logistics. Rather than underwriting policies itself, it places coverage with what it calls its "extensive network of insurance companies" and assigns clients an account manager. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Its business covers trucking companies, freight brokers, 3PLs and warehousing operations, plus general commercial lines. It also runs related businesses: Borderless Coverage, which handles cross-border and captive programs, and Reliance HCM, which handles group health and HR technology.
Compare with other Insurance providers: Loadsure, Avalon Risk Management and Northland Insurance (Travelers), or see all Insurance.
Services
For motor carriers, Reliance offers auto liability, motor truck cargo, physical damage, general liability, workers compensation, excess and umbrella, non-trucking liability (bobtail) and occupational accident coverage. It has named programs for fleets, new ventures, high-risk operations, auto haulers, intermodal carriers, owner-operators, moving and storage, couriers, flatbed, reefer and hazmat.
For freight brokers, the agency lists auto liability options including contingent auto liability, contingent motor truck cargo, workers compensation, general liability, shipper's interest, errors and omissions, cyber liability, broker surety bonds (BMC-84) and API-enabled solutions. Its broker page makes a useful point: contingent cargo is often written "follow form," meaning an exclusion in the carrier's cargo policy can carry over into the broker's policy, and brokers may want broader legal liability or broad cargo forms instead.
On the technology side, Reliance worked with Loadsure and McLeod Software on an integration that lets McLeod users buy per-load shipper's interest coverage inside their TMS, as described in a 2023 FreightWaves article. Reliance also provides online certificates of insurance, usage-based programs, safety consulting, CSA score risk management, claims help and help challenging incorrect violations.
Who it is for
Reliance is a fit for trucking companies of many sizes, including new ventures and operations that standard markets may decline, as well as freight brokers and 3PLs that need contingent coverage, E&O and a broker bond in one place. Its NAFTA and Borderless Coverage programs are relevant for carriers running freight into Canada or Mexico. Warehousing companies are mentioned, though specific warehouse products are not detailed on the main page.
How working with them works
The process on its site is straightforward. A prospect requests a quote online or by phone. Reliance then reviews the business's needs, builds a coverage strategy using its insurer network, and matches the client with an account manager who handles ongoing service, claims support and industry updates. Clients get access to a login portal and online certificates. Its broker page also notes that two of its executives previously held leadership roles at large freight brokers, which it presents as background for understanding the risks 3PLs face.
Because Reliance is an agency, premiums are set by the insurers it places business with, and pricing is not published. The broker page notes that coverage varies by location, policy and business and advises consulting a licensed agent.
Questions to ask before you sign
Ask which insurance company will actually underwrite each policy, and check that insurer's current AM Best rating yourself. Agencies can place different lines with different carriers.
For carriers: confirm auto liability limits, cargo limits and deductibles, physical damage values, and whether non-trucking liability or occupational accident applies to your owner-operators. Ask for the cargo form and its exclusions, including theft, reefer breakdown and restricted commodities.
For brokers: ask whether your cargo coverage is contingent and follow form, or a broader legal liability form that pays without depending on the motor carrier's policy. Ask what limits apply to contingent auto liability and E&O, and whether the policies cover double brokering or fraud related losses.
Confirm who handles filings. Carriers need the insurer to file the BMC-91X with FMCSA. Brokers need a BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust, and should ask how quickly Reliance can issue and file the bond.
Ask how claims are handled: does the agency advocate on your behalf, who you call after an accident, and how quickly claims are acknowledged. If you plan to use per-load cargo through a TMS integration, ask what the per-load coverage includes and excludes.
Company background
Reliance Partners was founded in 2009 by Andrew Ladebauche and a group of Chattanooga logistics entrepreneurs. Over the following decade it opened offices in cities including Birmingham, Chicago, Tampa, Austin and Phoenix, and acquired Nashville-based Capacity Southeast in 2020 and Ohio-based Borderless Coverage in 2021.
In 2021 the company expanded its Chattanooga headquarters. In August 2022, Charlotte-based private equity firm Carousel Capital announced an investment in the company. Andrew Ladebauche serves as co-founder and CEO.
Sources
Information compiled from public sources. Last verified November 2026. Confirm details directly with the company.
