Integration Checklist

Before you start building, here’s what you’ll need — both from Cover Whale and from the insured (the trucking company applying for insurance).

From Cover Whale

API credentials

A username and password issued by Cover Whale. Contact api-support@coverwhale.com to request access.

Base URL

Production and test environments have separate base URLs. See Base URL for both endpoints and how to switch between them.

This documentation

You’re here. The Quickstart walks through the full flow end-to-end.

This is the data you’ll need to collect from the trucking company to get a quote. The more you provide, the more accurate the pricing.

Data	Field	Notes
DOT number	`insuredInformation.dotNumber`	The USDOT number assigned by FMCSA. Every commercial carrier has one.
Legal business name	`insuredInformation.legalName`	As registered with FMCSA
Years in business	`insuredInformation.yearsInBusiness`	Under current ownership
Garage state & zip	`garageAddress.garageState`, `.garageZip`	Where vehicles are primarily kept
Mailing state & zip	`mailingAddress.mailingState`, `.mailingZip`	Business mailing address
Number of trucks	`limits.nbrOfTrucks`	Power units in the fleet
Total truck value	`limits.valueOfTrucks`	Combined value of all power units
Effective date	`coverage.effectiveDate`	When coverage should start (MM/DD/YYYY)

Data	Field	Notes
Full addresses	`garageAddress.`, `mailingAddress.`	Street, city, state, zip, county for both
Vehicle details	`vehicles[]`	Year, make, model, VIN, value, class for each truck
Driver details	`drivers[]`	Name, DOB, license state/number, years experience for each driver
Coverage selections	`coverage.requestAl`, etc.	Which coverage lines to quote (AL, APD, MTC, TGL, NTL)
Broker fees	`coverage.brokerFeeAL`, etc.	Your service fee per coverage line (max $1,000 each). Captured at quote and carried into bind.
Liability limit	`limits.limitAutoLiability`	Typically $1,000,000

Data	Field	Notes
Coverage selections	`coverage.includeAL`, etc.	Which quoted lines to bind. Broker fees for these lines are carried from the quote; lines you omit have their fee zeroed.
Insured email	`bindingMethod.insuredEmail`	For e-signature and policy documents
Insured full name	`bindingMethod.insuredFullName`	For signature
Shipping address	`shippingAddress.*`	For dashcam delivery (if applicable)

If you’re new to insurance integrations, here are the domain concepts you’ll encounter:

Term	What It Means
DOT number	A unique identifier assigned to commercial carriers by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Think of it as the “company ID” for trucking businesses.
Indication	A preliminary price estimate based on minimal data. Not bindable — used for screening.
Quote	A formal price offer with exact premiums. Can be bound into a policy.
Binding	Converting a quote into an active insurance policy. Once bound, coverage is in effect.
Submission	The application record that tracks the entire lifecycle from quote request through active policy.
Display ID	The submission’s primary identifier. You’ll use this in most API calls.
Transaction ID	Identifies a specific version of a submission. Endorsements and renewals create new transactions.
Endorsement	A modification to an active policy (e.g., adding a vehicle, changing coverage).
AL / APD / MTC / TGL / NTL	The five coverage lines. See the coverage types table for descriptions.