Most people don’t understand trucking insurance and haven’t done enough research before buying insurance. When it comes to trucking insurance, business owners have even more options. Let’s discuss the different types of insurance so that when you are ready to buy or renew your business insurance, you will have an idea of what types of insurance will fit into your business plan and goals.
Four main types of commercial truck insurance:
- Liability insurance (Auto & General) pays for damages you cause. This insurance is usually required by law and is not an option.
- Bobtail insurance, which is sometimes referred to as non-trucking liability, is a voluntary type of insurance that covers your truck when you’re not under dispatch.
- Motor truck cargo covers the freight you are pulling. Although this insurance is not required by law, the shipping company may require it.
- Physical damage coverage bases the premium on the value of the equipment. Your lienholder may require it, but generally it is not required by law. This type of coverage protects your truck against fire, theft and other types of damage. Ask your agent what is allowed and what is excluded. Always understand your policy.
Your business may want to consider these other types of trucking-related insurance coverage:
- Non-owned trailer liability and physical damage are policies that protect the trailer if it belongs to someone else.
- Terminal coverage protects freight which is stored at specified terminals for a specified time frame, generally 48 to 72 hours.
- Warehouse legal protects goods that are stored for a longer time at that the terminal coverage and for which a storage is charge is made. The amount of coverage you want is based on the amount of goods stored. Workers Compensation and/or Occupational Accident Injury Coverage to protect the individuals employed or contracted with.
Obviously, if you never store goods or you own your own trailer, you won’t necessarily be concerned about some of these types of insurance. However, it is good to know that these policies are available to protect your risk exposure. Western Truck Insurance Services is always happy to answer any of your questions about insurance to give you the information you need to make an informed decision.
Saving Money on Your Trucking Insurance
Unfortunately, trucking insurance is one of the largest fixed costs of any trucking business. It’s a very important aspect of your business plan. It makes sense to work with your agent or broker to find the best coverage at the best rates to protect the future of your business and family. Although insurance can seem very costly each year, consider how much it would cost to replace your truck or cover the medical bills of a family injured in an accident. Here are some ways to get the best deals on your insurance:
- Ask for fixed premiums.
- Pay your insurance up front instead of in installments.
- Ask if the insurance company has various discounts for various situations.
- Talk to your insurer about a safety program. Many times, your insurer will help you put policies and procedures to help you run a better program.
- Your insurer may also give a discount if your company has a written maintenance plan and a good history of looking after your vehicles.
- Don’t overstate the value of your truck, hoping to get a better deal if it’s damaged in an accident.
- It may not be cost-effective to have physical damage coverage on older, low value, vehicles.
- You may also keep your premiums lower by watching your driving records closely. Make sure drivers obey traffic laws to prevent having traffic offences from accruing.
- Talk to your insurer about where you keep your trucks, especially when parked overnight. A riskier area of the community may mean higher premiums.
- As your vehicles get older, you may want to look at upgrading to safer and newer equipment.
Trucking insurance might be expensive, but it’s because trucks are expensive and accidents can be very costly; especially in today’s litigious society. Trucks often carry valuable cargo which are also subject to expensive losses.
Now that you understand the types of coverage and some of the factors that go into the costs associated with insurance, you can make better decisions about your own policies to cover your business.