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If your company has never been struck by catastrophe, consider yourself lucky! But that doesn’t mean that your luck will hold out forever. There’s always a flood, hurricane, explosion, earthquake, lightning, or terror attack waiting around the bend.

And you and your entire company must be ready for it. With wildfires destroying over ten-million acres last year and winter storms causing $3.5 billion in insured losses earlier this year, businesses cannot afford to assume that they will be exempt from a catastrophe that strikes without warning. Getting the right business insurance is an important first step, but there are many practical things you can do to be prepared and to lower the cost and impact of a disaster.

Consider the following as you prepare your organization for a disaster:

1. Prepare safety equipment, including:

• Fire extinguishers
• Fire-fighting equipment
• Personal protective equipment that includes steel-toe and slip-resistant footwear, hardhats, eye protection, high visibility clothing, gloves, hearing protection, dust masks or respiratory protection
• First-aid kits
• Wireless communication equipment

2. Engineering controls

Escape paths, lockout tag-out controls, shut-off valves, guardrails, and exhaust ventilation that will minimize exposure to airborne hazards must be planned and inspected. Battery-powered emergency lighting, strategically placed, must be set up to go on immediately after you lose power.

3. Maintain emergency equipment

• Check and test the emergency generator
• Check fuel levels regularly on generators and fire pumps
• Check all roof-mounted equipment to ensure that it’s securely connected
• Check roof drains to make sure they are clear and able to handle heavy rains
• Check the roof and make any repairs, no matter how minor

4. Provide training

Establish an emergency response team with participants from all parts of your organization. Then, conduct disaster management drills to ensure all members of the emergency response team and all other employees know their responsibilities. Conduct daily safety briefings that discuss hazards and controls. Identify and eliminate or control existing or potential dangers that you discover after any disaster. Job performance appraisals should be tied in with compliance on all employee training.

5. Secure your data

• Copy your valuable papers and records, and put them in a safe place.
• Make sure that back-ups of computer records are current and kept in a safe location off-site.
• Confirm that any of your third-party vendors or cloud providers are also prepared for any natural or man-made disasters.

6. Work with your local government before a catastrophe hits

File a copy of your emergency response plan with local law enforcement officials, and provide them with new versions as you update them. Make sure that the local government’s emergency response team has contact information for your company. Give them updates whenever anyone on your team leaves the company or changes roles.

7. Patrol your facility during the emergency

As long as it’s safe to be there, your emergency response team should be patrolling the facility. The team should be concentrating on the following:

• Make sure all equipment is functioning properly.
• Repair any structural damage, if possible 
• Correct any potential fire hazards 
• Monitor the water pressure for your sprinkler heads.
• Deploy sandbags if flooding seems imminent.

8. Emphasize workplace safety after the disaster

Once your business has resumed normal operations, it’s important to reinforce standard safety measures:

• Ensure that your employees are using proper lifting techniques, and provide material handling equipment to keep manual lifting to a minimum.
• Limit the amount of employee exposure to hazardous conditions. 
• Minimize exposure to dangerous situations by rotating employees.
• Make personal hygiene and sanitation your company’s priority, and give workers an area where they can clean up after each shift.

Get the Right Insurance Protection for Your Business - Contact Us to Learn More

To learn more about preparing and protecting your business with the right types and amounts of commercial insurance, contact American Insuring Group online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848.

You invested a lot of money to start your own for-hire trucking business. Now it’s beginning to pay off as your schedule fills and you are spending more time on the road.

Being busy is what you hoped for, but it’s vital that you remember that you are now responsible for the business end of this venture, and protecting it has to be your top priority.

Motor carrier insurance is a type of truck insurance designed specifically for your kind of operation, and choosing the right insurance coverage will protect your investment and your business.

Here are some tips for getting the maximum coverage for your stuation:

For motor carriers who use for-hire independent truckers

If you are permanently leased to a motor carrier, there’s a good chance they will provide Primary Liability insurance coverage for you. The terms will be contained in your lease agreement, and, if the carrier provides the insurance, it will cover injuries and damage to other people and property if you are at fault during an accident.

If your carrier covers the primary liability, you will still need to purchase other for-hire trucking insurance. These are important:

Non-trucking liability: If you are not hauling cargo—you’re getting your truck washed or taking it for repairs—this coverage provides you with limited liability insurance protection.

Physical damage coverage: This insurance covers your truck and trailer against collision, fire, theft, hail, windstorm, earthquake, flood, or vandalism. The lien holder of your vehicle will require this coverage.

Motor truck cargo insurance: If you are responsible for lost freight or damaged goods, you are protected with this policy. The premium will vary depending on the load you’re hauling.

If you work on your own authority:

If you work independently—officially called operating under your own authority—you’ll need to purchase your mandatory primary liability insurance coverage which, as noted earlier, pays for damages you cause to other people and their property.

Other essential coverages:

Physical damage: This insurance pays for repairs to your truck if it's damaged in an accident, whether it's caused by a collision with another vehicle or a falling tree branch.

Motor truck cargo insurance: Pays for damages to the load that you’re hauling in the case of fire, theft, or an accident.

Uninsured motorist coverage: Pays for injuries and damages to you, your passengers, and your vehicle, which was caused by drivers who either don't have insurance or don't have enough insurance to cover your injuries and damages.

Medical payments insurance: Mandatory in some states and unavailable in others, this coverage would pay medical bills for you and any passengers in your truck in case they are hurt in an accident or auto-related injury.

Trailer interchange insurance: If a load needs to be transferred to a different trucker, the motor carrier that has possession of the trailer is responsible for any damage to it, whether or not the trailer is attached to the tractor. Trailer interchange insurance covers physical damage caused to a non-owned trailer under a trucker’s care.

 

Get Help - Get the Right Trucking Insurance

Signing on with a reputable motor carrier can mitigate some of those insurance expenses, but whether you drive under permanent lease or your own authority, you will need to sit down with an expert on for-hire trucking insurance to help you get the best coverage at a competitive price.

We can help, so contact the experts at American Insuring Group online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848.

As an employer, you want to make sure that you have adequate workers’ compensation insurance; however, you also want to make sure that you aren’t paying too much for it.

If you aren’t properly managing your workers compensation program, there’s a good chance that you are indeed paying too much.

If you want to change that, here are 5 workers’ compensation cost control systems to implement.

1. A Return to Work Program

While an injured employee may not be capable of returning to his regular job and performing all of his regular duties, he may be able to come back to work on “modified duty,” “transitional duty,” or “light duty.” For example, a worker with an injured back may not be able to return to a job that requires frequent lifting, but he may be able to perform modified duties such as answering phones or counting inventory. Modified duty reuces disability costs, which in turn lowers your cost of the workers’ compensation claim. Plus, several studies have shown that injured employees who come back to work for modified duty recover more quickly.

2. A Safety Program

Frequency and severity of claims are two of the biggest causes of higher workers’ compensation insurance premiums. A good safety program can decrease both the frequency and the severity of injuries. A good safety program identifies all of the potential job hazards and teaches employees how to work more safely and avoid injuries. An effective safety program requires a concerted effort to eliminate or reduce all job hazards that are identified and should include a safety specialist or committee that keeps on top of those (and new) hazards.

3. Medical Management Cost Control

In 2017, health care costs are expected to grow 6.5%. This means that controlling the cost of medical care provided to an injured employee is necessary to help control the cost of workers’ compensation premiums. Employers can do this by 1) having a worksite nurse who is available to evaluate and ensure that injured employees receive the proper level of medical care, 2) involving a nurse case manager in the claim, so she can coordinate and facilitate the medical care and assist the employer and employee in compliance and return to work options, and 3) having cost control services in place for medical fee schedule reviews, utilization reviews, and peer reviews.

4. Fraud Prevention Program

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, up to 25 percent of all workers’ compensation claims contain some element of fraud, and this fraud can add 10 to 20 percent to your overall cost of workers’ compensation. If you turn a blind eye to fraud, you’re encouraging other employees to commit fraud. You should have a fraud prevention program in place and make sure that every employee understands that fraud is a serious crime and that the cost of fraud could directly affect them in lower raises or bonuses.

5. Control Medical Provider Selection

You may be surprised by how much this can affect the cost of medical care, but research has shown a strong correlation between the states with the highest cost of workers’ compensation and the states that allow injured employees to select their medical provider. First, you should understand how much you can and can’t control this selection. In Pennsylvania, employers can (and should) provide a list of acceptable medical providers that employees can use in a workers’ compensation claim. Employees are required to use one of those medical providers for 90 days. If you don’t provide a list, the injured employee can select his own medical provider during those first 90 days and many employees will find a doctor who will keep them off work longer. 

 

Call Us to Lower Your Workers Comp Insurance Costs!

Subscribe to our blog to learn additional ways to control your workers’ compensation and other business and personal insurance costs. And be sure to Contact American Insuring Group online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. Our independent agents will compare policies from competing carriers to find the right coverage at the right price for your business.

If you own a house, you have homeowners insurance. It’s required by the financial institution that holds your mortgage, and even if you don’t have a mortgage, you still need the coverage to protect your investment. With the median sales price of existing homes at a current level of $234,900, that’s a rather significant investment.

Even though almost every homeowner understands the necessity for homeowners insurance, few are aware of what is typically covered in a standard policy.

There are six areas of protection that make up your homeowners insurance. Make sure your policy has the right balance.

1.     Dwelling Coverage

If your house is damaged or destroyed in a covered peril—fire, wind, hail, or lightning—your insurance policy will provide the funds to repair or rebuild it. Keep in mind, however, that floods and earthquakes are not included in this coverage and will require separate polices to protect your property from them.

2.     Other Structures

This part of the policy covers what the name implies—any detached buildings on your property. Sheds, workshop, detached garage, and even fences are covered for damage or destruction from any covered peril. Your policy will usually provide 10% of the dwelling coverage as the limit for other structure protection. So, if you have set the cost of rebuilding your home at $200,000, then your other structure coverage will be $20,000.

3.     Personal Property

Personal property coverage, sometimes referred to as contents coverage, pays for replacing your possessions that were destroyed in a covered peril. In most policies, the coverage limit is set at 50% to 70% of the dwelling coverage limit. While $100,000 to $140,000 for a $200,000 house might sound like more than enough, you should perform a home inventory to be certain.

4.     Loss of Use

If your home is damaged or destroyed, you might have to look for a temporary place to live while repairs are being made. Loss of use coverage will help you maintain your standard of living by providing for hotels, restaurants, and other living expenses when your house is uninhabitable. Loss of use protection is set at 20% of your dwelling coverage limit.

5.     Personal Liability

This part of your home insurance policy protects you from lawsuits. Suppose a visiting neighbor falls because of a rotten floorboard on your front porch. Or your usually mild-mannered dog bites the utility meter reader and puts him out of work for a few weeks. You could be subjected to a lawsuit, in which case your coverage would protect you up to the policy limit, generally at least $100,000.

6.     Medical Payments

Medical payments insurance, commonly called MedPay, covers the medical costs of someone who is injured on your property and chooses not to sue. In the previous example, your neighbor and the meter reader were injured but this time did not file a lawsuit. Their medical costs were paid because of the MedPay section of your policy.

Keep in mind that medical payments coverage is the only part of your policy whose limits are not determined by your dwelling coverage. It typically pays $1000 per injured person, but you have the option to request a higher limit.

Go Beyond House Insurance Basics: Contact Us for the Right Coverage!

What you have read here is Home Insurance 101. To ensure that you are adequately covered, talk to one of our experts at American Insuring Group. We will help you acquire a homeowner's policy that has the appropriate coverage for your situation at a great price. Contact us online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848.

Obviously, falling asleep at the wheel is dangerous, but did you know that driving while you’re drowsy (even if you don’t fall asleep) can be just as dangerous.

Drowsiness makes drivers less able to pay attention to the road, slows reaction time, and affects a driver’s ability to make good decisions, which can all lead to accidents and resulting increases in your trucking insurance costs and claims. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving was responsible for 72,000 crashes, 44,000 injuries, and 800 deaths in 2013.

Because many truck drivers work long or odd hours and have deadlines to meet, they can be particularly susceptible to drowsy driving.If you employ drivers, it’s your responsibility to keep your employees (and those around them) as safe as possible. Plus, keeping your drivers from driving while drowsy - thereby avoiding accidents – can result in lower truck insurance premiums and protect your business from costly and time-consuming lawsuits.

Here are four tips to share wit
your drivers to avoid drowsy driving:

1. Create a healthy sleep environment

• Park somewhere that is both safe and quiet.
• Close curtains and truck shades or use an eye mask.
• Use ear plugs or a “white noise” machine.
• Keep your environment cool.
• Use a comfortable mattress and pillow.

2. Prepare for better sleep

• Try to get 7-9 hours of sleep each day.
• Pay attention to your body’s natural rhythm and try to go to sleep about the same time every day.
• Avoid spicy meals, liquids, caffeine, nicotine and other stimulants, and exposure to light from a television or electronic device, such as a tablet or computer (Studies show that light from these devices can disturb your sleep) 2-3 hours before bedtime.
• Create a relaxing routine within an hour or more of bedtime (brushing your teeth, washing your face, reading, etc.) to signal your brain that it’s time for sleep.

3. Know the warning signs of drowsy driving, and if you experience any of these signs, pull over to take a 15-20 minute nap or change drivers

• Yawning or frequent blinking
• Difficulty remembering the past few miles driven
• Missing your exit
• Drifting from your lane
• Hitting a rumble strip on the side of the road

4. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, most drowsy driving crashes or near misses occur from 4-6:00 am, midnight-2:00 am, and 2-4:00 pm, so advise your drivers to use extra caution when driving at these times

Good sleep is as important as proper nutrition and exercise. As you sleep, your body repairs itself and gets you ready for a new day. Driving a truck is a very demanding job, and a lack of sleep increases the risk of drowsy driving and accidents.

Protect your drivers and help avoid costly trucking insurance claims and possibly decrease your insurance premiums by educating your drivers on the importance of sleep and the dangers of drowsy driving.

Are You Paying Too Much for Trucking Insurance?
Contact Us and Save.

To learn more about trucking insurance and how you can save, contact American Insuring Group online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848.

Our independent agents will search among many competing insurance carriers to find the best trucking insurance at the best price to meet your needs. Call or click today to get started!

As you listen to the news about the devastating fires in Tennessee, tornado outbreaks in the Midwest, or destructive hurricanes pounding the coast of Florida, you may feel safe and sound here in Pennsylvania, especially if you have proper homeowners insurance protetion.

It is true that we are relatively lucky when it comes to natural disasters; however, we are not entirely immune to them.

Pennsylvanians still face damaging winter storms, flooding, the occasional hurricane (Agnes in 1972 and Sandy in 2012), and even earthquakes (2003 and 2007 in Flying Hills), hailstorms (May 2014 in Berks County) and tornadoes (in 2015 tornadoes were reported near Reading, Montoursville, and Selinsgrove).

Here are some tips to prepare for natural disasters in PA and beyond 

Take a Home Inventory

Your first step is to create a home inventory, which is simply an itemized list of your possessions to help you establish what you have and what those items are worth. Your inventory should include photos, serial numbers, receipts, and any other pertinent information you have about the item.

You can record the information on a sheet of paper or in an Excel or Word Document – whatever makes sense for you but do make sure that you store it in multiple places. Make several copies, having both a hard copy and an electronic copy are good ideas, and at least one copy should be kept outside of your home – electronically it can be saved to the Cloud, and hard copies can be stored in a safety deposit box at a bank.

A home inventory is easy to create. Start in one room and list all of your possessions in that room, including make and model, features, purchase price, and a photograph. Then, go to the next room and do the same, and so on. It can actually be kind of fun to take inventory of all your possessions.

If you do suffer damage from a natural disaster, this document will make the insurance claim process run more smoothly, and allow you to focus on the emotional recovery.

Prepare your Home for a Potential Disaster

The following steps may not only minimize the damage you incur from a natural disaster, they may even help you avoid minor insurance claims (which may increase your premiums), enhance the value of your home, and make it look nicer.

• Trim foliage – Thinning out trees and bushes can minimize or eliminate damage from wind, freezing rain, and fire.
• Install fortified or impact-resistant windows
• Check your roof

Review your House Insurance Coverage

Standard homeowner’s policies usually cover damage from wind, fire, lightning strikes, and winter storms. However, not all policies cover damage from floods, sinkholes, or earthquakes. If you live near a body of water, you should talk to your agent about flood insurance. And keep in mind that the Federal Emergency Management Agency reports that 20% of flood insurance claims are from homeowners in moderate to low risk areas!

File Your Homeowners Insurance Claim Promptly! 

If you do suffer damage from a natural disaster, contact your insurance company immediately to make a claim. The quicker you can start the claims process, the quicker you can get back to normal.

 

Contact Us for a Free Homeowners Insurance Assessment

Now is a great time to review your homeowner’s policy to avoid any unpleasant surprises should a natural disaster strike your home.

Contact American Insuring Group online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848, and we’ll be happy to review your policy to determine if you are properly protected against potential natural disasters in your area.

Imagine… One of your servers loses his grip on a hot cup of coffee and it lands on a patron’s lap. Or a woman slips on a wet spot in your restroom and breaks her ankle in two places.

As a restaurant owner, you’re probably already aware how quickly an accident can happen in your establishment. So it’s incumbent upon you to be prepared for the lawsuits and expenses that often accompany these type of mishaps. Without adequate restaurant insurance protection, your business assets could be seized to pay any claims for which you’re found liable. 

Even when the court does not rule in the patron’s favor, your restaurant will still be responsible for court costs and your attorney's fees to defend the case.

 

Getting the right insurance protection

Without the proper insurance coverage, incidents like these could bankrupt, or at least derail, your small business. Liability insurance safeguards your business from claims from others, including lawsuits. This insurance starts with a General Liability (GL) policy, but there are also plans to meet a restaurant’s specific needs. These include:

• Liquor Liability if your business serves alcohol
• Excess Liability to increase the liability limits on your policy
• Assault and Battery Liability if a fight breaks out and there are injuries
• Cyber Liability to address data breaches

Who needs this insurance?

Restaurant liability insurance is appropriate for a variety of hospitality businesses including:

• Full-service restaurants
• Fast-food restaurants
• Bars and taverns
• Sports bars
• Night clubs
• Delis
• Pizzerias
• Food trucks
• Caterers

This list is not comprehensive, but it gives you an idea of the types of establishments that incur the risks associated with serving food and drinks to customers and clients.

What does general liability insurance cover?

Liability policies will usually include the following:

• Financial awards to the plaintiff if you lose your case
• Attorney’s fees for defending your business in court
• Future medical payments for an injured party
• Settlement costs if it makes sense to settle out of court

If a patron’s injury or illness results in death, your GL policy will cover the medical expenses, funeral expenses, and any court-awarded compensation. Just remember, when your employees are injured or become sick while working for you, they are not covered under your GL but by your Worker’s Compensation insurance.

Property damage claims coverage may be included

Keep in mind that your policy may also protect your food service business from liability due to injuries or property damages that happen at other locations. Think about a business that caters an event at which a food warmer malfunctions and the resulting fire causes property damage at the venue. Your policy would handle the costs and any lawsuits.

And don’t forget personal and advertising injury claims

When your restaurant uses advertising or any promotional literature, you need to take into consideration that you may be infringing on another restaurant’s brands or copyrights. A general liability policy that covers you if you copy the promotional literature of another business would make sense. It protects you from accusations that your advertising slandered or libeled another company or person and caused non-physical damage.

 

Be Prepared - Contact Us for All Your Restaurant Insurance Needs

No matter how well prepared you think you are, your food service business is not immune to accidents. A Restaurant General Liability policy is a must to protect you against the unpredictability of mishaps, oversights, and lawsuits.

When shopping for coverage, contact American Insuring Group online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 for help in finding the right policy to fit your restaurant business needs.

Young families have a lot to think about--having children, buying their first house, and getting themselves established in their careers top the list. Because of these, money is often not plentiful, and there isn’t much time to look into the future and try to predict what surprises life might have in store, let alone to think about life insurance options.

If you are a spouse or partner in a young family, you may not have considered what would happen if you were to die unexpectedly. With life insurance in place, your family would be able to remain in their home and maintain their standard of living. It also gives your grieving survivor some time to make decisions without financial pressure.

The necessity for life insurance in young families may be apparent, but persistent misconceptions can keep those families from purchasing the coverage they need.

Here are three life insurance myths that can prevent your young family from receiving the protection it deserves:

Myth 1: Only the primary breadwinner needs life insurance.

If something happened to the breadwinner in your family, that paycheck would be missed. And the first myth addresses the importance of replacing the largest paycheck but without considering the value of the stay-at-home parent.

The costs of caring for your children, managing the household, and paying for all other domestic duties can be substantial. The parent who chooses to pass up a paying job and stay at home is providing an enormous service that has real value.No matter the size of the paycheck, your family counts on you and your income to maintain its quality of life, and either would be missed if something were to happen to you.

Myth 2: I can buy term insurance now, and if I still need protection at the end of the term, I can always renew the policy.

That is true if your policy is renewable, but not all policies are, and renewable premiums can be expensive. Why? When you come to the end of a 10 or 20-year term policy, you are ten or twenty years older, which guarantees a higher premium.

And think about this: If your policy isn’t renewable, you must once again qualify for the insurance. If your health has changed over the years, you might be uninsurable. Even if you can qualify for it, you will be paying much more.

Term insurance is popular with many young families, and there’s a good reason for it. The policies give the most coverage at the lowest cost. And it comes at a time when money is tight, and the need for coverage is highest.

But term insurance is just that—coverage for a relatively short time. It’s an excellent policy to provide for any needs that may disappear over time, including a mortgage or college expenses, but there are other plans designed to meet your longer-term needs.

Myth 3: Term insurance is sufficient. 

Term life insurance has its place in your overall financial planning, and it certainly makes sense for young families. Permanent life insurance, on the other hand, provides a death benefit along with other features such as lifelong protection and tax-advantaged cash accumulation within the policy.

You can access the cash value in your plan to pay for a business opportunity, your child’s education, or an emergency. Just remember that any funds you withdraw from the policy will reduce the death benefit and cash value if you don’t repay them.

Although permanent life insurance is more expensive than term insurance in the short term, there are long-term cost advantages to permanent coverage. So, you might consider buying a term policy with a large face amount, which gives you the immediate protection you need, and combine it with a smaller permanent policy.

We'll Help You Find the Best Life Insurance at the Best Price 

To learn more about your life insurance options at any age, contact American Insuring Group online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. Our team of independent life insurance agents will help you find the best policy from among competing insurance carriers. Call or click today to get started.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that power industrial trucks (PIT), often called forklifts or lift trucks, cause approximately 85 fatal accidents each year, almost 35,000 accidents that result in a serious injury, and about 62,000 non-serious accidents.  Accidents can be trajic for employees and can affect workers compensation insurance rates.

Drilling down to the details behind the statistics, 42% of PIT-related fatalities involve being crushed by a forklift that tipped over, while another 25% come from someone being crushed between the vehicle and a surface. Manufacturing (42%) and construction (24%) lead the fatality list. Sadly, most of these accidents could have been prevented, according to OSHA.

 

Here are twelve rules for the safe operation of a forklift that are easy to follow:

1. Qualified operators

This should go without saying, but anyone who uses a forklift must be trained and licensed to do so.

2. Appropriate clothing

Loose-fitting clothing can get caught in machinery. Operators should be wearing a hard hat, safety glasses, steel-tipped shoes, earplugs, and a high-visibility shirt or jacket.

3. Do an equipment check before driving

Before driving, the operator should do a routine check of the lift truck, paying particular attention to brakes, steering, controls, warning devices, and tires. Any problems must be reported immediately and the vehicle parked until repairs are completed.

4. Pay attention to your surroundings

Follow worksite rules and guidelines. Drive only in designated aisles near machinery, and observe all signs, particularly those that refer to load capacities and clearance limits.

Be careful near the edge of a loading dock or ramp; you don’t want to go over the edge. And be aware of your load height and mast when entering or exiting a building.

5. Operate your lift at a safe speed

Obey posted speed limits. Make changes in direction slowly and gradually. And avoid tipping by slowing down before taking corners and turns.

6. Check your load

• Don’t lift anything that’s not stable and secure
• Check overhead before lifting or stacking your load
• Tilt the forks back and keep them low to increase stability
• Position the load so that it’s balanced across the forks
• Stack the load correctly on a skid or pallet
• Secure your load with ropes or cords if required
  
  

7. Steer clear of hazards

Avoid uneven or loose ground and slippery conditions. Use your horn near a corner, at entryways, and to warn pedestrians. Always keep a safe distance from other trucks, and make sure you have plenty of space to stop safely.

8. Forklifts are not passenger vehicles

You’re not doing anyone a favor by giving them a ride on your forks. It’s dangerous.

If you must lift someone, attach a work platform and cage to your forks, and carefully follow the operating instructions.

9. Make sure you can see clearly

Operate the forklift in reverse if it improves your visibility. Make sure you can clearly see the racks on which you will position your load. If visibility is poor, either stop driving or get someone to act as a ground guide for you.

10. Stay away from the mast

Don’t allow anyone to walk under your raised load. And keep your hands and feet clear of the mast’s cross members to prevent a serious injury as you lower the mast.

11. Be careful on ramps

Drive up a ramp in forward come down in reverse. And never load and unload or make turns while you’re on a ramp.

12. At the end of your shift

Park your lift truck in an authorized area. Lower the forks and apply the parking brake. Turn it off and remove the key. You should never leave the engine running on an unattended forklift.

Get Help in Selecting the Best Workers Comp Insurance for Your Business 

To learn how to further protect your employees and your business with Workers’ Comp Insurance, contact American Insuring Group online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. As independent agents, we're free to shop among competing carriers to find the right insurance at the right price. Click or call today to get started. 

Starting an independent trucking business is expensive. But, if you get a good return on your investment, it’s worth it. You can be your own boss and have a career that offers excellent earning potential. And, you have a choice to lease your trucks and services or to become an independent carrier.

Whether you're an owner-operator who is under permanent lease to a carrier or you drive under your own authority, you will need truck insurance to protect your business investment. Your insurance needs will be specific to the direction you choose to follow. 

Here are some trucking insurance tips to get you off on the right foot:

1. If you are under permanent lease

With this arrangement, your insurance needs will be determined by your lease agreement with the carrier. Most will provide Primary Liability coverage, which covers injuries and damage to other people and property if you are at fault for an accident.

Even if your carrier covers this liability, you are still left to purchase other owner-operator insurance that includes:

• Physical damage coverage: This insurance protects your truck and trailer against collision, fire, theft, hail, windstorm, earthquake, flood, or vandalism. This coverage is likely required by the lien holder of your vehicle.
• Non-trucking liability: If you are not under dispatch—you’re getting your truck washed or taking it for repairs—this coverage provides you with limited liability protection.
• Motor truck cargo insurance: This insurance is needed to protect the carrier in case of lost freight or damaged goods. There is a maximum load limit per vehicle with this policy. And the premium may vary depending on the cargo you’re hauling.

 

2. If you are operating under your own authority

When you are under your own authority, it’s up to you to carry all of the important commercial trucking insurance coverages. Here are four you should consider first:

• Primary liability: You pay this yourself now, and it protects you against property damages and bodily injuries to others.
• Physical damage: Pays for repairs to your rig whether it's damaged by a collision or by golf ball-sized hail stones.
• Motor truck cargo: Pays for damages to the cargo that you’re hauling in the case of fire, theft, or an accident.
• Trailer interchange insurance: Sometimes a load needs to be transferred to a different trucker to complete the delivery to the final destination. Motor carriers frequently haul trailers that are owned by other motor carriers. This move is often made to facilitate scheduling through a "trade" of trailers that are in different locations.

A trailer interchange agreement makes the motor carrier that has possession of the trailer responsible for any damage to the trailer, whether or not the trailer is attached to the tractor. This is where Trailer Interchange Insurance plays a part. It covers physical damage caused to a non-owned trailer under a trucker’s care.

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Signing on with a reputable trucking company can mitigate some of those insurance premiums, but whether you are driving under permanent lease or under your own authority, you will need to sit down with an expert on trucking insurance to help you get the best coverage at a competitive price. Contact American Insuring Group online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 to learn more about how to protect your business investment.