Whether your company owns one commercial vehicle or an entire fleet of vehicles, regular vehicle maintenance is one of the best things you can do to protect your employees, your property, and your business.

As a bonus, any time you reduce risk you reduce the chance of incurring an insurance claim, which ultimately can help lower your commercial vehicle insurance and other business insurance rates.

Here's How:

• Regular maintenance can help prolong the life of your vehicle and allow it to operate more efficiently. 
   
• Regular maintenance also helps ensure the safety of your employees and can help cut down on insurance claims.
   
• Many state and U.S. regulations require a preventive vehicle maintenance program, including a structured record-keeping system.  Non-compliance of these regulations can lead to strict penalties, including hefty fines. 

Commercial Vehicle Compliance

Before initiating an internal vehicle maintenance plan, you should understand federal commercial vehicle requirements. Every year, the Commercial Safety Vehicle Alliance (CSVA) conducts approximately four million commercial motor vehicle inspections throughout North America.  These inspections focus on vehicle mechanical safety, traffic enforcement, cargo securement and regional rules and regulations.  Any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds, including the weight of a trailer, may be subject to these random road checks. http://www.cvsa.org/programs/nas.php

Developing a Better Commercial Vehicle Preventive Maintenance Program

In addition to complying with federal regulations, it’s also a good idea to create a formal preventive maintenance program that includes a daily pre- and post-drive checklist.  This helps insure that drivers share some of the vehicle maintenance responsibility and that the day-to-day safety requirements are met. 

Where to Begin

A good place to start is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) website.  http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ FMCSA’s “A Motor Carrier’s Guide to IMPROVING HIGHWAY SAFETY” is a great resource.  It includes lots of information and record-keeping forms. http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/ETA-Final-508c-s.pdf.

With a preventive maintenance plan in place and knowledge of federal and state regulations, your one commercial vehicle or your entire fleet will be ready for the road. 

Reduce Risk & Save Money with the Right Commercial Vehicle Insurance

American Insuring Group’s independence and high standards allow us to provide the best commercial vehicle insurance rates and high-quality insurance protection for your commercially used car, van, truck, or fleet.  Contact us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 to learn more.

Picture this: a pizza delivery guy, a shuttle driver (sole-proprietor of the business), and an independent landscaping contractor collide into each other at the intersection of First and Main.

As they all get out of their vehicles to examine the damage, the delivery man asks, “Do you guys have commercial vehicle insurance?”   Both drivers shake their heads no.  “Do you?” asks the shuttle driver.  The delivery man looks down at his feet, and says, “No, but I’ve been meaning to talk to my insurance agent about it.” 

Insurance Claim Denied

In this scenario, chances are that all three would hear the same answer from their insurance agent, “Sorry, but your personal vehicle insurance won’t cover this accident.”  

If you own a fleet of vehicles and hire many drivers, you probably know you need commercial vehicle insurance.  But what if you just use your personal vehicle for business occasionally, or it’s just you driving your truck from job to job?   Won’t personal car insurance cover you in the event of an accident?  It depends. 

Like personal vehicle insurance, commercial vehicle insurance covers things such as liability, collision, comprehensive, medical payments, and uninsured motorist coverage. However, there may be a difference in eligibility, definitions, coverage, exclusions, and limits. Certain business usage and vehicle types can be excluded from personal policies. Some businesses need coverage only found in commercial car and truck insurance. 

Commercial Vehicle Insurance Benefits

Commercial vehicle insurance generally includes higher liability coverage.  Sometimes commercial insurance also insures the items (such as work equipment) within your vehicle; it may include rental reimbursement to help cover the cost to temporarily replace a commercial vehicle; and it may offer single-deductible options, which allow you to extend coverage to trailers or other specialized equipment you haul. 

So, how do you know if you need commercial vehicle insurance or if personal vehicle insurance is enough? It depends on the nature of your business, how you use your vehicle, and your insurance company’s policies.  Here are a few questions you need to consider - if you answer yes to any of them, you may need commercial car insurance.

·       Is your vehicle used to transport goods or people for a fee?

·       Is your vehicle owned or leased by a partnership or corporation?

·       Is your vehicle registered or titled to a business, corporation, partnership, or DBA?

·       Do employees operate your vehicle?

·       Is your vehicle a pickup, van, or utility vehicle with a gross weight exceeding 10,000 pounds or does it have a rated load capacity over 2,000 pounds?

·       Is your vehicle equipped with snowplow equipment, cooking or catering equipment, bathrooms, altered suspensions, hydraulic lifts, or racing equipment?

·       Is your vehicle equipped with a ladder rack or permanent toolbox that is used for your business?

Don't Take Chances on Insurance for Your Commercial Vehicle - Contact Us Today

Personal vehicle insurance provides enough coverage for some businesses; however, there are times when commercial vehicle insurance is required.  If you don’t want to be like the pizza delivery driver, the shuttle driver, or the independent landscaping contractor in our story, contact us for advice in making the right insurance decision at (800) 947-1270 or (610)775-3848.  We'll help you obtain the right type and level of vehicle insurance for your business. 

GAP insurance refers both to Guaranteed Asset Protection and Guaranteed Auto Protection. In both cases it is designed to cover the difference (or gap) between the actual cash value of an asset and the amount still owed on the related loan or lease.  While, strictly speaking, GAP insurance may apply to any type of asset, the vast majority of GAP insurance policies are written for cars, trucks, vans, and other types of vehicles.

Why Bother With GAP Insurance?

GAP insurance may be a wise choice in cases where a low down payment has been made, and on high-interest loans of 60 months or more. It is often offered by finance companies at time of purchase, and by auto insurance companies.  This loan scenario frequently applies to vehicle purchases, which is why the term “GAP insurance” most often refers to added insurance protection for a vehicle.

GAP Insurance Considerations When Buying a New Car or Other Vehicle

Cars, trucks, motorcycles and other vehicles are assets that depreciate rapidly in value. In cases where a low down payment is made on the initial purchase, it is common for the amount remaining on the loan to exceed the fair value of the car.  This is because cars often lose up to half their retail within 3 years from the purchase date, at which time the remaining loan may far exceed that amount. If your car becomes stolen or is totaled, the replacement value you receive from the insurance company may be far less than the amount remaining on the loan. In such cases a GAP insurance policy would cover the difference. If you would be unable to cover the difference without GAP insurance in such cases, or if this would represent a significant financial hardship, then GAP insurance may be right for you.

How to Get GAP Insurance for Your Vehicle

GAP insurance may be purchased from an insurance agent or through a car dealership. GAP insurance coverage is often financed as part of the loan or lease, and typically comes into play when a vehicle is subject to a total loss. Some finance companies require GAP insurance when financing a loan. 

How to Save on GAP Insurance

We suggest checking first with your independent insurance agent before signing a GAP policy related to a vehicle purchase. Your independent agent may be able to save you money by adding this coverage to your vehicle insurance policy rather than taking out a separate policy through your car dealership. To learn more about getting the right GAP Insurance for your vehicle, call us at 610-775-3848 or use the Contact Us form.

GAP Insurance for Your Business

When it comes to insuring your business “GAP insurance” refers to Guaranteed Asset Protection, and often comes in the form of a “guaranteed replacement cost” or “agreed value” insurance policy. In such cases your business property is insured for an amount that is guaranteed in advance regardless of what the market value may be at the time of your claim.  This speeds the time to settle your claim, and may help you sleep better at night.

To learn more about the many commercial insurance options for your business, call us at 610-775-3848 or use the Contact Us form.

Who Saves You More on Car Insurance, the GEICO Gecko or the American Insuring Group Eagle?

We eat geckos for lunch at American Insuring Group Ltd!  What we mean is, we can quote from over 25 competing insurance companies (6 for auto insurance alone) with one call, so we will out-perform any single-choice auto insurance brand - guaranteed. That goes not only for car insurance, but truck, RV, motorcycle, and van insurance from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, Lancaster to Allentown, and points in between and beyond.

One Car Insurance Choice vs. Many Competing Choices

Would you buy groceries from a store offering only one brand of cereal or coffee?  Then why call a "one company only" car insurance company like GEICO, State Farm, or others? 

Get the American Insuring Group Advantage

We specialize in the most comprehensive and most competitive motorcycle, RV, truck, van and car insurance quotes anywhere in Pennsylvania, from Reading PA in Berks county, to Philadelphia, Lancaster, Allentown and the Lehigh Valley, to Harrisburg, York, Pittsburgh, Erie, and points in between.  So why call GEICO for cheap car insurance when you can get a more affordable car insurance comparison from multiple companies with one call? 

At American Insuring Group LTD, we will show you how to save on truck, van and car insurance in ways that GEICO only dream about.  Call today because the eagle has landed on savings from American Insuring Group Ltd.

Call us at 1-800-943-2198 or click here for an Instant Online Car Insurance Quote.

Oh, those car insurance commercials! Why do some companies spend hundreds of millions to persuade you to call their 1-800-cheap-car-insurance number to buy affordable car insurance?  They claim that 15 minutes could save you 15% or more, or that drivers who switched from brand X saved hundreds. What would that statistic look like for those Lancaster or Philadelphia PA car insurance customers who failed to find affordable auto insurance?

We’re Throwing Down the Gauntlet – Taking Off the Gloves! You’ll Get The Most Affordable Car Insurance in Pennsylvania – or Else

We’ve had enough! We know we can save you more than they can, but we can’t match the advertising dollars of those big car insurance companies. So we’re making a no-nonsense challenge to anyone seeking affordable car insurance in Lancaster PA, Philadelphia, Allentown, Harrisburg, York, Pittsburgh, Erie, or anywhere else in Pennsylvania: We’ll find you the most affordable Pennsylvania car insurance – PERIOD. 

Why are we so confident?  At American Insuring Group, providing affordable car insurance in Lancaster, Philadelphia, Reading, Allentown, or anywhere in Pennsylvania, is our specialty!  We eat, dream, and sleep this stuff. We represent over a half dozen “A” rated auto insurance companies, so we KNOW we can find you the best savings for your particular driving needs. 

Are You In? We’re Talking Affordable Car Insurance to YOU, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Reading, and All of PA!

Call American Insuring Group at 1-800-943-2198 and take the “dinner is on us” affordable PA car insurance challenge today, or click below for an instant online auto insurance quote.

Auto Liability Insurance limits are dangerously low under most Insurance policies

When you call our insurance offices located near Reading, PA, we review your individual needs and tailor a plan to provide the auto insurance protection you need at the best price. You will receive competitive quotes from at least three high-quality, price-competitive car insurance companies from our extensive list of competing insurers. This competition typically results in a lower price and higher level of protection than you can achieve from a single motorcycle, RV, truck, van, or car insurance company.

Car Insurance Coverage – How Much is Enough?

Almost daily we counsel people who come to us with auto insurance limits that are so low that they are literally risking their life savings and their financial future. The first question to consider is the total value of your assets, and whether you want to be fully or partially protected against loss.  If you are at-fault in an auto accident and sued, what award could you reasonably be facing?  Many people carry $100,000 of auto liability insurance protection per person for bodily injury.  Consider this: if you become responsible for permanent injuries to another, then a $100,000 limit for bodily injuries may be woefully inadequate, and could result in severe financial hardship for you and your family for years to come. Increasing your car insurance coverage to the proper level can make all the difference should a major accident occur.

For example, many people earn $100,000 or more annually, and if you are responsible for another's inability to work for the next 10 years, they may receive a $1,000,000 award for which you would be responsible.  With only $100,000 of auto liability insurance coverage, the injured party’s attorney will be going after your personal assets to cover the $900,000 balance. One accident could permanently change your financial future.

Beyond Bodily Injury Liability Protection

Bodily Injury Liability Insurance is the most important form of car insurance protection you need to review, but it certainly isn't the only one.  Property Damage Liability to cover an accident with an expensive car, van, bus or truck is almost as important.  Uninsured Motorist protection, Medical Expense, Loss Wage coverage, Comprehensive and Collision are all important auto insurance protections that you need to have reviewed and that you should understand.

Call American Insuring Group LTD for a free auto insurance review to ensure you have the right level of protection to guard against a life-changing financial loss. Our professional car insurance agents are available at (800) 943-2198.

For an instant online insurance quote for your car, van, truck, motorcycle, or RV, please click below. Located near Reading, PA in Berks County, we also serve Philadelphia, Lancaster, York, Harrisburg, Allentown, and points beyond. Call or click today.

Calling an Independent Agent to get Auto Insurance quotes is one of the smartest ways to compare rates for truck, van, or car insurance.  Independent Agents work for You not the Insurance company, so they are able to compare car insurance prices from multiple companies with one call.

At American Insuring Group, we represent over a dozen "A" rated auto insurance companies, so we can do the shopping for you for cheap, yet high-quality car insurance.  Let one of our insurance professionals compare car insurance for you with one call today! 

Having both your car insurance quote and your homeowners insurance quoted with the same  car insurance companies is one of the best ways to save on both. This credit is called an account credit.

Another way to save on car insurance quotes is for all vehicle insurance in the household to be with the same company.  This will give all drivers in the house a multi-car discount of 20%. 

Some of our car insurance companies offer first accident forgiveness which guarantees no accident surcharges if you are responsible for an accident. 

Airbags, theft alarms and anti-lock brakes all give discounts with the car insurance companies we represent.

Agreeing to go paperless and having a AAA membership will give your vehicle insurance extra discounts.

Mature drivers have a wide variety of mature discounts available from our companies.  Discounts for over age 50, discounts for pleasure usage and driver improvement courses are all discounts mature drivers are eligible for to get the cheapest car insurance quotes available.

Young drivers also are eligible for a variety of discounts for car insurance for young drivers.  Driver Training credit is available to young drivers who have completed 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours behind the wheel instructions.  This driver training credit gives 10% credit for three years for car insurance for young drivers.  Student Away at School discount is available to college age drivers who live over 100 miles from home and have no car with them.  This credit changes the young driver rate to a married rate which is a substantial savings.

At American Insuring Group, we offer truck, van and car insurance quotes from insurance companies that offer loss free discounts and longevity discounts.  These discounts start after 1 year with the company and increase to 5% yearly discounts.

For the business owner, adding your van insurance to your personal car insurance quote will give your business vehicle a multi-car discount and a personal use discount.

These are just some of the many ways that calling American Insuring Group for a car insurance comparison will help you save money on car insurance rates today! Call us at 800.947.1270 or 610.775.3848.  

For an instant online insurance quote for your car, van, truck, motorcycle, SUV, or RV, please click below. Located near Reading, PA in Berks County, we also serve the insurance needs of customers in Philadelphia, Lancaster, York, Harrisburg, Allentown, Pittsburgh, Erie, and points in between and beyond. Call or click today to get started!