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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.

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!

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.

Get the Help You Need - Contact Us Today!

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.