Commercial truck drivers know better than most the importance of staying safe on the roads. But even when taking suitable precautions, it’s not always simple to dodge the unexpected – and the fact that the more you spend behind the wheel, the bigger the chance that something will go wrong.
While you can quickly reduce the likelihood of a road accident by limiting the number of hours you drive per day and ensuring that your truck is in good condition, it’s also essential that you have coverage for when conditions beyond your control cause trouble. For an owner-operator or small business providing trucking services, having commercial trucking insurance is wise. However, it does pay to know that your insurance option will vary significantly depending on the type of vehicle your drivers operate on, the products they’re carrying, the experience, and the risks incurred.
How Does Commercial Trucking Insurance Work?
Commercial trucking insurance is an essential type of coverage that will protect you from expensive bills should any of your vehicles become involved in an accident. As a driver, you likely know you require auto insurance to stay legal on the road.
It covers circumstances where you use your trucks to transport animals and materials. If your vehicle is being operated for professional and personal use, a commercial insurance truck policy will fill the gaps in your personal auto insurance skips.
These policies start with primary liability and then (depending on your trucking needs) build on with several other coverages. Typical commercial trucking insurance coverage includes:
Liability Insurance
Liability insurance must protect the driver when a third party becomes injured during an accident. As we’ve previously mentioned, depending on the state you live in, you’re required by law to hold this insurance coverage. Each vehicle, including leasing units, must carry commercial auto insurance.
General Liability
The general liability coverage will protect you if one of your employees causes bodily or property damage from an accident. It covers a driver’s actions while driving on another individual’s premises, like truck stops or loading docks. General liability also includes load delivery errors.
Bobtail Insurance
This coverage option, also referred to as non-trucking liability, is coverage for situations where the truck driver is operating the vehicle for personal reasons or is off dispatch. In circumstances where the owner-operator isn’t covered by the liability coverage, bobtail policy will kick in. However, the bobtail coverage doesn’t protect truckers when they’re pulling a trailer, driving a truck for a business, or using the car to make a profit. To find the bobtail insurance cost that best fits your commercial needs and expectations visit https://www.insuranks.com/bobtail-insurance to compare different quotes online.
Physical Damage
This coverage type will pay for trailer or commercial truck repairs from damage by things such as:
- Collision
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Natural disaster
What’s more, if your truck becomes damaged beyond repair, Physical Damage coverage will replace it. Both the costs for equipment and truck will determine the premiums.
Lastly, all types of trucking coverage exist for one reason: to make the roads safer and fairer for everyone – not just the trucking companies but also other drivers. With the right coverage type, You’ll have peace of mind that you’re protecting both your business and others on the road. S
