Semi truck Insurance purpose and its need:
What's the purpose of semi truck insurance?
Semi truck insurance is a group of insurance policies that protect you the semi truck operator, your driver, your employees, your equipment, and your cargo.
This set of insurance schemes provides you with an umbrella of legal and financial protection. There are insurances that protect you from property damage. Other insurances protect you from bodily injury. There are insurance policies that help you when the trailer is damaged. There is
cargo or freight loss policy which helps you to protect you from cargo or freight loss.
Serious accidents causing bodily harm and injury to you, your drivers, and 3rd parties are covered by insurance.
There is also insurance for workers' compensation and occupational accident insurance coverage. These insurances pay your workers for bodily injury, loss of wages or salaries, and even for medical expenses due to a work-related incident or accident.
Drivers and fleet owners are covered for theft, vandalism, and fire.
Semi Truck insurance workings:
How does semi truck insurance work?
As a semi truck driver or owner operator, you would be exposed to various risks and uncertainties. Only a high limit and multi fold umbrella of insurance coverage can only protect you from risks. Taking insurance is a sure shot way to protect you from various risks.
These are the areas where insurance coverage protects you:
- It protects your drivers and equipment
- It’s protected from injury and bodily harm
- It’s covers collision, damage, and bodily harm to 3rd parties
- It also protects your cargo or freight
- It also protects against equipment and tractor damage because of theft, vandalism, and natural calamities.
Insurance requirements for Semi trucks owners and owner operators:
What are the requirements for semi truck insurance for owner operators?
FMCSA sets the insurance coverage limits in the USA. Minimum limits of FMCSA should be fulfilled by truckers and owner operators. The insurance coverage limits are set based on the distance travelled by truck, the weight of the freight, and whether the cargo is sensitive or hazardous.
Heavy trucks will have to pay higher premiums and have higher insurance requirements.
The below list summarises the federal minimum insurance requirements based on the type of cargo being transported:
General liability’s coverage limit is $1 million yearly premium paid is $700 to $7000.
Trucking liability is 750,000 for interstate trucks and the yearly premium is $2,500 to $4,000 per tractor.
Non trucking Liability has a coverage limit of 250,000, the yearly premium estimate is about $450 to $5,000 per tractor.
Bobtail insurance has a coverage limit of $1000,000, the yearly premium estimate is about $350 to $450 per tractor.
Physical Damage The coverage depends on the actual and stated value of the equipment, and the premium would range from 2% to 5% of the value of the truck
Motor Truck Cargo coverage limit ranges from $20,000 and $100,000 in different US states, the yearly premium estimate is $500 to $1000
Workers' Compensation depends on the cargo you are transporting, the yearly premium would be about $2500
Occupational Accident insurance, depends on the load being carried yearly premium estimates range from $1600 to $2200.
Semi truck insurance cost:
What are the costs of semi truck insurance?
The annual premium for semi insurance can be in the band of $3000 to $10000. Premium amount depends on a variety of factors like:
- Does your driver have clear driving records
- The load types you are carrying
- Value of the trailer or equipment
- The radius of your operation
- Coverage of your policy
- Limits of your policy
- Deductible you need to pay
- Your credit history
- Your payment plan
A low premium and reasonable deductible policy is not as hard to find, use an internet-based tool like CoverWallet to find these.
You can also ask your insurance agent to zero in on a policy with an affordable premium, maximum coverage, and reasonable deductible.
High deductible policies have a risk of backfiring, because when an accident or unforeseen event happens., you might have to pay a huge sum from your pocket. This will place you on a bad footing and your savings could also vanish.
Insurance premiums are a very large overhead for your business. You as a semi operator or owner need to have specific protection for specific exposure at a reasonable price and deductible.
Factors that affect the cost of Semi truck Insurance policies:
What makes semi truck insurance costly?
When you as an owner operator or semi trucker are in an adverse event or a difficult scenario you need your insurance to cover you.
Whether it be employee protection, 3rd party liability, driver insurance, cargo protection you need comprehensive coverage at a reasonable cost.
There are various factors that influence your insurance cost, insurance companies weigh these factors to reach a policy premium amount:
The factors that affect the policy premiums are:
- Ownership status
- Cargo types
- Freight weights
- The distance the load is hauled
- Truck value
- Type of physical damage
- Driver or owner’s credit history
- Loss history
- CDL and trucking experience
- Deductible amount
- Coverage limits
Finding a cheap semi truck insurance:
How to find cheap semi truck insurance?
A cheap insurance premium may backfire, because when an unfrozen event or calamity occurs you may not have ample insurance coverage. You need to thoroughly research semi truck insurance providers and their policies to zero in on a reasonably priced high coverage and low deductible policy.
Carrying loads for long-distance invites high premiums, Even carrying heavy loads also invites high premiums. If you carry hazardous material or sensitive cargo it invites large premiums.
If you are an experienced MC owner then the premiums will be lower. Senior truckers get low premiums compared to their junior counterparts.
how can you reduce your semi truck insurance premium?
- Compare and contrast quotes from several insurance companies
- Ask for discounts
- Pay your whole premium upfront
- Get the right coverage
- Increase your deductibles if you are prepared to pay it, while you encounter an incident
- Always be on the hunt for new Insurance
Semi truck insurance protects your business
How does semi truck insurance protect your business?
Your status as an owner operator dictates the amount of premium or price of insurance you pay for semi trucks. Either you are an independent owner operator or a leased owner operator these are your 2 statuses.
Usually leased owner operator have less insurance liability because the owners cover most of their insurance costs.
Most Common types of box truck insurance, what it covers, who needs it:
General liability:
Bodily harm or damage to 3rd parties caused by your driver or equipment is covered by this general liability, The drivers and motor carriers need this insurance.
Primary trucking liability:
This insurance is for drivers who have been in an accident or have damaged property or physically injured a person such an adverse incident calls for primary liability insurance.
. This insurance is for motor carriers and drivers with authority.
Nontrucking Liability:
When a truck is used for non-trucking purposes and it creates an incident or adverse accident, it calls for non-trucking liability coverage. Drivers under lease need this insurance.
Bobtail insurance:
This insurance covers the damage to your trailer or equipment. Bobtail insurance coverage kicks in when your truck is damaged because of theft, vandalism, collision, or natural disaster.
Drivers under lease need this insurance.
Physical damage coverage:
As a semi trucker when you are transporting freight or cargo there are various adverse scenarios or bad incidents that might affect you., Physical damage protects your cargo from various adverse scenarios.
Fleet owner and owner operators should take this insurance.
Motor truck cargo insurance:
Cargo or freight damages occurring due to collision, fire, or striking of load, call for a motor truck cargo insurance coverage. This insurance is for carriers who need to insure cargo or freight.
Workers' compensation coverage:
Illness or injury occurring during work calls for activation of workers' compensation coverage.
This insurance helps employees to recoup their lost wages and salaries and get medical bills paid after work-related injury or illness.
This insurance is for all trucking operations with employees.
Other insurance coverages semi truck owners or owner operators should consider for extended converge:
Occupational Accident Insurance Coverage (OAIC):
In case there is a job-related injury or illness OAIC covers employees and employers. OAIC covers lost wages and salaries, medical expenses, and death benefits up to the policy limit.
Semi truckers can choose their deductible limit and the disability coverage they want to buy.
Trailer Interchange Endorsement:
A semi truck operator can pull a 3rd party trailer. The trailer interchange endorsement protects semi owner operators and independent truckers from physical damage. This insurance also protects you from problems arising due to fire, theft, vandalism, collision, or explosion.
Hazmat Truck Insurance:
As per the type of hazardous materials hauled, hazmat trucks are mandated by law to provide insurance liability from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 per accident.
Trucking Umbrella Insurance:
As a semi truck operator, you might have certain uncovered exposures or gaps. An umbrella insurance policy improves your liability coverage and bridges insurance gaps.
Some umbrella policies exclude key risks, you need to read the fine print to find out what it excludes.
Uninsured & Underinsured Coverage:
Uninsured motorist insurance protects the 3rd party if they are in an accident with an at-fault driver who doesn't carry liability insurance.
Underinsured motorist coverage steps in when you're in an accident with an at-fault driver whose liability limits are too low to cover the medical expenses of any injured people.
