Last month a trucking company in Illinois contacted me. They were concerned about the high cost of their trucking insurance and asked if I could help. I reviewed their policy’s declaration pages and noticed they were paying for insurance that was neither required or of any use to them.
They were paying for insurance coverage that they would be hard-pressed to ever find a reason to use. They didn’t have any exposure or risk that would ever necessitate filing a claim under that coverage. I dug deeper into their policy and saved them close to $1,000.00 annually.
As Owner Operators or even fleet owners, we ask our insurance agent for “Trucking Insurance.” However the legal name for Trucking Insurance is “Commercial Auto Insurance.” Commercial Auto insurance is available to all businesses who uses any type of a vehicle for business purposes. Understanding this legal definition is vital when you are shopping for your trucking insurance.
When talking to an insurance agent make certain that he or she understands you are a “Trucking” business. As such you do not need or have any use for several commercial auto coverages that other types of businesses may require. The following are the top 3 insurance coverages most Owner Operators and some small fleets have no use for.
- Commercial General Liability – Independent Owner Operators operate their business from their home residence which is NOT open to the public or to their customers. As such, in most cases Independent Owner Operators have no use for “Commercial General Liability” which provides liability coverage for those visiting your place of business such as a dispatchers office or a maintenance facility.
*Note – Not to be confused with “Commercial Auto Liability” which is required by the FMCSA and for most of us is a minimum of $750,000.00 of coverage.
- Hired-Auto Liability – Independent Owner Operators & small trucking companies seldom have use for “Hired Auto” insurance coverage. Hired auto Covers liability expenses for accidents involving vehicles that your business uses for “work purposes” but doesn’t own such as employees personal vehicles. “Work Purposes” meaning the auto was hired to perform a job. Since Independent Owner Operators & small trucking companies typically don’t hire anyone with an auto for work purposes this coverage has no use.
- Non-Owned Auto Liability – Similar to “Hired Auto,” “Non-Owned Auto Liability” is typically coverage that is not necessary. “Non-Owned Auto Liability” covers the companies liability when the personal vehicle of an employee or temporary staff, whether owned or rented by them, is driven for business. Since an Independent Owner Operator has personal auto insurance on his or her personal auto or pickup truck they most likely have adequate insurance when running errands such as picking up parts.
*Note – Yes “Hired-Auto” and “Non-Owned” auto are very similar. The way I like to think of them is that “Hired-Auto” is more of a formal or contract relationship. Where as “Non-Owned Auto” is more casual such as asking a driver or employee to make a quick run to the auto parts store for a case of oil or a set of batteries.
In the case I mentioned at the top of the story, this is a family owned small carrier of 2 brothers and their sister. The brothers each with their own truck and trailer and their sister filling the duties of dispatcher and safety manager for the company. They asked me if I would be willing to be their insurance agent and remove the unnecessary insurance. I was happy to do so for them. Now they frequently reach out to me with both trucking and insurance guidance which I’m always happy to provide.
Knowing whether or not these coverages are necessary can save any truck owner, especially an Independent Owner Operator, potentially thousands of dollars on their annual insurance premium.
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