As a commercial trucker, you have commercial interests you must protect. That means addressing the harm you might cause to other parties. Driving accidents might not only harm you and your truck, but also others or their property. How can you address these accidents?
Trucking insurance policies usually offer multiple types of liability insurance, some of which you must carry. The better you tailor your coverage to your benefit, the more assistance you might have available in case of accidents.
Trucking Liability Insurance
As vehicles, commercial trucks need insurance. Most states, along with national interstate law, institute coverage requirements for drivers to carry certain amounts of coverage. One of the primary types they require is liability insurance.
Trucking liability policies apply not to the damage that you, the policyholder, experience. It applies instead to the harm your mistakes cause to others. So, for example, you might be at-fault for a trucking wreck. You might have your own damage costs to coverage. However, because the accident was your fault, you might have to pay for the damage you caused others. That is when liability insurance can step in to help you out.
Primary Trucking Liability Coverage
Most trucking liability policies offer a couple of primary types of protection.
- Property damage coverage: If you hit another vehicle or object, the sheer size of your truck might destroy it. This coverage can help you pay for the damage.
- Bodily injury coverage: If you cause accidents, third parties, like other drivers, might get hurt. This coverage can pay medical bills, lost income, and potentially death benefits.
Depending on the state you operate from, the type of cargo you carry, and other factors the mandatory limits you carry might vary.
Other Liability Coverage
When setting up your liability policy, ask your agent if you need the following coverage options.
- Motor truck cargo insurance: Third-party cargo that you carry on dispatch will need coverage in case of accidents. This coverage can pay for the lost items.
- Pollution liability coverage: Truck wrecks could cause leaks or spills of hazardous materials. Coverage can help you pay for the resulting cleanup and recovery costs.
- Non-trucking liability coverage: When you use your truck in off hours, when you are not on dispatch, you need as much insurance as you do while at work. This coverage can extend your liability coverage to times when you are not officially on the clock.
Many trucking insurance policies will automatically include these additional options. However, in other cases, you will have to add them. Always talk to your agent at 512-989-6006 about the who, what, where, when, why and how about your trucking activities. They can help you determine the right liability coverage.
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