Ryan Galiotto

Posts Tagged ‘commercial trucks’

Federal and State governments mandate that trucking companies have coverage in their trucking insurance policy for public liability for bodily injury, property damage and environmental restoration. The amount of public liability insurance required will vary from company to company depending on the type of operation.

The GVW of the truck is part of what determines the limit of public liability insurance that is required by the FMCSA. Trucks that have a GVW of less than 10,000 pounds must carry $300,000 of coverage, and if they are over 10,000 pounds then they need $750,000. If their trucks transport hazardous materials the requirements are raised to $1,000,000.

There is also a requirement for the cargo being transported to be insured for at least $5,000. However, most companies having good being transported require that the cargo is covered with $100,000 of cargo insurance coverage.

In addition to the above, trucks must have a minimum level of cargo insurance coverage of $5,000. Most companies that you are transporting for will require at lease $100,000, despite the minimal requirement.

After they have purchased their insurance policy, the insurance provider and not the agent will file the required forms with the FMCSA. The provider has about 20 days to make the insurance filing after they have received FMCSA authority. Owning or leasing the trucks being insured is required before they can receive this authority.

Understanding what is required by the FMCSA, state law, and the company whose goods are being transported, should be a top priority. By doing so getting quotes for coverage and ultimately purchasing a trucking insurance policy can be done with confidence.

Contact an insurance broker with any questions or concerns. Brokers have experience determining the type and amount of trucking insurance coverage that transportation companies need.

Regulations in the United States require all truck drivers to carry Truck Insurance coverage. Accidents can be caused by a variety of factors. If finding themselves in this situation truck drivers should already know that process that needs to be followed when reporting such things to their insurance company.

Automobiles on the side or back of the rig are not seen very easily by the truck driver. Because of the large size of the truck there is a lot more damage associated with accidents that a commercial truck is involved in. This requires truck drivers to carry higher coverage than traditional auto drivers.

Trucks that weigh more than 10,000 pounds have to be insured with at least $750,000 of liability coverage. This minimum increases to $1,000,000 if hazardous cargo is being transported. $5,000,000 of coverage is necessary for trucks with portable tanks or those carrying more than 3,500 gallons.

Commercial trucks cause more damage in an accident than a regular sized vehicle would. Because of the high costs associated with this there is a lot at risk. Drivers should know how to file a claim before they actually need to so that they can move things along as quickly as possible.

Reporting an accident to the insurance company is one of the first things that need to be done. If there are any injuries involved contact an attorney if the company records conversations made to them. Drivers should make sure that they keep their own records of the conversations as well.

Drivers should collect the details of an accident including taking pictures of the scene and vehicles. Obtain the names, phone numbers, and insurance information of the other people involved in the accident.

Keeping the bills associated with the vehicle repairs and medical expenses should be kept. Honesty with the insurance investigator will help the claim to be processed easier. Liability should be assigned by the investigator and drivers should not admit any fault.

The Trucking Insurance industry is a big factor in the national economy. Safety features that are utilized by commercial truck drivers could qualify them for discounts on their insurance policy. This results in many companies doing research to find more advanced accident prevention technologies.

Cameras being used to allow better viewing of the trucks blind spots are part of the blind spot detection system. A warning will be given to the driver if they try to change lanes and the cameras see a vehicle in the blind spot.

The driver’s vision at night can be increased by using infrared technology. Some of the night vision systems in available now are inadequate or confusing, but there are advances being made.

Whiplash in a collision is a huge concern especially when you take into account the impact involved with trucking accidents. Head restraints are being devised that will move forward and brace the head to help prevent this from happening.

It can be very distracting to the driver to have to be making adjustments to the gears and gadgets, and any distraction can be the cause of an unfortunate accident. Voice recognition systems will be able to control the climate, radio and even cell phones allowing drivers to give more of their attention to the road where it belongs.

Knowing what the road and weather conditions are like in front of the driver can be very beneficial in planning the route to their destination. Talking with other drivers that have just left this area is a great way to obtain this information. Intelligent networks are being created to handle this concern.

In an accident drivers want the security that safety features offer to them. Another benefit that they could realize by implementing more safety measures is the discounts offered by insurance providers for the decrease of financial risk the provider is in.