If you are a trucker, then you have to not only take responsibility for yourself, but also for shippers, receivers, your own company and other drivers on the road around you. It’s up to you to do all you can to prevent accidents, drive safely and be a trustworthy representative of your business. Still, you cannot ignore that you might make mistakes, and when you do it will be your responsibility to pay for them.
Your trucking insurance will offer liability insurance to help you when you must take responsibility for at-fault accidents. However, this coverage is very expansive, and can be tailored to address the specific risk present in you line of work. Here’s how it works.
Trucking Liability Insurance
Because truckers are motor vehicle operators, they must comply with mandatory insurance laws as instituted by both their own state and federal interstate trucking laws. The authorities usually require several types of benefits, notably liability insurance.
Trucking insurance is not designed to insure the policyholder for their own damage or injuries. Instead, it covers harm done to other parties when the trucker is at fault for harm that they sustain. For example, if you collide with another vehicle while on dispatch, your liability insurance will help the other driver cover their vehicle repairs or receive treatment for their injuries.
Primary Trucking Liability Coverage
Under your primary trucking insurance policy, you will receive two types of liability insurance:
- 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.
Mandatory insurance laws will vary, however, based on numerous factors. Therefore, you will often need more extensive benefits than just these basic coverage options.
Getting Expanded Liability Coverage
Because your liability insurance needs will often vary considerably, it helps to discuss additional benefits with your agent, which will each help you cover unique third-party losses.
- 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.
Often, you will find that your trucking insurance automatically includes these additional coverage options. Still, it helps to double check with your agent that these benefits are part of your plan. They will help you understand all the ins and outs of specialized benefits and guide you through the process of choosing the right coverage.
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