Monday, September 28, 2009

Truck Insurance can save you from carrier mishaps

Almost all companies are going for Cargo Insurance to protect their cargo against physical damage such as fire, natural disasters, fire, inclement weather, etc, however truckers need to be sure they remain free of certain steering to ensure smooth policy transactions.

Since Shippers do not have easy admittance to the insurance policies of carriers and freight forwarders (which are carriers under U.S. law), they must still try to get this information, regardless of the difficulty. Insurance carriers usually furnish shippers with "certificates of insurance" as proof of coverage, but these documents have a disclaimer of liability that kicks in when the issuer neglects to inform the certificate holder that the truck insurance coverage has been cancelled or amended. Even worse, these certificates do not outline the exclusions in the policy, placing shippers in the dark about how much coverage carriers have acquired for their products.

The three main and common exclusions related to cargo insurance and have been a big issue for shippers is;
One is "theft from an unattended vehicle, unless parked overnight in a public garage or locked private garage, and at all times, unless the loss is the direct result of visible, forcible entry." Also frequently excluded is loss from a vehicle that is not listed in a "named vehicle" policy. And third, loss from delivering the product "to someone who obtains it by trick, false pretense, or other fraudulent schemes" is commonly not covered. Apart from these, motor cargo insurance exclude “employee infidelity” where in the cargo is lost due to employee negligence o infidelity, hence separate fidelity bond coverage is a must

Also, Shippers should be aware of the difference between "insurance coverage" and "carrier liability." For instance, if the carrier indicates only a $100,000 liability limit in its tariff, the fact that it has a $1 million cargo policy is meaningless, and it's the shipper's responsibility to get a hold of a copy of carriers' tariffs.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Broker Issues in Cargo Insurance

Most brokers go for a “contingency cargo liability" policy to induce shippers and truckers. These policies indicate that if the motor carrier or its cargo insurer is unable to pay a legal claim, the contingency insurer will cover it. One should not get confused, the contingency policy only insures the excess or above the commercial truck insurance and not the entire amount.
Even if brokers' contingency policies are aboveboard, shippers should not forget that brokers do not have an "insurable interest" in the insured property. A contingency policy holder must have an "insurable interest" in order to be lawfully issued insurance under most state insurance laws. This means that if a broker files a large claim with an insurer, the insurer can refuse to pay it on legal grounds.
To provide protection for shippers' cargo, brokers should sign a contract indicating that they are taking responsibility for the goods being transported. Then, they should buy a binding cargo liability policy. By taking these steps, brokers can rightfully pay claims to the shipper. Additionally, brokers should maintain an "errors and omissions" (E&O) policy, another form of cargo insurance that will cover them when they are found responsible for negligently selecting a carrier that damages the trucker’s property.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Factors affecting Car and Truck Insurance rate

Insurance companies take all of the information into account to give you a rate that best protects you and other drivers from any incidents on the road. There are few things to be considered in calculating insurance rate. They include your own driving habits, the driving habits of your peers, and your gender. Also the factors such as the area in which you live in, affect the premium of your vehicle insurance because these are dictated by government and existing rates differ from place to place.

In case, your car insurance rate and the premiums involved are not calculated by the Government, they tend to involve an Actuary. An Actuary is employed by car insurance companies and by the department of motor vehicle and safety regulatory committees to establish the rates involved in insurance policies based on the safety of the roads in the area and on driving records. An Actuary is a professional business person that deals in the fiscal impact of risk and uncertainty, as they often look to the volume of traffic in a particular area. One can expect lower rates if they spend time driving in a low traffic area because of the lower risk and vice versa.

Gender is another factor that is considered when establishing your car and truck insurance rate because, most statistics in the world indicate that men drive more miles per year than women, thus the rates for male drivers tend to be higher than those for female drivers as men also have a significantly higher accident risk than females do. Females tend to keep the car insurance low and tend to end up with lower premium rates because of lower risk. Other issues that are reported to have an affect on car insurance rates are driver age and distance driven on an average.

However, your car or truck insurance rate may remain fixed for quite some time, but that rate can change with years of first-rate driving. An extra service you can get from your Truck insurance company is getting your truck wrapped. Truck vinyl graphics and truck wrap are the ideal way to get your products known to the customers. They are moving billboards and you can’t miss message while the trucks are rolling down the street. Lately there are many insurance companies that co operate with the major truck wrap companies and give the customer a benefit while they establish your truck Insurance.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Obtaining Truck Insurance Quotes in the Internet Age

Truck insurance quotes can be obtained in two ways. You can approach a nearby vehicle insurance company as most car insurance companies offer coverage for all kinds of vehicles or look up for the quotes and compare them on the Internet using various search tools.
If you go for first method, you need to find out the features of each plan and the discounts the insurance companies offer so as to get lower premiums. To save on premiums, a trucking operator must be aware of the policy offers made by several insurers. And by comparing several quotations, the buyer will have better chances of getting the best deal. Care should be taken to see if they are putting any hidden charges. However, all this searching for the best truck insurance quotes takes time and involves expenditure. To avoid all this hard work, the internet is the best place for searching truck insurance quotes.
The birth of the internet age has made research much easier than before. Most legitimate surety firms maintain websites where quotations can be found online. You can just go to Google or yahoo search sites and place keywords such as best truck insurance quotes and a list of hundreds of insurance company websites will pop up. The top listed websites are the most visited ones. After clicking on the site, you can sign up and fill out an application form to get a quote. Most major companies provide a search tool for downloading quotes. So, you can take advantage of this to get as many quotes as possible and have different options to choose from to get best price.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Commercial Vehicle Insurance

One can own a truck for conventional and personal usage. The reasons may be it is always safe and more important to insure one’s truck before operation. A better insurance strategy will provide one the best one can benefit as a trucker or vehicle owner. One can avail insurance for handling safety regulations. Those who own trucks for commercial purposes can avail physical damage insurance.

Many ways are also available for those who hire trucks like hired auto. It is worthwhile to approach insurers who specialize in truck insurance forever. They will always be capable to offer a wide range of strategies and information about the maintenance of the truck.

Massive premium is not required for truck insurance. Payment opportunities are available to farmers who have less income. The companies will be able to guide one to an affordable strategy that will assist even with major problems like meeting an accident during a drive.
Better insurance is required and can be verified with other truck owners to get an idea of what level of coverage is best for the vehicle one is considering of purchasing a truck.
Commercial truck insurance provides vital and specialty coverage for businesses. One should be able to study about the strategy and discounts before one get a commercial vehicle insurance strategy.
Commercial vehicle insurance for trucks offers coverage for trucking businesses to tow trucks and semi trucks, delivery trucks etc. One must research about fundamental coverage like insurance for commercial vehicles, specialty business coverage in the strategy and discounts.

Thus the commercial vehicle insurance policy for trucks provides basic auto insurance coverage. Coverage will have:
Comprehensive commercial vehicle insurance provides coverage for damage to a covered auto for fire, theft, windstorm and vandalism. It further includes Glass coverage and other types of damage caused by events other than collision.

The physical damage coverage portion of the commercial vehicle insurance strategy provides collision coverage for covered trucks.

Liability insurance for commercial vehicles provides coverage for the business in case a covered auto is responsible for bodily injury or property damage to other people or property.

Underinsured Motorists and related coverage provide coverage in case other party involved in an accident doesn’t have enough insurance. Commercial auto insurance quotes typically include some form of Uninsured Motorists coverage, which varies according to state requirements.

Medical Payments provides coverage for medical expenses for anyone, even the named insured, in the event of covered accident. Coverage differs according to state requirements and insurance company.

Special Business Coverage
Insurance for commercial vehicles also has special coverage to protect businesses:
• Trailer Interchange commercial truck insurance provides physical damage coverage for non-owned trailers being pulled by trucks.
• Towing companies will appreciate On Hook towing commercial vehicle insurance coverage, for trucks that tow non-owned vehicles.
• Motor truck cargo insurance for commercial vehicles provides coverage for lost or damaged cargo.
• Non-trucking liability insurance should be included in the auto insurance premium and covers trucks.
• Commercial auto insurance quotes include terminal coverage for commercial trucks. This coverage protects cargo while it is stored in a terminal and is subject to specific time frames, locations and freights.
• The commercial vehicle insurance premium includes warehouse legal coverage, to provide protection for stored freight against physical loss or damages like theft or fire. This is subject to specific time frames, locations and freights.
Commercial truck Insurance Quotes Discounts
Reduction in prices makes commercial vehicle insurance policies cheaper. Discounts differ by commercial truck insurance company but are available for experienced drivers with a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Companies that have been in business for several years may also be eligible for commercial vehicle insurance concession. Trucks equipped with anti-theft devices that allow law enforcement officials to recover stolen vehicles may be eligible for a commercial vehicle insurance discount policy. There are also standard insurance discounts available for commercial trucks, including reduction in price for buying multiple strategies from the same insurance company and increasing policy deductibles.