Trucking Companies Don't Have To Settle for Substandard Insurance Carriers

For years, a garden variety trucking operation only had a few options when it came to placing their insurance coverage because standard market carriers would not even consider entering into this market segment. Consequently, trucking companies would have to resort to excess and surplus lines markets for coverage, and as any business owner who has had experience with E&S lines insurance carrier knows, premiums are high and services are minimal. As a result, trucking companies became jaded and frustrated with the entire insurance process.

Through a number of meetings with both trucking companies and standard market carriers, we began to recognize that there may be a solution. Part of the problem was that standard insurance carriers were not classifying truckers for hire correctly. For example, many of them were treating a long haul operation the same as a local to intermediate operation. Perhaps the larger part of the problem though, was that insurance agents were not effectively pressing their insurance carriers to treat local to intermediate operations differently.

With this in mind, we started to approach our insurance markets that had an appetite for auto insurance for run of the mill distributors, and asked them to consider taking a look at local trucking operations. Through attrition, and thanks to CGO's close carrier relationships, a few of our standard market carriers agreed to entertain a number of truckers.

Even better, once our standard markets began to offer quotes, we quickly realized their all-around product was superior to the competition. For example, insurance carriers were writing the truckers on a standard auto form and not the truckers form, which meant they were offering a $1,000,000 combined single limit for Liability, Uninsured, and Underinsured Motorist coverage. Secondly, premiums were roughly $3,500 - $5,500 a unit, compared to the E&S market’s typical $6,500-$8,500 a unit. Lastly, control services were more readily available with no additional charge; not to mention the claims advocacy and ease of doing business that comes with being covered by a standard market carrier.

The bottom line is if your trucking company falls into the segment of local to intermediate operator you don’t have to settle for the status quo. Be aware that there are better options out there and either challenge your current agent for a better alternative or seek an agent that has experience working with other companies like yours.

Insurance for Transporation Companies

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