There are some cases when operator owners who do not have their own authority, operate their vehicles when they are not officially on the clock. They may take their truck home at night, or they may get called away on a personal emergency. An accident can happen at any time, which is why operator owners need non-trucking liability insurance.
Non-trucking liability insurance will pay for medical bills and property repair for a driver’s accident on their personal time. Non-trucking liability insurance is often confused with bobtail insurance. However, bobtail insurance only applies to trucks that are not attached to a trailer. Non-trucking liability insurance will cover the driver even if they are driving a truck that is attached to a trailer.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) does not require trucking companies to have non-trucking liability insurance. The only types of insurance they require are public liability insurance and cargo insurance for trucks that carry household goods. Different states may have requirements for other types of insurance.
A trucking company can require its drivers to have non-trucking liability insurance, and you can require your drivers to pay for this type of insurance themselves. Although it may be tempting to let your drivers pay, remember that it is your truck they are driving. If a driver misses an insurance payment or gets a cheap, low-quality insurance policy, your company will suffer financially.
Simplex Group can find you a non-trucking liability insurance policy for your drivers that is affordable and worth having.
Benefits of Non-Trucking Liability
The most important benefit of non-trucking liability insurance is that it will pay the medical bills of anyone that the driver injures. This is important because you want to ensure that if one of the drivers causes injury, that person’s medical bills will be taken care of and that they are compensated for lost wages and damage to their vehicle.
This insurance also shows your responsibility to your clients and the public. When you take measures to protect the public from all accidents that you may cause, you are less likely to be sued by an injured person or their family.
If you do get sued, that lawsuit is less likely to be successful. This is a huge advantage to any small company. A personal injury lawsuit can be extremely expensive, whether you win or lose.
If a person sues your company for personal injury, they will only pay their attorney if they are successful. However, you will have to pay your attorney by the hour. A personal injury defense attorney may charge anywhere from $100 to $500 an hour. You will also have to take valuable time away from work for negotiations. If your driver has an uninsured accident in one of your vehicles, it may be on the news, which can result in terrible publicity for your company.
Different Types of Coverage
There is more than one type of coverage for non-trucking liability insurance. You will have a different policy for owner-operators than you will to cover for-hire drivers. If an owner-operator has an accident they are generally covered by the company’s auto liability policy, even if they are not on the job when the accident occurs. They should still be able to file a claim.
If a for-hire driver has an accident, they will not be covered by the company’s liability policy. You will need to buy a separate non-trucking liability policy for them.
Remember to Get Physical Damage Coverage as Well
You should remember that liability insurance will cover the repair bills of a vehicle you have damaged but not for your vehicle. If you want insurance that will pay for damage to your own vehicle, you should buy a physical damage insurance policy. Simplex Group can help you find the perfect physical damage policy for your needs.
The average cost of a semi-truck in the United States is $70,000 and $150,000. The average cost of a sedan is $47,000. If one of your drivers damages another person’s car when they are off duty, it may cost a fortune to replace. If your driver does not have insurance coverage, they may not be able to pay for repairs to the truck they totaled. If they were driving your truck at the time of the accident, this might cause you to have a bad reputation among your potential clients.
Although it may seem that it is only right for a driver to pay for a truck they destroyed when they were off the clock, it does not make financial sense to let a vehicle go uninsured at any time.
How Much Will It Cost?
As with all insurance policies, the amount of money that your non-trucking liability insurance will cost per month will vary. It will depend on factors like your company’s credit history and the number of accidents your drivers have had in the last few years. Policies generally run from $30 to $50 per month. It will be one of the least expensive policies you will have to buy if you are in the trucking industry. Simplex Group will make sure to get you the very lowest prices possible. We know how expensive it is to start a trucking company, but we also understand the importance of insurance. Our insurance experts will make sure that you get affordable policies that protect you against any catastrophe that may happen.
Why Hire Us
Simplex Group has been in the trucking business for over 20 years. We are entirely focused on helping new companies with compliance, insurance, and choosing the correct lanes. We can guide you through the hiring process and ensure your drivers are performing their inspections correctly and are not working too many hours. We can also assist you with drug screenings and background checks.
When you hire Simplex Group, we consider ourselves your partner. We consider your success our success, and we will not let you fail. Give us a call today.