Cargo insurance is rapidly growing in the trucking industry in NC. Due to the increased popularity of Amazon delivery, package delivery has increased by quite a bit in the last couple of years. This coupled with freight delivery of all kinds, has increased a need for more cargo insurance companies.
We have an expertise on trucking insurance of all kinds. There are several factors that you should focus on when choosing the correct insurance coverage and commercial trucking insurance company.
You will want to make sure the insurance company that you go with can offer you your required limits at competitive premiums.
The limits you choose for each commercial auto liability coverage should be sufficient to the following parties:
- Yourself
- DOT regulations
- The companies you are contracting with
AUTO LIABILITY INSURANCE
Auto liability will cover anyone that you hit while driving your commercial truck.
The weight of your truck, the radius that you are traveling, and the type of goods you are hauling will all impact the minimum insurance requirement for auto liability. The most common limit though when crossing state lines, is $750,000 per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Keep in mind that your contract may require higher limits than the minimum FMCSA limits. Even if your contract doesn’t require it, you may want to consider higher limits to protect yourself further.
CARGO LIABILITY INSURANCE
Cargo liability will cover damages to the goods you are hauling due to your negligence.
The FMCSA also has cargo liability requirements for certain trucking risks. If you aren’t required to have this per the FMCSA, you likely will with any contract you enter into. We typically see a minimum cargo liability requirement of $100,000.
A similar coverage type is On Hook Liability which is more common on towing and auto hauler risks. If requesting On Hook Liability coverage on auto haulers, be careful, as there are certain coverage gaps when choosing this policy type. The premiums are usually less expensive, but you don’t want to be caught without the correct coverage.
MOTOR TRUCK GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE
A lot of contracts will require you to have a General Liability policy in force. This will cover claims outside of anyone you hit or damages to the freight you are hauling. Claims on these policy types are less common but they still can occur.
Losses for general liability can occur for delivery errors, driver negligence while loading or unloading, libel, and slander. A typical required limit of liability on this coverage is $1,000,000. Premiums for this coverage type are generally the lowest of the commercial cargo trucking polices.
For questions of any kind on commercial cargo insurance, please feel free to give us a call at 704-494-9495. We can also offer free quotes with all of our various commercial trucking insurance carriers.
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