As a common carrier, you are responsible for the load no matter what happens to it. But there’s a lot of other risks you may not be aware of.
Generally, there are five major types of risk that affect trucking businesses. If any of these happen to your company, you and your insurance company are responsible for any damage that might happen to the load. Keeping your trucking insurance rates down is essential to growing as a business.
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Collision Insurance - Your truck is one your biggest assets and needs a comprehensive collision policy so you don’t get stuck for weeks on repairs. Overturns and accidents happen all the time and spilling contents all over the highway can add to the headache. Example: Imagine your truck tips over with a load of orange juice. Not only is your company responsible for the cost of the orange juice, but a pollution claim can be filed as well. A lot of orange juice pouring into something like a nearby river is an expensive accident to clean up.
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Spoilage - This exposure is a very real risk for carriers that haul refrigerated products. A carrier can have his refrigerated truck malfunction and $40,000 worth of blueberries could be delivered at the wrong temperature and be refused. The trucking company now owns $40,000 worth of rotten fruit.
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Vandalism/Theft - Thieves are a very real threat to trucking companies. The trucking lots are often dark with low security and people can break into your trailer, hoping to steal some electronics, but all you are carrying is picture frames and glass lamps. It takes the thief several smashed cases of frames and lamps to realize there is nothing worth stealing. Nothing gets stolen, but you will still have to pay for the damages to the goods. Beyond the storage of valuable goods, trucks themselves are also an easy target for thieves. Commercial trucking vans or tractor-trailers can easily reach into the 100’s of thousands of dollars and are often repurposed for larger crimes.
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Fire/Explosion Coverage - Fires can happen at any time, especially if you’re using a refrigeration unit. Explosions are a risky part of any HazMat operation. Having proper HazMat coverages (unlike these guys) will keep you in the clear in case anything happens.
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Goods in Transit - This covers goods against loss or damage while in transit, and when they’re being loaded and unloaded. The cover provided is usually on an 'all risks' basis, so includes theft, accidental damage and loss.
There are five exceptions to the strict carrier responsibility for the goods that are being transported:
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Acts of God - Tornadoes and floods are good examples.
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Acts of Public Enemy - If we were at war with another nation and that nation destroyed the goods in the trailer.
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Exercise of Public Authority - If the government was to interfere with the delivery of the goods, by police confiscating a load they deemed suspicious.
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Fault or Neglect on the Part of the Shipper - If the client improperly packed the goods and they got damaged during transport, the trucking business wouldn't be held responsible.
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Inherent Vice - A defect in the characteristic of the cargo that causes it to damage or destroys itself. An example could be a load of horseradishes that go bad because they were not properly cleaned of bacteria.
There could be a lot of money at stake if your company is not properly covered for what you are hauling. If you haven’t sat with your agent to discuss what you are hauling and make sure you are covered, you could be paying for claims out of your own pocket. Contact us today for a trucking insurance quote at 888.279.9701.
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