BusinessHABIf you are an independent truck driver or an owner-operator, you might be looking for ways to lower your truck premiums. Continue reading this blog to find out what they are.
After owning/ renting trucks and spending on fuel, truck insurance premiums are the third greatest expenditure for trucking firms. Even if you have solid insurance coverage from a reputable insurer, premiums still keep rising year after year. These increased costs might be difficult to control for transportation businesses. As a result, it is critical to keep insurance premiums as low as possible in order to avoid slipping behind on other bills and supporting additional burdens.
Although there is no quick-fix remedy for growing trucking insurance prices, there are a number of things trucking businesses can do that will result in significant savings. Below we have listed the 6 ways that will help you in lowering your truck premium rates.
Let’s dive into them.
Choose Your Truck Type
When working in the trucking industry, you will come across various types of trucks. These trucks vary widely not just in size, but also in fuel, convenience, efficiency, safety, dependability, and cost. All of these elements, however, are connected to your truck coverage and premium rates. For instance, your truck insurance rate will rise if you purchase a large, costly truck.
Furthermore, choosing the right truck for your company might be difficult. As a result, we recommend that you purchase it based on your needs and budget. For example, if your everyday tasks require transporting heavy loads or hauling heavy cargo, you must purchase a heavy-duty truck. If your regular hauling consists of tiny goods or light weights, you can purchase a light-duty truck.
So, choose a truck based on your company’s requirements because it is directly tied to your premium cost.
Always Use Brand New Trucks
There is no doubt that new trucks have a longer lifespan than older ones. When compared to older vehicles, there are very less chances that new ones will stop working or have a technical fault that causes damage to client products or accidents.
The likelihood of submitting a claim on a particular plan determines insurance risk, and aged commercial trucks enhance your chances of bringing a claim. To be safe, only buy new trucks. You might choose trucks that are 10 years old or less. Keep in mind that annual maintenance and the installation of new equipment may have an impact on the truck’s premium cost.
Employ a Driver with a Good Driving Record
Hiring a driver who follows all the traffic protocols and has a clean driving history can help you in lowering your premium rates. But how? An experienced driver will result in fewer accidents. In the insurance market, low risk equals a reduced insurance premium. According to a poll of truck drivers’ driving behaviors, over-speeding, weariness, and drowsiness are the leading causes of road accidents.
Finding a skilled driver who can offer optimum production while adhering to all safety precautions might be tough. However, you might begin by administering a speed test to a large number of truckers during hiring. Furthermore, you must conduct a background check on them to determine their past job history. Always seek drivers with a spotless driving record. It is among the most important variables that truck insurance providers consider before decreasing your premium.
Divide Your Routes
The longer the routes will be, the more driving hours by each truck driver and the higher the chances of their accident. Thus, the faster your trucks wear out and require repair, the more risk insurance companies take on. All of this leads to higher rates and poorer terms.
Reduce the number of times your drivers are needed to work by breaking up routes that would otherwise be taken up by individual drivers. This might include hiring more drivers or requesting drivers to work more days than they would normally. However, the money you save on cheaper rates will more than offset any higher labor expenditures in the long run.
Understand Your Truck Insurance Policy
You should always be aware of your truck insurance plan. Knowing your company’s requirements and the types of coverage is the first step. Choosing a policy that matches your needs is critical since it guarantees that you only pay for what you require. There are numerous options available, including Primary Liability, Comprehensive Liability, Trailer Interchange, Physical Damage, and others.
Next, you should evaluate multiple truck insurance online quotes based on the premium and add-on policies to get the best offer. Choose a policy with the lowest insurance price and the most coverage.
Choose Bigger Deductibles
You should choose bigger voluntary deductibles to lower your insurance rate. However, if an accident occurs, you will have to incur larger upfront costs. If you opt to go this way, choose a deductible that your business can afford to pay without incurring additional costs. However, before making any changes to your policy, consult with your truck insurance provider to determine the best choices for lowering your company’s insurance costs.
Also, do not file claims for minor losses that you can easily endure, as this will reduce your No Claim Bonus.
Pay on Time Always
Some payments are more difficult to fulfill than others. Based on the season, shifting demand, and a million other circumstances, liquidity may not be in your favor each time payday arrives. Nothing fires up an insurance provider more than late payments, so be certain you own a second way to make each payment timely.
Paying your coverage on time is critical to keeping commercial truck premium rates low. So, whether it’s temporarily reducing expenditures from some other operations or looking for a reduced short-term financing solution, you don’t disrupt cash flow.
Final Words
It is not always simple to lower your truck premium rates. While the actions outlined above may not save you much money on your rates individually, they can significantly cut your premiums while retaining your commercial truck insurance plan.
We hope that our blog is of great use to you. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask in the comments section below. We would be glad to assist you.
BusinessHAB