Accidents can happen to anybody on the road, whether you’re driving a family car, a bus, or a large truck. These incidents are fairly common, with over 500,00 accidents involving trucks taking place annually. This is a worrying statistic for many commercial truck drivers who are paid to drive—but are nevertheless seen as the cause of any accidents they are involved in.
If you are a truck driver, then investing in the right commercial truck insurance can put you miles ahead in terms of protection in the event of an accident. Here’s how you can make sure to choose the right one from the different types of insurance policies being offered:
Determine Your Coverage Needs
Some people make the mistake of assuming that greater coverage is always appropriate for every need. After all, it’s better to be safe than to be sorry, right? While a higher coverage policy is a good idea in some cases, over-insuring commercial or owner-operator trucks may not be ideal, as you might be shelling out more than you need to! On the other hand, be wary of underinsuring your truck since you can run the risk of not having enough when you attempt to file claims after an accident.
Some of the insurance coverage options that you may want to consider are comprehensive coverage, property damage coverage, collision coverage, and personal injury coverage. Carefully examine your situation and think about what type of coverage will suit your circumstances most appropriately. Just because all these options are available does not mean they will be useful for every commercial truck driver in the long term.
How to Process an Insurance Claim
When researching the different companies that offer commercial truck insurance, it’s important to assess the claiming process. Having to wait a significant amount of time before you can make your claims can be a frustrating result of signing up with the wrong insurance companies. Don’t just look at their processing time but at how they handle claims as well, including procedures that address any client’s concerns.
The Cost of Insurance
Every company will price commercial truck insurance policies differently. Doing your research to decide on the right insurance provider for you will involve asking for and comparing many quotes before making a final decision. In this process, try not to be persuaded by insurance companies offering the lowest rates or settling on the first one that you find, even if their offer sounds decent. There may be other more suitable offers out there for your specific circumstances.
Look out for the following characteristics of your insurance policy candidates to assess whether you’re making the right decision:
- You have control over how much you pay;
- You know exactly what kind of coverage you have;
- You can choose from several different payment options; and
- You know how the insurance coverage and claiming process works.
If an insurance policy company provides a vague response that doesn’t explicitly answer your question, then you may be looking at hidden fees or conditions in fine print that are easy to miss.
Conclusion
Although insurance is incredibly important, especially as a professional that spends most of their time on the road, rushing into purchasing one may not be the best course of action. Take your time to evaluate, compare, and contrast each company’s policies to see which one will benefit you more. You may end up with a single comprehensive policy or more than one specific type of coverage, depending on your needs. As long as you’re protected on the road, you can breathe a little easier when you take your truck out for a trip.
Are you looking for a reliable insurance agency to help you find the policy you need? Whether it’s commercial truck insurance or landlord liability insurance, Quesurance is in the business of helping people by protecting individuals and businesses with their finances. Contact us today to get a quote on the right insurance policy for you!
