Any company that operates trucks in the state of California should have some form of commercial trucking insurance. However, some trucking companies must have a certain amount of insurance by federal law.
Some commercial trucks are legally required to be registered with the Department of Transportation. You will need a DOT number if your trucks fall into any one of the following categories:
- It transports hazardous materials that require safety placards.
- It has a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or higher.
- It is used to transport eight or more passengers for compensation.
- It is designed to transport 15 or more passengers whether it is for money or not.
Before you can get a DOT number, you will have to obtain trucking insurance. You must have liability coverage between $750,000 to $1,000,000 to obtain a DOT number and activate your Motor Carrier Authority. A trucking company must also have cargo insurance of $5,000 for each vehicle and $10,000 for each accident or theft. The exact amount of insurance will depend on the kind of products that you haul and where you take them. Insurance agents write insurance policies that are specifically customized for each client.
Any trucking company owner-operator should be aware of a few different types of Los Angeles truck insurance.
Liability insurance will pay the medical bills of anyone injured due to the fault of your driver or a driver who does contractual work for you. It will also pay for damages to a person’s automobile if it is damaged in a crash that your driver caused.
Trucking accidents often result in rollovers and pile-up accidents. If a truck rolls over, it can create a major traffic jam, and a community might have to pay a great deal of money to clean up after a trucking accident. Your liability insurance should cover damages to the road, costs for cleaning up the accident, and fees for environmental damages.
If a driver has an accident while they are uninsured, you may face major fines from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). You will probably be audited, and you may even be shut down.
We can make sure your trucking business will be safe If you have an accident. When you hire us, we consider ourselves part of your team. We are just as committed to your success as you are. A good insurance policy is any owner-operator’s first step to establishing themselves in the trucking industry.
There are several different types of liability insurance that a trucking company might need. We do everything we can to ensure your success. Simplex Group considers you are a partner and not just our client.
Trucking insurance is complex. It takes an experienced professional to know exactly what to leave in and out of a policy. We are familiar with compliance laws for every type of vehicle and haul.
Local and Long Haul
Whether you are traveling around the corner or around the country, a trucking company must be fully insured. Different states have different insurance requirements. The laws are so different that many insurance providers and compliance companies focus strictly on either local, intermediate, or long hauls.
Simplex can create a policy for your company no matter how long or short your haul is. Our team is staffed with experts who can build a policy around your specific needs. We have been in business for over 20 years, and we can build a policy that will cover every truck in your fleet.
Truckers who stay within a 250-mile radius of your headquarters will be considered “short-haul,” or local, drivers. Drivers who exceed the 250-mile radius are considered “long haul” drivers.
Mixed Radius
If you have a mixed lot of trucks and a mixture of long and short hauls, we are the perfect company for you. You will need several different types of coverage to run your business. We have years of experience dealing with every kind of truck and length of haul.
The more states you travel through, the more taxes and fees you will have to pay. We can help you create routes that will save you money. We will work hard to save money and get you the best deal possible.
Intermodal drivers
If your drivers ever pick up loads of containers at the docks, you will need intermodal insurance. It costs an average of $8000 a year. Intermodal transportation refers to a shipment that takes two or more modes of transportation to get where it is going. Driver’s love this kind of route because it is stable and allows for more hometime.
Intermodal truckers almost always carry containers. Carrying containers may be steady work, but there are some risks associated with the task.
Containers are held in place by pins, and if they are not secured properly, the containers can slip and cause a major accident. It is also important to have a very sturdy chassis and that your load is balanced. Container transportation is considered an extra risk by insurance companies. You will need additional insurance, which can cost around $8000.
We have years of experience in dealing with every element of trucking compliance. We will write you a policy that protects your drivers and your assets.
Auto Haulers
We know what a hard job it is to haul automobiles. It can be hard to balance your load, and you are carrying expensive and potentially dangerous cargo. Auto haulers must carry at least $1 million of insurance, but we recommend that you carry even more.
At Simplex, we understand that new small businesses often cannot afford to pay for all the different insurance they need, but we specialize in helping new trucking companies. We know if we find you an affordable plan, you will be successful. When our customers succeed, so do we.
Coverage for one vehicle or any size fleet
If you are an owner-operator who works out of their own house, you may think that you cannot afford our services, but we can make a plan that stays within your budget. If you are caught without insurance, it can mean a failed inspection or audit. It can also mean fees or a shutdown. We specialize in helping new trucking companies and have partnered with many new companies and guided them to success.
UIIA & Trailer Interchange Available
The Uniform Intermodal Interchange Facilities and Access Agreement act as a kind of contract for trucking companies that share equipment. Trucking companies often share equipment with one another, but they also lease and borrow equipment from airlines, railways, and ocean freight businesses.
If a trucker causes an accident, your company will normally be responsible for any equipment they were using. We can cover you for all of the equipment that you will need to run your business.
Straight Trucks
When you first heard of Simplex Group, you may have thought that we only provide insurance services to companies that operate semi-trucks. We provide insurance to trucking companies that operate box or straight trucks as well.
If you operate a moving truck, garbage truck, or other straight style truck, you know that there are special taxes and insurance that you will need to operate safely and legally.
We cover vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Small companies are especially vulnerable to fines and issues that can come up during an audit. Our experts will assist you in building an insurance policy with unambiguous language designed to protect you.
California has the second-highest number of trucking companies in the nation, and there are strict requirements for trucking insurance here.
Cargo Insurance
Whenever your drivers transport a haul across the country, they are carrying thousands of dollars worth of goods. Your clients are counting on you to get their products where they are going in one piece. They have invested as much money in their products as you have invested in your trucking company, which is why owner operator insurance should include a good cargo policy.
Goods are sometimes damaged in transit because they were improperly packed or destroyed in an accident, or they might get stolen. No matter the case, you need to make sure that your clients are reimbursed if something should happen to their products before they reach their destination.
Cargo insurance will reimburse your clients for any goods damaged along the way. It is also a legal requirement for truckers. When you let Simplex Group handle your insurance needs, We will make sure that you have complete cargo coverage.
We cover you for all types of cargo including:
- Reefer
- General Freight
- Dry Goods
- Flatbed
- Intermodal
- Auto Haulers
When you get a loan for a commercial truck, the contract is likely to require you to get property damage insurance. If one of your drivers causes an accident, the property damage insurance will pay for the truck to be repaired or replaced.
If one of your drivers is involved in an accident that they did not cause, the driver who caused the accident should pay for the truck driver’s injuries and damages to their vehicle. However, non-commercial drivers in California are only required to carry insurance worth $5,000 for property damage. Every truck in your fleet costs much more than $5,000; therefore, you will need to have property damage insurance to make sure that your trucks are paid for in the event of an accident.
