What insurance do I need for my new trucking company?

Starting a new company is always challenging; trucking is among the more complex businesses. As far as insurance goes, new trucking companies need core policies covering the issues faced by companies in any industry. Plus, some insurance needs are specific to the trucking industry and its risks, including some legally required of interstate motor carriers. If you have questions about your business’s recommended or required insurance, talk to our Owens Agency LLC team serving Waldron, AR.

Core Commercial Insurance

A new business operating in almost any industry should consider a core set of policies that include:

  • General liability insurance covering injuries and damages to third parties
  • Commercial property insurance covers physical property, goods, gear, inventory, business interruption, and other elements. (You may combine general liability and commercial property in a BOP or Business Owners Policy.)
  • Workers’ Compensation
  • Commercial auto insurance
  • Cyber Insurance
  • Other coverage, such as Inland Marine Insurance

Commercial Trucking Insurance

New trucking company owners also need coverage specific to the trucking business:

  • Primary liability: injuries or property damage caused by your truck(s)
  • Physical damage: damage to your vehicles
  • Motor truck cargo: Losses to cargo from theft or disasters
  • Reefer breakdown: Losses due to refrigerated trailer failure
  • Bobtail insurance: cover the truck operating without a trailer
  • Under and uninsured motorist coverage

Insurance companies bundle these elements differently, and your needs will vary with the products you carry and where you take them, so it’s best to talk with a knowledgeable agent.

Working with The Owens Agency LLC

The Owens Agency LLC team proudly serves Waldron, AR. Let us apply our commercial insurance experience to structure a commercial trucking insurance plan to protect your business. Call us at (479) 637-2207 to discuss your insurance needs and options.

Insurance Requirements For Box Truck Owners

Many businesses and independent contractors in Waldron, AR, use box trucks in various ways. They’re useful for transporting goods to warehouses, stores, or customers. Like any vehicle, a box truck needs the right insurance coverage to satisfy legal requirements in Arkansas. Standard auto insurance usually isn’t adequate for this purpose.

What’s Required?

State law requires box truck operators to carry liability insurance. It generally covers damage and injuries others suffer in an at-fault accident. However, this basic type of policy doesn’t insure the property of the box truck owner. Additional coverage is needed if you want to protect your cargo or the truck itself.

Possible Requirements

Depending on the circumstances, you may be required to carry more than just a basic liability policy. You’ll probably need comprehensive and collision insurance if you lease your box truck or use a loan to purchase it. Refer to the lease or loan documents for more information about these requirements.

The federal government may require additional coverage if you transport cargo to/from another state or carry hazardous materials to any destination. Depending on where you travel and the types of items that you transport in a box truck, you might need extra liability protection and/or cargo insurance to satisfy the federal requirements.

The experienced insurance professionals at The Owens Agency LLC can help you find trucking insurance that complies with these laws and sufficiently protects your commercial vehicle. We make it easy to compare coverage options from multiple major insurers. The Owens Agency LLC staff members benefit from more than five decades of relevant experience. Please call 479-637-2207 to reach our office in Waldron, AR.

How Does Trucking Insurance Work from The Owens Agency LLC

Maximizing Efficiency with Reliable Trucking Insurance

Considered the backbone of the American economy, the trucking industry plays a crucial role in ensuring the efficient transportation of goods across long distances. However, such a robust industry also brings great responsibility in terms of protecting drivers and businesses from potential on-road risks. At the Owens Agency LLC in Waldron, AR, we offer a diverse range of coverage options and can explain trucking insurance requirements.

The Mechanics of Trucking Insurance

Trucking insurance has foundational components similar to auto insurance. It typically includes liability coverage, physical damage coverage, cargo protection, and more. Liability coverage defends trucking companies from the financial implications of accidents that result in property damage or bodily injury to others. Physical damage coverage offers protection for the truck itself in cases of collisions or other incidents, while cargo protection covers the transported goods in cases of damage during transit.

Customized Coverages

In addition to these basic coverages, trucking insurance may offer unique options such as non-trucking liability (bobtail insurance), motortruck cargo insurance, and driver occupational accident coverage. These specialized solutions address trucking businesses’ specific risks, ensuring thorough protection.

At the Owens Agency LLC, we forge close relationships with our clients to comprehend their distinctive requirements and recommend the right blend of coverage. Our experienced agents are committed to assisting trucking companies in navigating the intricacies of insurance, providing optimal protection against potential threats.

Your Trusted Partner for Trucking Insurance Coverage

Owens Agency LLC is your go-to agency for trucking insurance in Waldron, AR. Our customer-friendly team can answer any queries about initiating a new policy. Contact us today to learn more about trucking insurance and kick-start your new policy.

Three Things to Look For When Shopping for Trucking Insurance

Before you can drive a truck for your profession, you first have to find the right trucking insurance for your needs. At The Owens Agency LLC, serving Waldron, AR, we help truck drivers like you find the right insurance to help keep your trucking business running smoothly. It’s vital to find the right trucking insurance. Without it, your trucking business could face financial difficulty. 

1. Physical Damage Coverage

Physical damage coverage pays to replace or repair your trucking equipment if it is stolen or damaged in an accident. This is essential coverage because accidents can happen, and sometimes, those accidents can be costly and difficult to repair. Physical damage coverage can keep your business functioning if a covered event occurs. 

2. Trucking Liability Coverage

If your truck damages someone else’s vehicle while you’re on the road, your trucking liability coverage will help repair or replace damages to the other vehicle. Trucking liability coverage can protect you from the liability of making hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs if you’re found at fault for an accident on the road. 

3. The Right Insurance Carrier

In addition to finding the right trucking insurance policy, finding a suitable insurance carrier is important. Look for an insurance carrier that offers good customer service and expertise in trucking insurance. Your insurance agent should respond to questions quickly and with accuracy. You should feel comfortable asking your insurance agent questions and should also feel like your insurance agent has your best interests in mind. 

The Owens Agency LLC, serving Waldron, AR, can help you find a good trucking policy for your trucking business. Call today to learn more about trucking insurance. 

Why You Need Trucking Insurance to Cover Your Truck When You Aren’t Hauling a Load

Truckers purchase policies to create a policy package, but many miss the need for bobtail and non-trucking liability insurance. In this blog, The Owens Agency LLC explains what both of those policies do for truckers in Waldron, AR.

Bobtail Insurance

A bobtail policy, also called a deadheading policy, refers to insurance that covers the driver’s liability when driving without a trailer attached. This could mean the driver dropped off a load or has yet to pick one up. For it to apply, the driver must be actively on the clock but between hauls.

Non-trucking Liability

Although non-trucking liability sometimes gets called bobtail insurance, they refer to two different things. A non-trucking situation refers to any personal use of a commercial vehicle. It includes driving with or without a trailer attached. In a non-trucking situation, a driver might have dropped off their load and headed to the grocery store for food or their child’s school to pick them up.

Independent and Employee Truckers Need Coverage

Because both situations refer to a time between active work, other truck policies do not apply. A trucking company’s liability insurance only covers its drivers and rigs while actively used for work purposes. If you drive a tractor-trailer (semi-truck) or other big rig vehicle, you need these two policies to cover your liability completely.

Contact The Owens Agency For Trucking Insurance

Don’t drive another mile without bobtail and non-trucking liability coverages. Contact The Owens Agency LLC to purchase the liability coverage you need. Let us help you adequately protect your business risk by reviewing your policy.

Trucking Insurance: What It Is and What It Isn’t

Owning a trucking company in Waldron, AR isn’t always easy, and finding the right insurance policy only complicates matters. When shopping for trucking insurance, there’s a whole host of factors you must consider that aren’t present when buying insurance for your personal vehicle. Combine that with all of the terminology and coverage variations, and you have a daunting task on your hands.

At The Owens Agency LLC, we understand your unique position. That’s why we’ve created this brief guide to the different types of trucking insurance.

What Trucking Insurance Can Cover

No matter what aspects of your business you need coverage for, there’s likely a policy out there for you. But how do you know what you need to be covered? First, you’ll need to know what kinds of coverage the state requires. Then, you can look at the other types of coverage offered and see what applies to your company. Remember that the minimum cover required by the state likely won’t protect your livelihood in the event of a serious accident.

Standard coverage, such as primary and general liability, covers damage to others’ property or injuries and risks like slips and falls at your office, respectively. You’ll also likely want a policy that covers damage to your truck during an accident and the goods that the truck is hauling, medical bills that you or your driver may have, and a borrowed trailer so you can maintain operations. Additional bobtail insurance may be useful if you or your driver(s) often drive the truck without a trailer attached.

Protect Your Trucking Company With Help From The Owens Agency LLC

If you’re looking for the right mix of coverage and premiums to keep your company on the road, we can help. We can provide you with the freedom to choose the exact coverage you need. Give us a call today at 479-637-2207.

Navigating Trucking Insurance in Arkansas

If you’re a trucking company or owner/operator working in and around Arkansas, you may wonder where to turn for affordable trucking insurance coverage. Trucking is an essential industry that keeps the United States running. Trucks carry goods across the country, ensuring that everything from food to electronics reaches its destination. However, trucking is also a risky business, and accidents can happen. That’s why trucking companies in Arkansas must have proper insurance coverage.

The Owens Agency LLC is a top-rated Arkansas insurance agency. We offer a wide range of coverage options to protect your trucking business! 

Trucking Insurance Basics

Liability Insurance for Truckers 

Liability insurance is legally required in most states. It is one of the most important types of insurance for trucking companies. This coverage protects you in case of accidents that cause property damage or bodily injury to others. This insurance is required by law in Arkansas!

Cargo Insurance for Truckers

Another necessary type of insurance for trucking companies is cargo insurance. This coverage protects the goods that you’re transporting. For example, suppose something happens to the cargo in your custody or control. In that case, cargo insurance can help cover the costs of any damage or loss.

The Owens Agency LLC can help owners/operators navigate the ins and outs of workers’ compensation insurance, which benefits employees injured or ill.

Get Trucking Insurance in Arkansas

Navigating trucking insurance in Arkansas can be complicated, but The Owens Agency LLC can help make it easier. Our knowledgeable insurance agents have years of experience helping trucking companies find the coverage they need to protect their businesses and employees. If you’re in the Waldron, AR, area, contact The Owens Agency LLC today to get a quote and learn more about insurance options.

Importance of trucking insurance

Trucking companies across the country have a lot of risks and expenses. Trucking insurance can help cover the costs of damage and other problems that could occur. We will talk about what trucking insurance is and why trucking companies must have it.

What is trucking insurance?

Trucking insurance has more to it than regular auto insurance or commercial auto insurance. There are more risks of accidents and damage occurring due to driver fatigue, delivery deadlines, handling heavy vehicles, and driving long distances. You can choose from various types of coverage to suit your trucking insurance needs.

General or public liability

Just like auto insurance, public liability coverage is required by most states. This covers the driver and the company in case they get into an accident and damage someone’s property or injure another person. Liability coverage will cover the cost of repairs and medical expenses related to the accident.

Physical damage coverage

Physical damage coverage protects the truck and trailer in the event of accidents, natural disasters, vandalism, theft, and many other situations that could occur.

Cargo insurance

Cargo insurance is basically what it sounds like. It covers the products or cargo that the truck is carrying. If something happens, and the goods or product is damaged, then the cost is still covered, so you don’t lose as much money from the lost cargo.

Bobtail insurance

This covers drivers that are under independent contracts when they are not in the process of hauling trailers or products.

Contact Us

If you run a trucking company, you might want to consider some of the trucking insurance coverage types listed above. Contact us at The Owens Agency LLC in Waldron, AR for more information regarding trucking insurance.

Does your policy provide adequate protection for your trucking company’s drivers?

The Owens Agency LLC is here to provide trucking companies located in the Waldron, AR area with the necessary trucking insurance. Contact our office today, and let’s set up an appointment to review your insurance needs.

Protect your drivers with comprehensive trucking insurance

A successful trucking company will have many insurance needs. This is due to the number of employees and drivers necessary to keep a trucking company going, along with the cost of equipment and vehicles. This is why trucking companies should review their commercial insurance policies daily.

Protecting your drivers with a robust policy can also help to protect the firm from liability exposure. Another component of this approach is to have sufficient worker’s compensation insurance. All of these policies together can provide the protection necessary to keep a trucking business protected now and in the future.

Trucking insurance provides coverage for accidents, vehicle damage, and theft. Every policy can differ, so it’s essential to understand precisely what coverage a policy provides and what is excluded. To ensure that your company has the protection it needs, it can be helpful to sit down with an insurance professional to determine your unique needs. This will allow you to determine which policy type is right for your needs. This discussion will also help you calculate the level of protection necessary for the company.

We look forward to working with you!

Protect the truckers and decrease the liability exposure of your Arkansas company with a robust trucking insurance policy. The Owens Agency LLC is here to answer any questions and review the available options with you. Contact our office in Waldron, AR today and find out more.

What Are The Different Types Of Trucking Insurance?

Trucking insurance policies come in various and may include comprehensive, collision, and liability. Each type of policy comes with its benefits and risks, so it’s important to research and shop around to find the policy that best suits your needs and budget. The type of trucking insurance you need will depend on the type of truck you drive and the nature of your business. 

If you drive a large truck that makes hauls between cities, you may need a combination of liability and cargo insurance. Even though cargo insurance is not required by law, it’s one of the most important types of insurance. For issues, check with The Owens Agency LLC in Waldron, AR.

What Various Trucking Coverage Entails 

Liability insurance protects the trucking company if one of its trucks causes property damage or bodily injury to another person. Property/collision insurance covers the truck’s repair cost if it is damaged in a collision or by other causes such as a falling load. Most trucking companies require their drivers to maintain a minimum level of liability insurance, often at least $100,000 per person. Liability insurance covers the costs you might be responsible for in the event of an accident, such as medical bills for passengers or other drivers or repair costs for another vehicle. 

Cargo insurance covers the cost of replacing your cargo if it is damaged or goes missing. Most standard policy limits for liability coverage are between $100,000 and $300,000. You may be able to purchase higher liability limits, but most truckers go with the standard amounts, as they are more affordable. In most cases, the amount of the cargo insurance is determined by taking a percentage of the total value of the cargo. For example, if the cargo is valued at $100,000 and you pick up another load with a value of $50,000, your new cargo limit would be $150,000. 

If your truck is damaged in an accident, your physical damage (PD) insurance will pay to repair it. In the U.S., there are different types of commercial truck insurance plans that you can choose from. These plans differ in coverage, price, and more. For consultations in Waldron, AR, call The Owens Agency LLC.