How To Save On Truck Insurance?

If you are looking for truck insurance, and want to save money, the first questions you must answer involve what type of truck insurance you need. There are several varieties, and each has its own rules for saving money on your premiums.

First, if you own a pickup truck designed for family use, the same rules apply when looking for insurance savings as those which apply to cars. In essence, pickup trucks are simply cars with bigger frames. Since they are driven for mostly the same purpose as passenger cars, most insurers simply insure them in the same way as they do cars.

You should shop around for the best rates, and be sure to take advantage of good driver discounts, good student discounts, driver’s education discounts, and multi-car and multi-policy discounts. You can also save by raising your deductibles or lowering your coverage levels, or both.

However, if you are looking for truck insurance for a vehicle designed to do commercial work, whether it is a panel truck, a flat-bed truck, or a semi-tractor-trailer truck, you will need a completely different policy than that which covers your personal pickup truck. There are a variety of policies which cover commercial trucks, and you will need to find the right policy for your particular needs.

Trucks are classed according to size, weight, and purpose. In general, the bigger the truck, the higher the insurance premiums, although this is not always the case. Trucks are also classified by their use, and trucks which are used to transport hazardous materials or to do dangerous jobs will require more insurance and typically higher premiums, even if they may be smaller than some other vehicles.

There are four types of coverage for commercial vehicles. Each of these has a specific purpose, and all four are usually required, depending upon the use to which the truck is put.

All trucks must carry liability insurance. Liability insurance is very similar to the insurance carried by cars in this regard; it protects the driver from liability in an accident. It will pay for damages to another person’s vehicle, medical expenses, and other property damage if you cause an accident.

Trucks can also carry “physical damage” insurance as a separate policy. Similar to a “comprehensive” policy on a car, this insurance pays to repair or replace the vehicle if it is damaged in a non-accident-related incident. Fire, flood, theft, and tornado are all covered by a physical damage policy, and many policies have riders such as glass breakage, which can save you a good bit of money if you have minor damage to your vehicle from a flying rock or other debris.

One type of insurance which is completely different from that carried on cars is a “cargo” policy. Because so many trucks carry large loads of goods, the goods as well as the truck must be insured. Cargo policies are typically priced by the type of cargo the truck generally carries. If the cargo is expensive to replace, the corresponding coverage will cost more.

A final type of insurance often carried by truck drivers is medical coverage. If the worker is injured as a result of operating the truck for work, workers’ compensation may pay; however, if the truck driver is off duty and owns the truck, medical coverage may be necessary to pay the bills.

These policies are sometimes integrated into the liability section of the policy, but can also be standalone policies.

If the truck is stored, there is a form of storage insurance called “bob-tail” insurance which is designed to protect the truck driver’s investment. Bob-tail insurance is specifically designed for trucks which are not currently being used for work purposes.

If you want to save on these types of truck insurance, your best bet is to visit an independent agent or a company which specializes in insuring trucks. Sometimes, your car insurance carrier is not the best place to save. Visit several companies and perform an internet search to find companies specializing in truck insurance.