Trucking General Liability Insurance

Small trucking companies face the same liabilities that any small business face. General Liability insurance can help protect you and your business in the event of an accident or other incident that causes a loss of equipment or work time.

Even if you aren’t a small business owner and drive as a contractor, a growing number of risk managers are requiring for-hire truckers to carry Trucking General Liability Insurance, also called Motor Truck General Liability Insurance. Read on to learn more about General Liability Insurance, what it covers, and how to shop for General Liability Insurance.

General liability insurance

Trucking General Liability Insurance is an insurance policy that covers injuries or property damage caused by business activities that are not directly related to driving and operating your truck. This type of coverage covers common third-party injuries and accidents, including customer injuries, customer property damage, and copyright infringement, or other advertising injuries. If you are a for-hire trucker or own a motor carrier business, you’ll likely need Trucker’s General Liability Insurance.

Depending on the size of your company, you may be able to bundle your general liability insurance with your commercial property insurance in a business owner’s policy or a BOP. BOPs usually cost much less than purchasing the policies separately. To qualify for a BOP, you usually have to have fewer than 100 employees, make under$1Million in annual revenue, and operate in a low-risk injury.

General Liability Covers Common Trucking Risks

There’s a long list of common risks that normal insurance policies may not cover, but Trucking General Liability Insurance will. These include:

A customer being injured on the premises

Injuries or damages caused by loading and unloading your vehicle using a mechanical device that is not attached to your vehicles, such as a forklift or front end loader

Erroneous delivery of products

Delivery of products damaged in shipment

Bodily injury resulting from using self-defense to defend your property from theft or vandalism

Coverage for injuries caused by a guard dog used to protect your business property

Contractual liability

Legal fees from being sued due to an auto accident

One of the most interesting things covered by these policies is defense from copyright infringement. This includes defamation in its written form, called libel, and its spoken form called slander. It can also help you pay for legal fees relating to copyright infringement, such as if a competitor tries to use your logo.

What Coverage Can General Liability Provide For Trucking Companies?

Trucking General Liability Coverage will almost always provide the following, but be sure to study your policy carefully to know for sure what you are covered for:

Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability

Medical Payments

Damage to Rented Premises

Products and Completed Operations

Personal Injury

Advertising Injury

This type of insurance will not cover certain circumstances, such as damages caused by your own negligence. They also do not always cover any injury on your property; for example, if someone slips and falls in your parking lot, your insurance may not cover the injury because it did not take place inside your business.