Frequently Asked Commercial Truck Insurance Questions
Primary Liability Insurance
- What does Primary Liability Insurance Cover?
- What Primary Liability limit do I need?
- Is Primary Liability Coverage required by law to operate my truck?
- Am I covered if I travel over state lines?
- What determines the premium of my Primary Liability Coverage?
- Where can I find licensing information for your company?
- How long will it take you to bind my policy?
- How do I add or delete a driver from my policy?
- How do I add or delete a vehicle from my policy?
Motor Truck Cargo Insurance
- What does Motor Truck Cargo Insurance cover?
- Am I required by federal law to carry Motor Truck Cargo Insurance?
- What determines the limit of Motor Truck Cargo Insurance I should carry?
Bobtail/Non-Trucking Liability Insurance
- What is the difference between Bobtail/Non-Trucking Liability and Deadhead Coverage?
- What do I need in order to obtain Bobtail/Non-Trucking Liability Coverage?
- Why do I need Bobtail/Non-Trucking Liability Insurance?
- What happens if I change the company I am leased onto?
- Do you offer short term insurance so I can move my truck from one location to another?
ICC/MC Authority DOT Numbers
- What is ICC Authority/MC Authority?
- Who is required to have ICC Authority/MC Authority?
- What is the minimum insurance coverage required to obtain an MC #/ICC Authority?
- How much will obtaining my ICC Authority/MC#/ cost?
- What is Single State Registration?
- Who must Apply for DOT numbers?
Primary Liability Insurance
What does Primary Liability Insurance Cover?
This coverage option protects you from damage or injuries to other people as a result of a truck accident. You select your limit of coverage at the time of purchase.
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What Primary Liability limit do I need?
Tractor Trailers require a limit of $750,000 for operation, all other vehicles require coverage amounts according to the laws in their base state.
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Is Primary Liability Coverage required by law to operate my commercial vehicle?
Yes.
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Am I covered if I travel over state lines?
Yes, coverage will travel over state lines.
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What determines the limits of my primary liability coverage?
Premiums for Primary Liability coverage are determined by several factors including:
- Driving Record
- Garage Location
- Limit of Liability Coverage Desired
- Type of Operation
- Condition and age of equipment
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Where can I find licensing information for your company?
Our company is licensed to do business in 44 states. Our company licensing information can be found on the South Carolina Department of Insurance website located at https://www.doi.sc.gov/Eng/Public/FormPub/HmOwnIns.aspx . Once at the site, search for the name “National Independent Truckers Insurance Company.” Our NAIC code is 11197.
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How long will it take you to bind my policy?
It depends on your exact situation. Many policies can be bound in less than 24 hours; others may take slightly longer.
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How do I add or delete a driver from my policy?
Adding a driver to your policy requires a written request from the insured. Obtain the drivers name, date of birth, and license number and fax the information along with a written request to add the driver to 732-855-9497.
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How do I add or delete a vehicle from my policy?
Adding or deleting a vehicle requires a written request from the insured. Obtain the VIN number, year, make and model and fax this along with a written request to 908-587-1682.
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Motor Truck Cargo
What does Motor Truck Cargo Insurance cover?
Cargo Insurance covers the cargo you are hauling for a shipper, up to a set limit pre-determined by you at the time of policy purchase.
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Am I required by federal law to carry Motor Truck Cargo?
No. It may be required by the company doing the shipping though.
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What determines the limit of Motor Truck Cargo I should carry?
Ask the company you are hauling for what their cargo coverage requirements are.
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Bobtail / Non-Trucking Liability / Deadhead
What is the difference between Non-Trucking Liability, Bobtail, and Deadhead Coverage?
These are all different terms for the same type of coverage. They provide coverage protection for your truck when you are off the job (i.e. Getting the truck washed, repaired). While you are working, the company you are leased onto is responsible for your insurance coverage.
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What do I need in order to obtain Bobtail/Non-Trucking Liability Coverage?
- A permanent lease agreement (longer then 30 days)
- Truck year, make, VIN #
- Drivers Name, License #, Date of Birth
- Loss Payee Information (for physical damage only)
- 3 Years of experience in most cases
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Why do I need Bobtail/Non-Trucking Liability Insurance?
The company you haul for only covers your insurance when you are working or hauling for them. When you are not working (i.e. getting repairs, getting the truck washed) the bobtail/Non-Trucking Liability Policy covers you.
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What happens if I change the company I am leased onto?
When changing a lease agreement, fax a copy of the new lease to our office at 908-587-1682. Also fax a request to for us to change your policy to reflect the new company you are working for.
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Do you offer short term insurance so I can move my truck from one location to another?
If you are purchasing your truck from a dealer, we can provide you with short-term coverage up to a period of four days. This type of coverage is called Dealer Short Term Insurance. It is useful for an individual that would like to bring their vehicle home from the dealer lot but is not yet eligible for Bobtail/Non-Trucking Liability Insurance. The policy is charged at a rate of $300 for 3 days with an additional premium for Physical Damage coverage if required.
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ICC Authority / MC Authority
What is ICC Authority/MC Authority?
Before you can legally operate as an interstate regulated carrier, you must be granted permission from the Federal Highway Admission in Washington DC.
Your ICC authority, is permission granted by the federal government to transport regulated freight across state lines (Interstate).
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Who is required to have ICC Authority / MC Authority?
Any vehicle operating for hire in interstate transportation of regulated freight or passengers must have operating authority.
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What is the minimum insurance coverage required to obtain an MC number / ICC Authority?
For Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or more:
$750,000 (BI &PD) for General Commodities (non-hazardous)
$1 Million (BI &PD) hazardous except class A & B explosives
$5 Million (BI & PD) Class A & B explosives, Hazardous materials transported in specified capacities in tanks or hoppers and/or any quantity of hazardous materials as specified in 49 CFR 173.403 of the Federal Motor Carrier Regulations.
For vehicles with a Gross Weight Rating (GVWR) of less than 10,000 pounds:
$300,000 (BI & PD) for general commodities except any materials listed below.
$5 Million (BI & PD) Any quantity of Class A or B explosives, for any quantity of Poison Gas (Poison A) or highway route controlled quantity of radioactive materials.
Common Carriers: Must carry minimum liability as listed above plus $10,000 cargo insurance.
Broker Authority: Brokers must maintain a surety bond or trust fund in the amount of $10,000. We can arrange this for you.
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How much will obtaining my ICC Authority / Motor Carrier number / cost?
Our company charges a low price of $600 which includes:
- Filing your ICC Authority
- Obtaining a DOT Number
- All filing fees as well as our application fee for the filing of your Interstate Operating Authority.
- Securing and filing permanent process agents (BOC-3). There are no annual fees to keep your process agents current as long as your authority is active.
- Securing your proper insurance filings (you must provide all required insurance at the required limits).
- Keeping track of your application until your authority is issued.
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What is Single State Registration?
Those motor carriers operating for-hire under permit or certificate issued formerly by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and now the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FMCSA), must participate in the Single State Registration System (SSRS Program). This program replaces the “Bingo Stamp Program” which had been in effect for a number of years.
The Bingo Stamp Program required each carrier to contact and meet each state’s requirements for registering their ICC Operating Authority. The SSRS Program creates a single point contact with a base state for motor carriers to register their authority in all states they need to operate in. The base state is determined by the principal place of business of the motor carrier. If the motor carrier’s base state does not participate in the program, then the base state must be the state in which the carrier operates the most vehicles.
This program simplifies the reporting requirements in that insurance and resident agent information has to be on file in only two places; the FHWA and the base state. Carriers must contact their base state to add states or vehicles to their receipts.
The base state will issue a receipt to be carried in each vehicle. The receipt will list all states that the carrier is authorized to operate in. The carrier may reproduce the receipt as many times as the number of trucks he has paid for.
Carriers must pay a fee for each state determined by the state fee multiplied by the total number of vehicles to be operated in each state.
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Who must Apply for DOT numbers?
All motor carriers operating a Commercial Motor Vehicle in interstate or foreign commerce must be assigned & display a USDOT Number before interstate operations begin. This includes all interstate private, exempt, for hire and passenger motor carriers. Motor Carriers operating intrastate transporting any placarded hazardous materials must also comply.
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