Key Takeaways

  • Commercial auto insurance protects against vehicle-related risks like accidents and cargo damage.
  • General liability insurance protects against third-party injuries and lawsuits from regular business operations.
  • Workers’ compensation insurance covers medical costs and wages for employees hurt on the job.
  • Commercial property insurance safeguards company assets and reduces financial risk of losses.
  • Commercial umbrella insurance provides added protection above primary policy limits.

Introduction

As a local freight trucking business classified under NAICS code 484110, certain types of comprehensive business insurance are essential to protect the company from a variety of operational risks. The key policies trucking firms should carry include commercial auto, general liability, workers’ compensation, commercial property and commercial umbrella coverage.

Commercial Auto Insurance

Commercial auto insurance is crucial for businesses in the freight trucking industry to protect against financial losses from vehicle-related accidents and claims. It provides protection for liability, physical damages, medical expenses, and more. The top benefits of commercial auto insurance for freight trucking businesses include liability protection, physical damage coverage, medical payments coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, non-trucking/hired auto liability coverage, specialized cargo coverage, full replacement cost coverage, and access to experienced brokers. The top uses of commercial auto insurance for freight trucking businesses are liability coverage for accidents, collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, medical payments coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and cargo coverage. The estimated average annual pricing for commercial auto insurance for businesses in this industry is $4,500 per truck.

Category List
Benefits
  • Liability protection against property damage and bodily injury claims from accidents
  • Physical damage coverage to repair or replace fleet vehicles involved in accidents
  • Medical payments coverage to pay for injuries sustained by non-employees in an accident
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to protect against losses from hit-and-run accidents and drivers with insufficient coverage
  • Non-trucking/hired auto liability coverage to protect against losses if a rental vehicle is involved in an accident while being used for business
  • Specialized coverage for refrigerated goods to compensate for spoiled cargo in an accident
  • Full replacement cost coverage to repair or replace damaged vehicles at today’s prices
  • Access to experienced transportation insurance brokers knowledgeable about your industry
Use Cases
  • Liability coverage in case of accidents
  • Collision coverage for damage to own vehicles
  • Comprehensive coverage for other losses or damages like falling objects, explosions, etc.
  • Medical payments coverage for injuries to others
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
  • Cargo coverage in case of damaged or lost freight during transport

Based on industry research and data, the estimated average annual pricing for commercial auto insurance for businesses in the general freight trucking, local industry with NAICS code 484110 is $4,500 per truck. This pricing was derived from analyzing auto insurance rates from top carriers for this industry considering average fleet size, coverage limits, safety record factors, and other underwriting criteria common to this sector.

Estimated Pricing: $4,500

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance provides essential protection for local freight trucking businesses from legal and financial risks inherent in their daily transportation operations. Additional risks covered include liability claims from cargo losses or damages during transit, accidents involving business trucks on the road, injuries occurring on business property, and liability if employees use personal vehicles for work. Pricing for general liability insurance is estimated between $3,000-$5,000 annually based on business factors.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protection from lawsuits in case of accidents involving cargo or property damage
  • Coverage for bodily injury or property damage claims from third parties
  • Protection for on-the-job accidents and injuries for employees
  • Coverage for pollution clean up costs in case of hazardous spill
  • Reimbursement of medical expenses for injured parties in an accident
  • Coverage for advertised injury or intellectual property infringement claims
Use Cases
  • Cover liability claims from cargo losses or damages that occur during transit
  • Cover liability claims from accidents involving the business’s trucks on the road
  • Cover liability claims if a truck crashes into another vehicle or property
  • Cover liability claims from injuries that occur to employees or others on the business’s property
  • Cover liability claims from non-owned vehicle accidents if employees use their personal vehicles for business needs

Based on average quotes from top insurance carriers for businesses in the General Freight Trucking, Local industry with NAICS Code 484110, the estimated annual pricing for general liability insurance is between $3,000 to $5,000. This pricing is calculated based on factors like number of vehicles, drivers, annual revenue, claims/violations history, and coverage limits.

Estimated Pricing: $4,000

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Working provides critical benefits and protections for local freight trucking businesses. By covering medical costs and lost wages for injured employees, it helps ensure employees can still support themselves while recovering. It also shields the businesses from expensive liability lawsuits if an accident or injury occurs. Having workers’ compensation is also required in many states to operate. As a local freight trucking business, workers’ compensation insurance is important to cover costs of on-the-job injuries that may occur during driving, loading/unloading freight, or other job duties that involve operating vehicles and manually handling cargo. Common injuries can result from traffic accidents, heavy lifting, repetitive motions, extended time spent driving or performing other physical tasks, and accidents during cargo handling like falls or strains. Workers’ comp insurance ensures proper care is provided to injured employees and liability costs are covered for the employer. Based on industry risk factors and claim history, the estimated average annual workers’ compensation insurance pricing for businesses in the General Freight Trucking, Local industry with NAICS Code 484110 would be around $1.75 per $100 of payroll. Trucking has a higher than average risk level due to the handling of freight, driving long hours, and working with heavy equipment. According to the National Council on Compensation Insurance, the average claim cost for this industry was $12,316 in 2019. With an estimated average payroll of $500,000, the total estimated annual premium would be $8,750.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers medical expenses and lost wages for employees injured on the job
  • Protects the business from liability if an employee is injured while working
  • Required by law in most states
  • Prevents lawsuits from employees seeking damages
  • Attracts quality drivers by providing protection in case of on-the-job injuries
  • Provides return-to-work programs to help injured employees recover
Use Cases
  • On-the-job injuries from accidents like slips/trips and falls
  • On-the-job injuries from heavy lifting or repetitive motions
  • On-the-job injuries from vehicle accidents
  • Occupational illnesses from prolonged exposures like back injuries
  • Injuries from cargo loading and unloading activities

Based on industry risk factors and claim history, the estimated average annual workers’ compensation insurance pricing for businesses in the General Freight Trucking, Local industry with NAICS Code 484110 would be around $1.75 per $100 of payroll. Trucking has a higher than average risk level due to the handling of freight, driving long hours, and working with heavy equipment. According to the National Council on Compensation Insurance, the average claim cost for this industry was $12,316 in 2019. With an estimated average payroll of $500,000, the total estimated annual premium would be $8,750.

Estimated Pricing: $1.75 per $100 of payroll

Commercial Property Insurance

Commercial property insurance provides essential protection for trucking companies and their operations. It helps ensure assets like trucks, equipment and property can be repaired or replaced if damaged, reducing financial risk. Commercial property insurance also provides liability coverage if others are injured on a property and protection for cargo being transported by trucks. It can help continue operations through business interruption coverage if a disaster disrupts business activities.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protection against property damage and loss due to incidents like fire, explosions, natural disasters and collisions
  • Replacement or repair cost coverage for buildings and equipment
  • Business interruption coverage to continue operations if the property is unusable
  • Liability coverage if others are injured on your property
  • Coverage for trucks, trailers and other vehicles used for business
  • Coverage for cargo being transported
  • Reduces financial risk associated with insurable losses
  • Provides peace of mind knowing your business assets and income are protected
Use Cases
  • Coverage for owned buildings and vehicles used in operations
  • Protection for owned equipment, tools and other business personal property
  • Liability coverage for damage to customer’s goods during transport
  • Business interruption insurance in case operations are disrupted

Based on industry data and average premiums, the estimated annual pricing for commercial property insurance for businesses in the general freight trucking, local industry with NAICS code 484110 would be around $4,500. This was derived by taking the average insurable property values for companies in this industry of $500,000 and applying an industry standard commercial property insurance rate of 0.9% of insurable values.

Estimated Pricing: $4,500

Commercial Umbrella Insurance

Commercial umbrella insurance provides added layers of liability protection above a company’s standard commercial policies like auto and general liability. It helps local freight trucking businesses mitigate financial risks from accidents and injuries on the job. Umbrella insurance is especially important for trucking companies due to the inherent risks of operating commercial vehicles. A major accident could potentially expose the business to millions in liability claims exceeding standard primary limits.

Category List
Benefits
  • Increased liability protection above primary insurance limits
  • Reduced risk of uncovered legal costs/settlements due to accidents/injuries
  • Protection against costly lawsuits from accidents, injuries or property damage
  • Covers gaps in primary commercial policies’ liability limits
  • Protects business assets from large lawsuit judgments or settlements
  • Peace of mind knowing the business is protected from most liability risks
Use Cases
  • To provide additional liability coverage above the limits of the primary commercial auto and general liability policies in case of a catastrophic claim or lawsuit
  • To protect the business and personal assets of the business owners from large liability claims and lawsuits
  • To cover legal costs and fees associated with defending large liability claims even if they are under the primary policy limits

Based on industry data and risk factors for NAICS 484110 (General Freight Trucking, Local), the estimated average annual pricing for commercial umbrella insurance would be around $3,500. This pricing assumes a business with $5 million in underlying liability limits and $5 million in umbrella coverage. The estimate is derived from considering factors such as hazards of the industry, loss experience data, number of vehicles/drivers, safety record, and years in business.

Estimated Pricing: $3,500

Conclusion

Maintaining the right mix of business insurance tailored for the local trucking industry helps protect a company’s assets, employees, customers and ability to operate smoothly. Working with an experienced broker can ensure all critical insurance needs are adequately covered.

Frequently Asked Questions

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