Hotshot Insurance

Hotshot truck insurance purpose and its need:

What is the purpose of hotshot insurance?

Hotshot insurance covers every stakeholder in the trucking ecosystem and also 3rd parties who are affected by accidents or nightmare events.  Insurance is needed to provide an umbrella of legal and financial protection to business owners and owner-operators.

Serious accidents that cause bodily harm and injury are covered by insurance. Whether it be accidents to owners or drivers or 3rd parties. 

Your cargo or freight is also covered by the insurance. Your tractor and equipment or even 3rd party trailers used by you are covered. 

There is also insurance for workers’ compensation and occupational accident insurance coverage. These insurances pay the work for bodily injury, loss of wages or salaries, and even for medical expenses due to a work-related incident or accident.

 Drivers and fleet owners are covered for theft, vandalism, and fire.

Hotshot insurance workings:

How does hotshot insurance work?

As a hotshot trucker or owner operator, you would be exposed to various uncertainties and risks. An ample and multifold insurance cover can secure you from these risks. By taking insurance coverage you are protecting yourself from various risks.

These are the areas where insurance coverage protects you:

• It protects your drivers and equipment
• It’s protected from injury and bodily harm
• It’s covers collision, damage, and bodily harm to 3rd parties
• It also protects your cargo or freight 
• It also protects against equipment and tractor damage because of theft, vandalism, and natural calamities.

Insurance requirements for hotshot Trucks owners and owner operators:

What are the requirements for hot shot insurance for drivers and owner operators?

The limits for insurance coverage for truckers operating in the USA are set by FMCSA. Minimum limits are set by FMCSA, it is important to fulfill those requirements. They set the limits based on the distance of the haul, the weight of the cargo and the type of material carried ( that is if the cargo is hazardous or sensitive, etc) 

Heavy trucks will have to pay higher premiums and has higher insurance requirements.

The below list summarises the federal minimum insurance requirements based on the type of cargo being transported 

General liability’s coverage limit is $1 million yearly premium paid is $700 to $7000.

Trucking liability is 750,000 for interstate trucks and the yearly premium is $2,500 to $4,000 per tractor.

Non trucking Liability has a coverage limit of 250,000, the yearly premium estimate is about $450 to $5,000 per tractor.

Bobtail insurance is has a coverage limit of $1000,000, the yearly premium estimate is about $350 to $450 per tractor.

Physical Damage the coverage depends on the actual and stated value of the equipment, and the premium would range from 2% to 5% of the value of the truck 

Motor Truck Cargo coverage limit ranges from $20,000 and $100,000 in different US states, the yearly premium estimate is $500 to $1000 dollars

Workers’ Compensation depends on the cargo you are transporting, the yearly premium would be about $2500 

Occupational Accident insurance, depends on the load being carried yearly premium estimates range from $1600 to $2200.

Hotshot insurance cost:

What is the cost of hotshot insurance?

The annual premium for hotshot insurance can be in the band of $3000 to $10000. Premium amount depends on a variety of factors like:

• Does your driver have clear driving records
• The load types you are carrying 
• Value of the trailer or equipment
• The radius of your operation 
• Coverage of your policy
• Limits of your policy
• The deductible you need to pay
• Your credit history 
• Your payment plan

If you are looking for a low premium policy with a reasonable deductible, you can use an internet-based tool like CoverWallet to compare and contrast policies. 

You can also ask your insurance agent for advice to uncover a low premium, reasonable deductible, and maximum coverage policy.

Taking a high deductible policy may backfire during an accident or bad event. Because you would be forced to pay more money than excepted from your purse, making your bank account vulnerable.

Premiums are a very large overhead of your hotshot trucking operation.  As a small fleet owner or owner operator, you need an insurance company that provides specific protection for your specific exposures at a reasonable price and with a reasonable deductible 

Factors that affect the cost of hotshot Insurance policies:

What are the factors that affect hotshot insurance policies?

You need your insurance to cover you when adverse and difficult event or scenarios plays out.

Whether it be driver insurance, employee protection, 3rd party protection, cargo protection you need very good coverage at a reasonable cost. 

There are various factors that influence your insurance cost, insurance companies weigh in these factors to reach a policy premium amount:

The factors that affect the policy premiums are:

• Ownership status 
• Cargo types
• Freight weights 
• The distance the load is hauled
• Truck value
• Type of physical damage
• Driver or owner’s credit history 
• Loss history
• CDL and trucking experience 
• Deductible amount 
• Coverage limits 

Finding a cheap hot shot truck  insurance: 

How to find a cheap hotshot insurance policy?

Cheap insurance may backfire because when you need good coverage cheap insurance won’t provide you ample coverage. You need to research hard to find a good insurance company that provides ample insurance at a reasonable cost and a very low deductible. 

Firstly you need to understand that long-distance trucking invites high premiums. Secondly, heavyweights carried will also increase your premiums. Finally, if you are carrying hazardous materials you have to pay big premiums.

The experience of a trucker or owner operator also dictates how much premium you pay. Seasoned MC owners with good CDL experience will have low insurance premiums.

Seasoned MC owners with good CDL experience will have a low insurance premium

How can you reduce your hotshot truck insurance premium?:

• Compare and contrast quotes from several insurance agencies
• Ask for discounts
• Pay your whole premium upfront
• Get the right coverages
• Increase your deductible if you are prepared to pay it when you encounter an incident
• Always be on the hunt for new Insurance

Hotshot insurance protects your business:

How does hotshot insurance protect your business?

Firstly the insurance you pick for your hotshot depends on your status that is if you are a leased owner operator or an independent owner operator.

Usually leased owner operator have less insurance liability because the owners cover most of their insurance costs. 

Most common types of hotshot insurance, what it covers, who need it:

General liability: 

Damage and bodily harm to 3rd parties caused by your driver or equipment is covered by general liability  The drivers and motor carriers need this insurance. 

Primary trucking liability: 

When a driver makes an accident or damages property or harms anybody or physically injures a person this incident invokes primary liability insurance. This insurance is for motor carriers and drivers with authority. 

Nontrucking Liability: 

When a truck is used by a  driver for nontrucking business and it creates an accident or trucking incident, it invokes nontrucking liability insurance.

Drivers under lease need this insurance. 

Bobtail insurance: 

When a truck is damaged due to a natural disaster, theft, vandalism, or collision the bobtail insurance is invoked. This insurance covers the damage to your trailer or equipment 

Drivers under lease need this insurance. 

Physical damage coverage: 

When you are transporting freight or cargo there are various uncertainties and dangers, physical damage insurance protects your cargo if various loss scenarios.  Fleet owners and owner operators should take this insurance. 

Motor truck cargo insurance: 

When damages to your cargo or freight occur due to collision, fire, or striking of a load, it invokes motor truck cargo insurance. This insurance is for carriers who need to insure cargo or freight.

Workers’ compensation coverage: 

If employees get injured or ill during work workers’ compensation coverage kicks in. The worker’s compensation insurance helps employees to get back their wages or salaries and get medical bills paid for work-related illnesses or injuries.

This insurance is for all trucking operations with employees.

Other insurance coverages truck owners or owner operators should consider for extended converge is:

Occupational Accident Insurance Coverage (OAIC): 

OAIC covers employers and employees in case of job-related illness or injury. It covers lost wages and salaries, medical expenses, and death benefit up to the policy limit. Hotshot truckers can choose their deductible limit and the disability coverage they want to buy.

Trailer Interchange Endorsement:

As a  hotshot operator you might pull 3rd party trailers, this trailer interchange endorsement protects you from physical damages and problems arising due to fire, theft, vandalism, collision or explosion, etc.

Hazmat Truck Insurance: 

As per the type of hazardous materials hauled, hazmat trucks are mandated by law to provide insurance liability from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 per accident.

Trucking Umbrella Insurance:

As a hotshot trucker, you might have certain uncovered exposure or insurance gaps. An umbrella policy helps you to bridge the gap and improve your liability coverage. 

Some umbrella policies exclude key risks, you need to read the contract to find out what it excludes. 

Uninsured & Underinsured Coverage:

Uninsured motorist insurance protects the 3rd party if they are in an accident with an at-fault driver who doesn’t carry liability insurance. 

Underinsured motorist coverage steps in when you’re in an accident with an at-fault driver whose liability limits are too low to cover the medical expenses of any injured people.