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Pan American Insurance agents specialize in helping Texas truckers get the appropriate balances of coverage. Contact us now for more information.

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What is Trucking Insurance?

Texas’ infrastructure system supports a significant interstate trucking economy. Trucking service providers must obtain commercial and auto insurance options for their operating risks. Trucking insurance will protect parties who might financially suffer following vehicle mishaps or other incidents.

Primary Liability Insurance Requirements for Truckers

Commercial truckers registered in Texas must carry auto liability insurance as required by Texas law and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Truckers can use liability coverage to pay for a third party’s accident damage (property damage, bodily injuries) for which the insured is at-fault. Depending on their vehicle usage, varying liability insurance requirements might apply. These include:

• $300,000 liability coverage for truckers carrying household goods
  
• $500,000 liability coverage for trucks hauling general freight
• $1,000,000 liability coverage if the truck transports oil
• $5,000,000 liability coverage for trucks transporting HAZMAT (hazardous) substances

Please note, these are only the minimum limits required for intrastate truckers (those operating only within Texas). If you operate interstate trucking routes, and you leave Texas at any point, you will likely need to carry liability insurance that applies to federal trucking insurance laws.

Liability Insurance for Trucking Outside of Dispatch

If a trucker operates outside of a dispatch, such as by driving for personal use, they will likely need to expand their primary liability insurance.

• Most truckers need non-trucking liability insurance. It applies to a driver’s liability risks when they are not on dispatch.
  
• Drivers might also need a similar type of coverage called bobtail or deadheading liability insurance. This is liability insurance that will apply in cases where the trucker is driving without their trailer attached to the vehicle.

Cargo Insurance

Cargo damaged or lost in trucking accidents might cause losses for its owners, who the trucker might have a duty to repay. Texas requires truckers to carry at least:

• $5,000 cargo insurance per vehicle
  
• $10,000 cargo insurance, total, per catastrophe

You will likely want to carry more than the basic cargo coverage. You might even face cargo coverage requirements from other regulations or from specific clients.

Physical Damage Insurance

Beyond liability insurance, truckers need other protection for the truck itself.

• Collision insurance can pay for damage the truck sustains in wrecks or other collisions.
• Comprehensive coverage is a separate policy element that will apply to truck damage that results from non-accident mishaps, such as fires or vehicle theft.
• Uninsured motorist insurance will apply to your own truck’s damage if another at-fault driver lacks enough liability insurance to pay for damage to your truck.

Drivers might also need to add other coverage to physical damage protection, such as:

• Personal belongings insurance
• Electronic items coverage
• Binders, chains or tarp coverage
• Coverage for rental trucks
• Towing and roadside assistance insurance

We can insure the truck for its stated value in case of physical damage. The policy will therefore pay the truck’s new value, rather than its depreciated actual cash value (ACV) at the time of the claim.

Further Commercial Insurance Options

Pan American Insurance can also provide other commercial insurance for trucking companies.

• Commercial property insurance can insure the business’s operating space and items inside.
• General liability insurance will pay for third-party property damage or bodily injuries that might occur on the company’s premises, not in trucking accidents.
• Workers’ compensation can pay a supplementary income for the personal losses of company-employed truckers who get hurt on the job (including in wrecks). Trucking companies often, by law, have to carry this coverage.

How Can I Get Covered?

You shouldn’t have to worry about facing a long hunt to find trucking insurance. You simply need to call your trusted Pan American Insurance agent.

• We are an independent agency, and partner with multiple insurers to offer you the widest range of policy choices. That can help you find both the most-appropriate coverage and premiums.
• Our agents will compare and adjust your coverage options to help you determine what policy structure is right for you and best for your financial benefits.
• Even as we build up your policy, we can still help you save money through discounts so that you never have to pay an unfair price for your coverage.

For help sorting out all your trucking insurance options and getting the right protection, don’t hesitate to contact us at (833) 775-2355 or by using our online quote forms.