At Insure HTX, we specialize in providing comprehensive and affordable commercial trucking insurance for businesses across Texas. Our dedicated team understands the unique challenges of the trucking industry and is committed to offering tailored insurance solutions that keep you protected on the road.
Why Insure HTX?
- Affordable Rates: We provide competitive pricing to help you save on your insurance premiums.
- Quick and Easy Quotes: Get a quote in minutes with our streamlined online process.
- Customizable Coverage: Tailor your insurance plan to meet your specific needs.
- Expert Support: Our knowledgeable agents are here to assist you every step of the way.
- Local Expertise: Serving Texas truckers with deep industry insights and local knowledge.
What Type of Coverage Do I Need for My Fleet?
As an owner-operator in Houston, TX, navigating the complexities of trucking insurance can be daunting. Here’s a breakdown to help you understand the essentials for your fleet:
Coverage Requirements for Owner-Operators:
1. Trucks Weighing 26,000 Pounds or Less
- Texas Commercial Truck Insurance: You will need a minimum of $500,000 in coverage.
- Crossing State Lines: If your routes take you across state lines, you will need additional coverage to meet federal requirements.
2. Trucks Weighing Over 16,000 GVW or Carrying Hazardous Materials
- Bodily Injury Liability and Property Damage Liability: Depending on what you are transporting, you will need between $750,000 and $5,000,000 in coverage. This is especially critical for trucks carrying hazardous materials that require placards.
Coverage Requirements for Trucking Companies
1. Primary Liability Insurance: Protects against legal liability in the event of an accident.
2. Physical Damage Coverage: Covers repair or replacement costs for your trucks.
3. Motor Truck Cargo Insurance: Safeguards the goods you transport.
4. Bobtail Insurance: Liability coverage when driving without a trailer.
5. Non-Trucking Liability Insurance: Protection for non-business use of your truck.
6. General Liability Insurance: Covers a variety of liability claims related to your business operations.
Understanding the Importance of Trucking Insurance
Trucking insurance requirements may seem extensive, but they are designed to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved. As a trucking company, you have a significant impact on your drivers, the environment, and the communities your trucks pass through. Adequate insurance is essential to protect these stakeholders and maintain the integrity of your operations.
Different Trucks Require Different Types of Commercial Truck Insurance
Custom Insurance Plans to Protect Your Fleet
Trucking companies require more comprehensive insurance than other businesses. We can help you create an insurance plan that fully protects you without breaking your budget. If you search for insurance on your own, you might end up with insufficient coverage or pay for more than you need. Our team of trucking insurance professionals ensures your company, drivers, and cargo are fully protected.
Coverage for Different Types of Trucks
Straight Trucks
Straight or box trucks are commonly used for moving, garbage collection, flatbed deliveries, and by companies like Amazon. The amount of insurance needed depends on the cargo and distance traveled.
New Ventures
New trucking companies often face challenges finding reasonably priced insurance due to perceived risks associated with inexperience. At Insure HTX, we specialize in helping new businesses secure comprehensive and affordable insurance policies. We also assist with compliance and trucking taxes.
Local Hauls
We help both large and small companies acquire insurance. Intrastate runs typically require less insurance than national routes. Local hauls are popular among drivers because they allow more time at home. In Texas, trucks weighing over 26,000 pounds carrying household goods need at least $500,000 in liability insurance, while lighter trucks need at least $300,000.
Intermediate and Long Hauls
Long hauls are journeys over 250 miles, often crossing state lines. According to the FMCSA, these routes require at least $750,000 in liability insurance. You’ll also need coverage for vehicle and cargo damage. We can provide policies that comply with federal standards and protect you comprehensively.
Mixed Radius Operations
If your company handles both long and short-haul routes, you don’t need separate policies for each. We can create a mixed radius policy tailored to your specific needs, ensuring you’re covered without paying for unnecessary extras.
Auto Haulers
Transporting autos involves significant risks. Auto haulers need to carry at least $1 million in liability insurance due to the potential for catastrophic accidents. At Insure HTX, we’ll ensure you have the coverage needed to protect your company in such events.
Intermodal Transportation
Intermodal trucks handle shipments involving multiple transportation methods, such as picking up cargo from docks, trains, or airplanes. These trucks require special insurance to cover the unique risks involved. We’ll include intermodal coverage in your policy, ensuring you have liability, cargo, and chassis coverage.
UIIA & Trailer Interchange
The Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement (UIIA) sets insurance requirements for intermodal transportation, including $1 million in liability insurance. Don’t let the cost deter you from this lucrative business. We’ll help you meet these requirements efficiently.
Coverage for Single Vehicles
Even if you operate from home or run a one-man garage, we have solutions for you. We cater to businesses of all sizes, providing comprehensive coverage for independent trucks or business operations.
Certificate of Insurance
We offer multiple convenient ways to handle certificates of insurance, including self-service options. Easily manage and access your certificates anytime, ensuring you have the documentation you need when you need it.
Insure HTX Insurance Solutions:
Primary Liability Insurance
Required by law, this coverage protects you from legal liability in case of an accident involving your truck. It covers bodily injury and property damage to others.
Physical Damage Coverage
Protects your truck from damage caused by accidents, theft, vandalism, or natural disasters. This includes collision and comprehensive coverage.
Motor Truck Cargo Insurance
Safeguards the goods you transport against damage or loss due to accidents, theft, or other covered perils.
Non-Trucking Liability Insurance
Offers protection when you're using your truck for non-business purposes.
General Liability Insurance
Covers you against a variety of liability claims including bodily injury, property damage, and personal injury that can occur on your premises or as a result of your operations.
Trucking Cargo Insurance:
Your clients are the heart and soul of your business, and the cargo you transport for them is their livelihood. Ensuring that your client's products are well-protected and arrive safely is crucial. Proper commercial truck insurance offers cargo coverage to protect your client's products and your business. In the event of an accident, products may spill onto the road, causing damage. When products are damaged, it affects not only your clients but also the companies expecting those products. Consumers rely on trucking companies to deliver products quickly and efficiently. If you're transporting essential items, the destruction of these products can significantly impact lives. Cargo insurance doesn’t just cover accidents. Theft is an all-too-common problem for over-the-road truckers. Drivers need to take breaks for meals, sleep, and bathroom visits, which leaves trucks vulnerable to theft. Even without accidents, products can break if not secured correctly and come loose during transport. Our truck insurance covers damages from driver mistakes. We ensure quick compensation for your customers so you can continue providing excellent service.
Physical Damage:
Liability insurance only covers injuries and property damage caused to others by your truck driver. It doesn't cover damages to your truck. With semi-trucks costing between $80,000 and $150,000 or more, losing one can be devastating. Our experienced insurance agents at Insure HTX will make sure your fleet is protected from physical damage caused by accidents, natural disasters, extreme weather, vandalism, or theft.
Personal Injury Protection:
Texas operates under a fault-based insurance system, meaning the person who caused the accident is responsible for paying medical bills for bodily injury damages. If someone in a passenger car causes an accident with your driver, they are liable for the medical bills. However, the mandatory commercial auto insurance in Texas may not cover all the medical expenses resulting from a truck accident. In some cases, the at-fault driver might not have any insurance. It's wise to ensure your drivers are covered. Workers’ compensation might not cover everything, but personal injury protection insurance provides an extra layer of security. Truck driving is dangerous, and having comprehensive truck insurance is essential.
General Liability Insurance:
If your business has a physical location, general liability insurance is a must. If a visitor to your company slips and falls, you could be liable for their medical bills. Workers’ compensation might not cover contractors working in your facility.
At Insure HTX, we ensure your trucking company’s insurance package includes a policy for general liability, protecting your business from various potential risks.