Delaware Truck Insurance

Delaware Commercial Truck Insurance

Understanding Delaware Trucking Insurance Coverages

• Auto Liability

  It's that non-negotiable layer of protection if you're legally liable for bodily injury or property damage caused by your truck. Carrying adequate auto liability insurance is essential for trucking companies operating in Delaware to cover accidents involving bodily injury or property damage. This policy pays if one of your commercial trucks causes harm, such as a driver rear-ending another vehicle on I-95. For instance, if your semi-truck driver crashes into a family SUV, seriously injuring the occupants, your auto liability coverage would pay for their medical treatment, lost wages, vehicle repairs and other damages up to your policy limits. Without sufficient protection, you could be sued directly and held responsible for extensive costs.

• Physical Damage

  Physical damage coverage is an important insurance protection for trucking companies operating in Delaware. It covers damage to your own commercial vehicles from events like accidents, theft, vandalism, or fire. For example, if one of your semi trucks is involved in a crash on I-95 near Wilmington and sustains significant damage, physical damage coverage would pay to repair or replace the truck minus your deductible. This type of coverage protects your sizable investment in your fleet and keeps you operating if trucks become disabled. Our team will help you choose a policy with adequate limits for the value of your trucks to avoid large out-of-pocket costs in the event of a major claim. We'll be sure to help you understand any exclusions as well.

• Motor Truck Cargo

  Motor truck cargo coverage is crucial for trucking companies hauling goods within or through Delaware. It protects you financially when the cargo you are transporting gets damaged, lost, or stolen. For example, if you are carrying a load of electronics from a warehouse in New Castle to retail stores in Maryland, and some of the goods get damaged due to rough handling, cargo insurance would pay for the lost value. Without coverage, you might need to compensate the electronics company thousands of dollars for the damaged items. Having adequate cargo coverage limits prevents major out-of-pocket losses when transporting customers' freight in your trucks. This coverage gives vital peace of mind for truckers pulling dry van trailers or any other type of cargo.

• Reefer Breakdown

  Reefer breakdowns can spell big trouble for truckers hauling refrigerated loads. A failed reefer unit can rapidly warm up a trailer and ruin perishable food products or temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals. Yet most commercial auto policies exclude coverage for cargo damage from equipment failure or breakdown. To protect against potentially massive cargo claims from reefer failures, consider adding refrigeration breakdown coverage. This covers loss to refrigerated cargo when your reefer equipment stops maintaining proper temperatures. Our team will assist you in securing enough limits to handle your largest perishable loads. Having reefer breakdown coverage could prevent five or even six-figure cargo claims that might occur if one of your reefers fails while hauling high-value refrigerated freight through Delaware.

• Non-Owned and Trailer Interchange

  Non-owned trailer coverage and trailer interchange coverage are important protections for trucking companies operating in Delaware. Non-owned trailer coverage insures trailers you use that you do not own, like when renting a trailer for an overflow load. For example, if you are based in Dover and rent a reefer trailer to haul produce to Baltimore, non-owned trailer coverage would pay for damage if the rental trailer is involved in an accident on the way. Trailer interchange coverage applies when you swap trailers with another carrier. If your driver drops an empty trailer at a Newark warehouse and picks up a loaded one belonging to another company, damage to the swapped trailer falls under trailer interchange coverage while connected to your tractor. Both policies pay for physical damage to trailers that are your responsibility but that you do not own. Purchasing adequate limits prevents large out-of-pocket costs to repair third-party trailers your business utilizes within Delaware's borders. By working with the TIS team, we can advise you of policy options to suit your unique hauling needs.

• Non-Trucking Liability

  Non-trucking liability coverage is vital for truckers operating within Delaware. It insures your truck driver's use of a company vehicle when not actively involved in business. For instance, say your driver passes through Dover while heading home to Wilmington for the weekend and causes an accident while off duty. Any injuries or vehicle damage would typically fall outside your commercial auto policy's liability coverage grant. That's when non-trucking liability protection would respond to cover bodily injury and property damage claims against your driver, preventing major financial risk to your business. Because drivers need to eat, rest, fuel up, and commute during non-business hours, having ample non-trucking liability limits ensures your exposure is covered when drivers operate company trucks for personal reasons within Delaware.

• Excess Liability

  Excess liability coverage is additional protection for truckers based in or traveling through Delaware. It provides higher liability limits above your primary commercial auto policy if you are involved in a catastrophic accident. For example, if one of your loaded fuel trucks crashes on I-95 in New Castle County, ruptures a tank and causes an explosion, damages could easily exceed $1 million. Having an excess liability policy with adequate limits would provide additional coverage once your underlying liability policy is exhausted. In a disastrous truck accident injury case that goes to court, excess liability funds could cover legal judgments, lawyer fees, court costs and victim medical bills not covered by primary policies.

• Workers Compensation

  Carrying proper workers compensation insurance is crucial for trucking businesses with employees operating in Delaware. It covers your staff for lost wages and medical care if injured on the job. For example, if one of your drivers slips climbing out of his truck at a Claymont warehouse and breaks his leg, workers comp would cover his hospital bills, surgery costs, physical therapy and pay a portion of his salary while out of work. Without this mandatory coverage, you bear full financial responsibility for employees hurt in Delaware which could lead to major expenses and lawsuits. Make sure you have workers comp for all drivers, warehouse staff, mechanics and any other employees either based in or passing through the state.

• Occupational Accident

  Occupational accident coverage is important protection for owner-operators based in or traveling through Delaware. It functions as individual disability insurance if you become injured on the job. For instance, say you slip on ice exiting your truck's cab at a Willow Grove warehouse delivery, breaking your leg. Workers' compensation only covers employees, so it would not pay your medical bills or income while out of work. However, an occupational accident policy would provide reimbursement for hospital/rehab costs and cash benefits replacing lost income exceeding what health insurance covers. Without this contingency coverage, an injury could prevent you from working and quickly drain your finances covering treatment and living expenses. Occupational accident insurance can keep owner-operators solvent if a mishap sidelines you short term.

• General Liability

  General liability insurance is important for truckers to carry alongside their commercial auto policies while operating in Delaware. It covers your business if third parties are injured or have property damaged while not directly involving one of your commercial vehicles. For example, say a vendor slips on snow and ice at your Wilmington truck yard and breaks their wrist. Or an short circuit at your Dover terminal sparks a small fire damaging inventory in a neighboring unit. These types of incidents fall under general liability protection rather than auto coverage. Having sufficient limits prevents paying massive claims out-of-pocket if sued civilly by an injured party like the vendor. Work with an experienced agent from TIS to structure your general liability to mesh with the scale of your trucking operations within DE. We can advise on coverage details so unsafe premises or operations claims don’t cripple your transportation company.

Why Choose The Insurance Store for Truck Insurance in Delaware?

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