House lawmakers have voted to increase the mandatory minimum insurance coverage for commercial motor vehicles to $2 million. Critics are concerned that doubling the minimum coverage could hurt small fleets and owner-operators.
The change comes in an amendment which was added to the proposed Highway Funding bill. It was passed through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on a 37-27 vote.
Advocates for an increase hope that increasing the minimum liability coverage for trucks will help to adequately compensate the victims of accidents involving large trucks. But critics argue that the increase would actually do more harm than good.
According to critics including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), increasing the minimum liability coverage will “do absolutely nothing to improve the safety on our highways.” Instead, the increase will actually just “destroy small trucking businesses in every corner of the country.”
Insurance payments have been eating up larger and larger percentages of fleet operating costs. If the required coverage were to double due to a change in federal law, it could put a huge strain on carriers.
Large fleets however don’t seem concerned. The American Trucking Association, the trade association which represents most of the large US-based commercial carriers, has advocated on behalf of increased insurance minimums in the past. They claim that it will improve road safety. Critics have accused them of trying to drive small business truckers out of business.
The future of the highway funding bill is uncertain. It faces stiff opposition in the House and Senate and has started to attract amendments that are only loosely tied to transportation funding. It’s anyone’s guess whether the insurance increase will come to pass. But according to OOIDA, even the attempt to increase insurance right now is not a good look.
“Small business truckers have been working around the clock to keep the country healthy, while risking their personal well-being and struggling to stay in business due to historically low freight rates caused by COVID-19,” said OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer. “Unnecessarily increasing their insurance rates is not the way to thank them.”
Source: freightwaves, ttnews, foxbuisness
That just makes trucks a target
Trucks have always been a target let’s make LAWYERS pay two million dollars for there LAW LICENSES each year that means congress and senate lawmakers will have to pay also. Then we won’t have such stupid, asinine, ridiculous, laws and regulations.
Ummm, Lawyers don’t make the laws….And they don’t award victims. Jury’s do that. And I think you mean “their” noth “there”. Lack of basic education is one of the reasons the public has such a poor opinion of us, instead of advocating for us..
You should not cast aspersions upon others when your own education is suspect by your spelling..
Typical trucker’s fighting each other
Ummm, lawyers do make the laws. Almost every politician in office has a law degree. It’s also known that they target the full amount of the insured”s policy. Our entire legal system is nothing but lawyers feeding lawyers. If you don’t know that then you are naive.
I like your thinking. It’ll never happen, though. Corrupt people won’t vote themselves out of a job. Why on Earth would they vote themselves a mandatory expense, unless the taxpayers are paying it?
Truckers and trucking companies do not pay the full value of the policy, they pay premiums for $2 Million policies. Huge difference.
They keep hammering on the trucking industry there won’t be trucking companies then WHAT!!
As it is they’re suffering
When the economy was shut down how many truck vs cars accident
How these people drive out here they don’t have sense
Just pisses me off 😡
Trust me! The swifts and JB hunt and other big trucking companies are 100% for this! It would get rid of all of us owner operators and small fleet owners making them the soul providers of freight movers!!!!’nn
More efforts to kill the small guys so only the big corps are left. I hope you all like wage slavery. Once the only companies left are JB, Swift, and Walmart, good luck making more than a bare living.
Walmart makes good money
Depends what you consider “good”
what do you consider good?
A thousand a day is good I know a company driver can’t make that
110 a year, with no overhead. Isn’t bad.
How do you lump Walmart in with Swift and JB?
Private fleets always better money. And Walmart pay $87k average 1st year. And lots of their drivers make over $100k.
Yeah I’d consider that good money.
You live in a damn truck
yea. i can’t live in the damn truck. but western exp and swift you live in the damn truck and don’t make half that.
And you will do exactly what they tell you to do if they say jump you ax how Hi if you want to see that $100K.
Don’t spread lies unless you have worked for Walmart or swift yourself.
There are drivers Who making over 100k at CR England. That don’t mean you going to make 100k there and same goes for every company.
I’ve worked for swift and they suck the big donkey dick.
Yep no words have been more true. That will pretty much X out the owner opps. And sm trucking businesses. You have to ask yourselves if big trucking business is for it WHY? Cause the want to make sure the poor guy driving that car gets compensated? BS if that were the case they wouldn’t have any type of legal representation at all to fight for their defense in court when they fall asleep extra. Fed ex notorious. They keep lawyers and big insurance just for that reason.what a joke sounds good
keep in mind it has only passed committee… as stated it still has to pass the full house and then the Senate… while something to keep an eye on, the sky is not falling yet… contact your rep and senator, and if they don’t listen, vote em out!
I concur!
Or if you wanna see change then run For that position yourselves sometimes If you wanna see things change and done right you have to do-it-yourself.
Brokers are hitting back..
Since the author couldn’t be bothered to include the bill number to make it a little easier for the recipients of the email to find and read for ourselves, here it is: H.R. 3781.
According to this website: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/3781/all-info?r=1&s=1
the bill has only been introduced, it haven’t “passed” a damn thing.
Introduce by this leftist Democrat: https://www.congress.gov/member/jesus-garcia/G000586?r=1
and cosponsored by these leftist Democrats:
Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-8]*
Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13]*
Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]*
Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]*
Rep. Payne, Donald M., Jr. [D-NJ-10]*
Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9]*
Tax ‘em some more! Regulate the small independents out of business!
THAT will really fix the economy!!!
The crook who introduced this bill is a lawyer who owns a firm that handles big rig accidents. He gets to make more $$$ of the cases, and becomes a very good friend of the mega carriers that don’t buy coverage, because they can insure themselves.
Thanks for the much need information!
If this is made law then we absolutely must all demand a minimum of $4.00 per mile and if the cheap carriers refuse the burn them ou
Yep
Right!!!
And every broker that’s double dipping and won’t pay add them to the list blackballed them Don’t Do any loads for them put them on a list on a long list do not Haul for them at all spread the word.
this new minimum will also bring out ambulance chasers and more frivolous lawsuits
Watch out for swap and,swerve, looks,like I’ll have to get job at beach as a,beachbum trash picker upper
…or as a “swap and swerver.”
I agree
Make sure you have your dash cam installed and working. It has saved us
It looks like the government needs payback from all that stimulus money that they paid America during the covid-19 shutdown. All this is just another Cash Cow. They’re stealing money from the trucking industry just like they did when we had paper log books. What about all those Rich corporations and Rich individuals who never pay taxes because they’re billionaires and trillionaires? Why doesn’t the government go after those people?
The more things change the more they stay the same.
Paid America?
The gov’t effectively restricted the freedom drivers used to enjoy, now it’s time to smother our love of the job, with oversight and excessive mitigation!
It will wipe out 90% of the smaller carriers and pretty much destroy owner operators. And if it doesn’t freight rates will have to double.
Yep! As an owner operator, rates WILL HAVE TO DOUBLE! A minimum of $4.00/mi!!!
Victims sue trucking companies for tens of millions of dollars and often win. Even when the trucker and the firm were clearly not at fault. So why increase the liability from one mil to two mil?
Because we are being Controlled by Lawyers in this Country.
No Sir, we’re being controlled completely by Insurance companies. But the fact is “We” are allowing it!!!
” Lawyers who COULD NOT make it in The Private Sector ! “
It’s driven by the AntiTruckerAsses(Ata) due to the fact they are self insured therefore only small fleets and independents will be affected essentially ending all competition from them. Ata has ALWAYS advocated for rules, regulations and laws that inhibit small Companies in an effort to destroy them.
This seems pointless. But maybe it’s time to quit anyway. It quit being fun in the 90s. Now you can hardly make a living. Park the trucks.
I agree Erich E Whaples. I’d add to that, the majority of the accidents we see aren’t caused by us, it’s the clueless “four wheelers” With death wishes cutting us off.
That would probably do it for me.Its not really worth it now but for the independence and freedom.
Its,finally gonna happen ,a way to get rid of owner operators,so big corps get it all. They want us all to drive for them any way ,so there is,driver shortage ,why not raise the insurance put small man outta business ,and maybe get one of us,to drive for them ,not me boss man
Right, Alex! I absolutely refuse to lose my business and become a slave driver!!!!
Just like Henry ford. The frame is broke, but instead of fixing the problem just add power windows and locks to make it more sellable. My last company was big on cameras. They would graduate students that couldn’t drive in order to get the government cheat money then fire them a few days later because they ran over a white line or whatever in their ” probationary ” period. There’s way too much emphasis on profit and not doing the right things. Try not letting people train other drivers when they themselves have only 3 months experience. Talk about the wrong things to do. I love trucking but this isnt trucking anymore. Its rich guys putting bodies behind the wheel and gambling with people’s lives in order to make even more money. Shame on everyone. You let it come to this.
Trucking is a loop hole for cooks!!!
It seems to me that it has come back to bitr them in the butt. The big carriers were the ones that wanted one driver to drive coast to coast in the first place instead of having drivers relay the loads. And now they wonder why they can’t get drivers. Three weeks out and then only 3 days at home. I would like to see the CEO spend three weeks in his or her office and then only have 3 days off. The trucking industry caused this problem. 70 HR work week instead of 40. And no overtime.
I have had 2 million General Liability since 2005 has not slowed me down
f/u douche’
You got picked on in school didnt ya?
General Liability is 1 million with a 2 million aggregate. Which is standard…. This bill is for auto liability (PRIMARY LIABILITY) most carriers have 1 million FMCSA requires at least $750,000. General liability and Primary Liability are 2 separate coverage. This has nothing to do with General.
Lawyers in the House taking care of the their Trial Lawyers buddies. Just another way to enrich other Lawyers at the expense of our industry. It has nothing to do with helping victims, that is their smoke screen.
Absolutely
Covid-19 was the first wave to force small trucking companies out of business including myself, the insurance hike will sweep in and finish off the rest! I think they believe that if they eliminate the little guys and force us into leasing on with a big company or becoming a company driver, the bigger companies would see a big increase in drivers, and because of it would somehow use that fact to say that they have eliminated the driver shortage. But to be honest I doubt the bill passes, it would be unconstitutional! Also it would drive up freight prices, consumer products, gas, everything! The government has been eating off of the trucking business for a long time and now they want some more money! Question is does this apply to these price gouging, pencil pushing brokers? Will they insurance premiums raise? Probably not!
NOW!!! Really!!! Trucking is a game for mega carriers. They destroy the little guy and they are aided by the US Senate and congress. When was destroying small business owners the American way. With all that going on they pass a bill to put the nail in the coffins of owner operators and small fleets. WHO IN THE HOLY HELL DO YOU THINK HIRES THE FOOLS CAUSING THESE ACCIDENTS?
WELL LET ME HELP YOU OUT MR.CONGRESS
ITS THE CARRIERS YOU JUST GOT A PAYOFF FROM. SORRY A “ CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION.
Thank you mega fleets for hiring anyone that you can put in a seat whether he has the common sense and ability to safely operate a tractor trailer or not. We will see how the mega fleets enjoy it when karma comes around and bites them in the ass from ambulance chasing lawyers and lawsuits up to 2 million dollars per little fender bender. As for the independents, thank you once again politically correct politicians for putting so many sacrificing and hard working independents out of business. You not only led to the demise of the smaller trucking companies by increasing insurance rates which are astronomical now, but you painted a target on every truck drivers back from fraudulent accidents claims. This country is on a fast downward spiral thanks to the the New Politically Correct Government.
Where do they come up with this mess from, these people are ridiculous they need to lower insurance costs, it seems no one is listening to us, if they force that on us the big companies can have it, it’s just not worth it to help people get there products, I will be done!
I’ll be selling all my equipment in the near future so to government bashing and putting down the people, and fleeing the states to another country, like madona did left the states and lives better and have more tranquility in her life,not the bullshiet, of government harassment, and tax exploitation to the people’s that sustaining the us on his feet,
The 4 wheeler that pummelled my tractor & trailer (because he didn’t see me???) did NOT have adequate insurance to cover the damage he cause to MY equipment. Hmm…
Eliminate the “Self-Insurance” these ATA companies enjoy, and you’ll see the minimum requirements drop to about $10. THEY don’t have to pay a premium, per truck, like small companies… they just post a single, $1 million bond, and it covers their entire fleet… add 1000 trucks? Sure… insurance increase=$0. Small company goes from 1 truck to 2? Insurance DOUBLES! Delete the scam of self-insurance and watch how fast those jerks scramble! If THEY had to pay a premium, even a discounted one, for EVERY unit on the road, rates would go to $35 per mile.
EXACTLY RIGHT! Finally someone who gets it!
Right on the nose, Mr. Ricks. Big carriers enjoy an economy of scale from self-insurance that smaller carriers and owner-operators cannot afford.
It’s worth noting, however, that large transportation carriers will either buy or start new insurance carrier companies with which to insure themselves, if the current version of “self-insurance” were to be eliminated. They would merely restructure the existing scam.
When you insure yourself, you already bear all of the liability for accidents. Higher minimum coverage has no impact on your costs, because coverage isn’t what determines costs. Costs are made up of legal fees and payouts stemming from judgement awards and settlements – and those do not significantly change, for the “self-insured”, based upon government-mandated coverage minimums.
That was the most beautiful statement on this topic, completely accurate.
We need to strike!!for them can see we are the one moved 80% of the loads in national wide, when comes to help us the government walks way , to destroy was they are they first one to rise the hands, we need to United more and more!!
Remember politicians are put in place not by us the voters, but by big powerful corporates ( insurance, pharmaceutical and so on) and all this bill will do is make the insurance company wealthier and nothing else but drive the smaller guys out of business. THANK YOU GARCIA ( IL REP) FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO BANKRUPT THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.
As if insurance wasnt high enough. Bunch of out of touch politicians.
Lawmakers doesn’t care about accidents they just don’t like the fact that owner ops making a great profit no one isn’t that gullible.
Is any of theses people that are making the laws have you ever been in a truck for month and see how the truck driver is made to drive when you have people that cannot walk they young stupid about driving. They need time and miles to learn to drive. A truck driver spends ths if dollars to learn some basic things about driving a truck. Put a lot of rules on the drive of the four wheeler make everybody take driving school before they get a license to drive. To get a license for four wheelers they have some one riding in the car with them for six months before they get there license. I been driving a class eight truck for over 55 years. Butt I am still a total DUM ASS when it comes to driving around new drivers in four wheelers and any trucks. Thank Virgil Brooks. GOD bless you AMERICA and God Bless every one AMEN
So this is the thanks we get for being essential for the pandemic. Talk about being used.
If this puts you out of business you shouldn’t have been in business…. anyone who knows anything about insurance knows doubling the coverage does NOT double the premium! This is a way to keep you covered better from the ambulance chasers better , but y’all don’t see the big picture
Smart man he loves insurance increase. You are not a smart if you don’t want to give more of your profits to greedy insurance companies
This type of thinking is exactly where the problem lies. U really think that doubling ur insurance will not drastically increase you premium? This country can’t thrive without small trucking businesses. I know ur not a driver so just think about what u just said when u keep looking online and calling a big box store and they keep saying “sorry sir but we’re still out of stock”!!!
Everyone buy a 4 position DVR camera system, without it there word always wins!
Buddy your telling us that if they raise the minimum to 2 million that my premium will not go up, are you serious? I renewed my insurance this year with no claims, accidents, nothing! And my insurance went from $1150 for one truck/trailer to $1400 a month at 1 million! 2 million dollar policy will kill us little people!
Good news for bill boatd lawyers End Scammers
This was proposed several years ago by a congressman, I don’t remember his name, but he had ties to a law firm of trial lawyers. This has nothing to do with safety or compensation to accident victims and EVERYTHING to do with getting these trial lawyers more money. They don’t care if you or I go out of business, as long as they get their piece.
Absolutely TRUE!
Better learn how to co-op and self insure guys.
Well, been saying it for years, but nobody ever listens. Everybody is just too “busy making money” to give a crap about the things coming down the line and stand “with” each other to make demands. A protest would work, God knows we’ve all seen that it’s working for the BLM movement. What we know does NOT work, is getting on here, various other social media sites, and the CB to whine and complain. It has never resolved anything and it never will. It’s going to take boots on the ground, taking a stand, and getting your hands dirty. If you’re not willing to do that, then I’ll be looking for your “woe is me” comments at whatever is on their agenda next week, month, year…
After all this pandemic running, I am more than willing to park the trucks in protest against these insurance hikes. The problem is that not enough truckers will do it. We need ALL trucks to stop for just one week. Let’s see what happens then.
You hit the nail on the head buddy!
Exactly..stop posting all the time and activate
The amendment to the INVEST Act was passed by a House committee on Wednesday. The measure, introduced by Illinois Democrat Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, was lauded by the Institute for Safer Trucking, which noted that the required minimum has not been raised since the 1980s.
“This amendment will help families who have survived truck crashes and help make the trucking industry safer,” the group wrote in a Twitter post.
García said the increase would ensure insurance requirements keep up with inflation. He also said it is not “an attack on truckers,” but rather about supporting families who have lost loved ones.
This is our Thanks for working through this Covid-19 crap wow. I lost thousands with the low rates and now this.America is out of control with greed.After 24yrs time to hang my keys up.
I hear ya brother, I’ve since done the same thing. They want it then they can have it. Let those greedy A-holes figure out how to get the freight delivered
Instead of commercial vehicles just paying heavy highway Usage taxes each year charge usage tax every year on every car when each tag is bought then there would be an abundant amount of money for them to pad their pockets. Trucking has gone in the sewer.
Won’t there be more effort to keep people off their cell phones instead ? Myself included
The big carriers are only pushing for it to pass to put smaller guys out. It won’t affect the large carriers cause they are self insured. They’ll just have to secure $2 million instead of the current $1 million.
You want better safety? Gi e test in English only. If you can’t speak read or write English you can’t read warnings/sign and those people R making larger % of accidents
I’ve never seen those statistics. Please let us know where to look those up proving accidents have been because someone can’t read a sign!
Are you kidding me? I’m in the towing industry and our rates have doubled in the last two years(with no claims btw). We are required to carry the same minimum coverage of 1mil. If we go to 2 mil it’s going to wipe out alot of us small guys. And alot of jobs!
The way I see it…it should raise my insurance about $100 a month… Why is everybody talking about going out of business ?
Here is my theory: Unlike professional drivers who MUST be focused in the moment while on the road & a constant 360 degree awareness of our trucks, the goal of 99.9% of all 4-wheelers is to get from point A to point B. they are NOT focused on driving or a 360 degree awareness of where they are while driving. Most people are thinking about what just happened at point A &/or what is about to happen when they get to point B. I’ve presented this to many non-professional drivers and NO ONE has disagreed with me…Trucks are not the majority of the problem on the road.
Could the issue also be how useless these driving schools are for kids getting their license? Local high school kid few days ago told me people on interstate were supposed to yield to oncoming traffic- they are not being taught basics
Not too long ago, my brother-in-law and sister told me the same thing about not yielding from an on ramp. My brother-in-law is 9 months older than me. They argued about it and I just shut up. Then my son looked it up on Google just so he could prove I was right, and they both said they didn’t know that. I’m 56 and learned that when I took drivers’ Ed; my son is 27 and knew that. I just don’t get it especially when there are yield signs on the on ramps. I also substitute teach, and when I have gone to the drivers’ ed classes, I inform them about trucks and how dangerous it is when they don’t pay attention. Most of them have no clue about braking distance or anything like that. I’ve often wondered if those kids would benefit from riding in a truck for a couple of days just to see things from our perspective.
You’re missing the point… They know that too that the trucks are not the problem… But they are using that as a way to get more money …. It’s all about the money !
Ok, so lawmakers actually think that doubling the “minimum” liability insurance coverage required from $1 million to $2 million WITHOUT (big keyword… WITHOUT) somehow capping the premiums that insurance companies can charge a company OR the amount that can be won by ambulance chasers thru a frivolous lawsuit is just pure ludicrous! That is literally driving smaller fleets out of business using the power of the house & senate. You can tell who has the big $$$ to lobby Washington DC…. Heck just give the CEO’s of the mega-carriers and insurance companys a seat in Congress and the lifetime pension that goes with it. 😬😏🙄Lord have mercy
That is because the special interest groups that are ruled by greed, chasing ambulances are the ones that got the lawmakers to push this through…. Follow the money and you will find the corruption This country is disgusting
I thought this was a joke ., is unbelievable, I’m seein rates now anywhere from 800 to 2500 on insurance , somethings need to be done , we don’t have a voice here ! They decided it and thats all
Seems that if these larger companies aren’t phased by it then that tells you they should’ve been paying their drivers more money, the trucking industry is the only one that doesn’t pay more based on experience ect. Won’t be long before they’re begging drivers to deliver freight behind this mess. I’ve since gotten from behind the wheel and became a all around handyman (plumbing, electrical, woodwork) and making WAY more money than I was in a truck, remind you I’m not licensed in any of these fields. More time at home, way less stress and no DOT harassment. Wake up lawmakers before it’s TO LATE and others find better option!!!
Why not nip the problem in the butt where it starts. Instead of raising everyones insurance? 1) eliminate self insurance 2) Make the big companies have better qualified drivers and maybe they will know how to better avoid an accident. I know we don’t throw a trainy in with someone who has only been behind the wheel one year to train them. Our trainers have decades of experience and flawless records. 3) Reevaluate who is at fault it the big truck accidents. What happened to the driver of the car that used no signals, cut the driver off, and caused him to lock up his brakes? Causing the auto behind him to slide under his trailer? Is that first auto even still around or did they go on their merry way.
Lawyers already advertise “If you’ve been hit by a BIG TRUCK” or “BIG TRUCKS have BIG Insurance policies”. TRUCKS ARE TARGETED!!!
This is Government bureaucratic LAW MAKERS getting more money for the AMBULANCE CHASING “Trial” Lawyers who want to “settle” cases for more money (most of the time without a trial). Greed is the truth here. NOT caring for the “victims”. If it was truly for the “victims” Then WHY aren’t the Automobile and other commercial liability limits so low? There are WAY more accidents causing bodily harm than TRUCKS?
The root cause of all this talk about insurance and lawsuits is Bad Drivers; plain and simple.
Makes no matter if some a is driving a motorcycle, car or a rig.. There are idiot drivers EVERYWHERE !
I operate all of the above and have NEVER had an accident in over 40 years of driving.
It’s too easy to get a license and there is no commonsense in training anymore.
As an owner operator; if this increase happens, it will end my career!
Money and Greed strike again!
If every truck on the road shut down for 2 weeks (vacation time) at the same time, yes we would shit the nation primarily down, come back and double the shipping rates afterward with the demand for pay raises to all drivers, our THANKLESS government would think twice before trying to pull this b.s again on the trucking industry. The only ones wanting this to pass are the banks, insurance providers and big government, because all that money will come out of the drivers pay. It’s way past time to show them all who has the real power, ultimately it truly is the Drivers if you would only stand together.
Freight rates will go up which in turn will cause the consumer to pay higher prices for delivery of their goods and also higher prices at the stores. It will kill more than just small trucking companies and owner operators. But it will kill small businesses who won’t be able to pay the delivery fees to get their merchandise delivered to them.
Freight rates will go up which in turn will cause the consumer to pay higher prices for delivery of their goods and also higher prices at the stores. But it will kill small businesses who won’t be able to pay the delivery fees to get their merchandise delivered to them.
Thank you!!! We don’t need you again.
This is how politicians are concerned about small trucking business.
This is 100% based on special interest groups including trial lawyers trying to get rich off of the trucking industry I am so disgusted with the state of this country it makes me want to puke
Why don’t they check and see what trucks have the most wrecks ( bet it is the larger companies). Oh, they have there on insurance. My husband (owner operator) works his nut off (as most operators) for nothing, because he puts everything back into the truck to keep it running.
These people making the laws need to do the research.
Remove the self insurance bond from the mega carriers, mega carriers drivers are the cause of 99% of accidents on the road. Raising insurance to $2ml will not stop those mega carriers drivers, this is another scam to put the few owner operators that’s left in this industry out of business
This is 100% based on GREEDY Ambulance Chasing special interest groups including trial lawyers trying to get rich off of the trucking industry I am so disgusted with the state of this country it makes me want to puke
This kind of thing is happening in every small business or contractor sector in the country. This is an all-out assault on the regular blue-collar folks. What’s it going to take to put a stop to this?
I have carried $5,000,000 insurance coverage for the past 20 years, it costs little more than $1,000,000 does. It’s nice knowing that I have enough coverage if someone sued me.
we carry 2 mill.the extra ryder is only 1000 a year for 2 trucks..as opposed to 22000 a tractor its a small percentage only for 2 mill. aggregate
This is completely unfair legislation, biased legislation… private vehicles need to have a dramatic increase in their insurance requirements if they are going to push it on other vehicles
(Friends in high places) politicians getting paid by mega carriers
This not only will effect trucker and independents, but the general public as well as consumers of products hauled by trucks. When this pushes small companies and owner operators out of the picture then who’s going to keep freight prices down. Mega carriers will get together and hike freight prices which will be passed on to all of us as consumers of products.
I had Mr 4 wheeler fall asleep and hit me head on back in December – his fault and he was gone instantly. I lost all of my equipment but literally walked away and as the fellow driver who helped pull me from the cab said – he was talking to what should have been a dead man.
That being said, so far I have collected a total of 378.00. Mostly due to the driver having simple basic insurance, not enough to cover anything and my insurance company just looking out for their interests. They’re out of Grain Valley – you know the name.
Nobody cares, nobody cares about the trucker that is. I cannot find anyone to represent me as being the victim in this case. The laws have been manipulated to suit the greedy – you see their billboards all over the country and their lobbyists in Washington. It’s high time to once and for all shut the country down – no more talking about it at the coffee counter of knowledge and lies. Just take action.
Let’s be honest here. This has nothing to do with road safety. This is a blatant ploy to further line the pockets of capitol hill law makers who have vested interests in said insurance companies. They could care less about us guys. Shareholder profits are the driving force of this bill while the very truckers being hurt are the driving force of the country.
What are you all complaining about? Here in the Netherlands the legal minimum coverage for a car (!!) is € 5,000,000 , or $ 5,600,000 per accident, and € 1,000,000 or $ 1,120,000 per passenger.
For a truck a saw € 2,500,000 or $ 2,800,000 material damage and € 5,600.000 or $ 6,270,000 personal injury.
Lol I wonder what it would take to make all of you realize that this industry is now trash and it’s not going back to how you would like it to be ever. The ship is sinking guys, get off now while you can and follow me into working online from home and be happier with your family. There is no way I’d stay in this industry with what I see happening.
Cars are responsible for Aover 90% of ALL accidents and CARS are responsible for OVER 90% of ALL vehicular fatalities…yet you raise the insurance rate on TRUCKS? The system is TOTALLY backwards! Cars should be the ones patroled by the DOT, do inspections on CARS, hold CAR operators to at least the same standards as truckers since THEY are the TRUE hazard onthe roads. Have car inspection sites, have Car DOT stations. Pull cars over more, increase the highway patrolling officers by triple! Quadruple! Cars fly around the highways like its their own personal nascar speedway…illegal lane changes, speeding, no signaling, passing on the right, reckless driving….etc. etc.etc. Cars need to be held accountable and if they are they wont feel enabled to comtinue operating their cars in such a hazards manner! Then…our roads will be safer.
All this done while we were out in this mess keeping the country going and now a big knife stuck in our back. This will kill the solo o/o who has but one truck. His insurance is going to double or even triple what he was payin
Owner operators are quickly becoming a thing of the past. One more win for the mega carriers. OOIDA is weak and is just a prop company. They have no REAL pull, theyre weak. They do NOTHING for truckers that teuly matter. They have NOT stopped ANYTHING major that has come into the industry like this. Either they are part of the whole conspiracy to wipe out small trucking owner operators or they have tremendously weak and incompetent leadership. Eitherway, they are useless.
OOIDA is misguided in many of their endeavors. When an owner operator is not held financially responsible it hurts us all in rate increases and greater scrutiny. Insurance coverage does not make someone a safer driver. However, this may expedite many of the unsafe drivers off the highway. Maybe some of you texters and tailgaters will finally get the message.
OOIDA, if you really want to help, lets put a stop to companies mandatory collection of our DOT Physical Long Form. Safety Directors and others are not HIPPA Certified. They also use this data to adversley evaluate drivers after an incident.
Why not just past the cost down to the products and when the consumer complains tell them it’s the governments fault.
Corruption in our political system. AB5 and now this. Mega carriers/insurance companies got friends in high places. Soon we will be like 3rd world countries corruption and dictators
This is bull crap now 2m premium for safety but what’s the whole point of HOS then, they should just eliminate both and show transparency so we can stop brokers from double or triple brokering and stealing our money and only way that can work is by doing a PROTEST and we should get one started asap.
We’ve been protesting for three generations, and people don’t care. They think that we’re lucky to have jobs at all, and if we don’t like it we should do something else.
We’re not on YouTube and Facebook being choked out in a dramatic video. That’s what it takes to get people to care.
Another nail in the o/o coffin.Im sure this will be the end for more small biz.They will get us all eventually. All we have to do is sit back and do nothing
Raising insurance thinking it will lower accidents, but issuing CDL to kids that not old enough to buy alcohol because thy under age is smart idea (REALLY) mega carriers paying big$$ to those corrupted politicians to pass this, since the AB5 is stalling
Trucking is a loop hole for cooks!!!
Yep!
Tort reform is the only answer to this question.
Trucking is going the way of airplane do any of you think it cost 6 to 50 million dollars to build an airplane.
Funny how the ATA said that it will improve road safety when most of the accidents happen in the fleets thats repressented by them. every on the operator needs to be contacting that Democrat that pushed that amendment. you can’t just go on hope that Trump will come in and save the day.
Insurance is rediculous. Nobody wants to insure big trucks because of the public opinion of them shaping a far more skewed outlook on truck vs car crashes, when nobody wants to look at the cold hard truth that a grand majority of the incidents are at the fault of the car driver; usually distracted.
Even my own company decided this year to increase their deductable to cut insurance costs, and it’s not like we have a bad CSA or anything. When your insurance costs more than your truck payment, there’s something seriously wrong.
Well, that’s it then. I guess it’s a sign of the times. The dream of supporting oneself with one truck and being a truly independent operator has been all but dead for about 30 years now. This is just the final kill stroke. Only an idiot would put up with working nonstop and not getting paid but in fact, paying to work. All that for a 10,000 dollar a year job. Laughable. I can drive around randomly with my pickup truck finding more money than I can earn with a semi truck.
I see everyone has there opinion on this Insurance BS, what I dont see is anyone say’n
” Hey why dont we band together and shut’m down for a few days” you got other folks banding together to make there point why not us Truckers.
I know this will put me out of business! We get screwed again. Bigger companies don’t care! And the brokers of course get their giant cut off our pay. SMH
Every owner operator needs to call or write your Senator pleading that they will not vote for this amendment. Take action instead of the typical ignorant response” that’s just the way it is” The same goes for writing a complaint concerning brokers extorting owner operators on the rates. Include a copy of your ratecom highlighting where the broker requires you to waive your rights to 371.3 That waiver proves the broker is hiding the fact they are gouging the drivers. Send the complaints directly to Jim Mullen, acting director of the FMCSA. We need thousands of letters sitting on his desk so he can’t say, quote “the FMCSA hasn’t received any valid complaints from truckers about illegal freight broker practices”. Increasing insurance premiums and conditioning drivers to accept lower rates is the beginning of the end for the independent owner operator. Just like the oil fields, we were killing it but the customers realized they could lower the rates and they still had enough drivers willing to run 24/7 for half of what we were getting.
The answer to this B. S. is the same as it has been for years. We get xpzero appreciation for the things we do and I still say the answer is right in front of our noses….PARK THE TRUCKS!! Just 3 days…just park for 3 days. They will be on their knees! But, I know I’ll hear the same excuses…I can’t stop running for 3 days financially ( if you cant stop for 3 days, quit because you’re broke anyway), M a company driver…call in sick! Just stop! 3 days,!
Okay. My three days will be Christmas, New Years’, and Easter.
Seriously… You well know that there are enough newbie drivers out there who speak three words of English that won’t even hear about a work stoppage, that the rest of us won’t even be noticed – except to be fired.
Suggest something doable, that has a real chance of accomplishing something useful, and you might see some real action. Repeatedly suggesting the same pointless stupidity is just a waste of everyone’s network data and time.
Damn…. Truck drivers just get fucked both ways no matter what…. I bet if we stick together and start boycotting…. Then they will have to make some major adjustments and changes…. Cause businesses are going to want their product….
Boycotting what? Trucking? What could we seriously boycott, that would have any chance of changing anything?
When unemployment insurance benefits stop looking so good for the 21 million Americans currently collecting them, there will be plenty of desperate people willing to do the work that we boycotted, and it only takes two weeks of training to get them their CDLs.
What the country needs is across the board tort reform. The reason these numbers keep going up is because lawyers sue at drop of hat. Medications are high because of lawsuits against drug companies, medical due to malpractice suits and same is true for trucking. Look at the amounts won in lawsuits over the last 5 years. Raising the minimum gives lawyers an easier way to a 6 figure payday. 12 idiots on a jury make it easier for multi million dollar lawsuits. Bring down the overall amount that can be garnered from a lawsuit and costs come down.
The higher insurance minimums won’t make the highways safer, just the opposite. Only the ambulance chasing attorneys will be laughing all the way to the bank. And remember “ATA” stands for against truckers again.
Lousy bums do nothing but support the Lawyers! This is unconscionable! Will you EVER here of them voting for torte reform? How about making insurance companies FIGHT the claims thrown at them AND loser pays!!!
It’s high time these frivolous lawsuits get addressed. This really ticks me off because WASHINGTON DC is nothing but slip and fall lawyers and their stinking Lobbyists!!
Total BS!
Washington DC, is made up of nothing but lawyers looking out for lawyers!
How about a bill that states: ” if you sue, you must pay all court costs and atty fees If You Lose”!! On top of that, no more out of court settlements!
If OOIDA was worth a damn they would have said fine raise it but you have to raise min insurance on all drivers, CA min is 5 or 10 thousand Liability that barely covers a Fender Bender. Of course that would require OOIDA to get off their a** and provide proof instead of just making Accusations like they did the Broker Issue. Worthless orginization!!!
This will definitely put the final nail on the owner operator, instead of $6500.00, now it’s going to be $13000.00, for one freaking year, if anything the owner operator need a break not to send them to the paster
This another unconstitutional regulation that should be challenged in the court of law. They would have to require the same standard to all of the vehicles that operated on the interstate regardless. They base their reason for their decisions on fictional facts that are politically motivated
THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I HAVE 1 TRUCK AND MY OWN AUTHORITY. THERE IS NO WAY ILL BE ABLE TO PAY THE PRICE THIS WILL COME WITH. 33 YEARS OF TRUCKING AND IM GONNA BE LOOKING FOR A NEW CARRER. I WILL NOT BE DRIVING SOMEONE ELSES TRUCK. THIS WORLD IS SUCH A MESS. AND DRIVERS MAKE SURE YOU ARE CARRYING A FIREARM IN YOUR TRUCK, DONT BE A VICTIM!!!! MAKE THESE IDIOTS THINK TEICE. USE GORILLA TAPE AND TAPE YOUR GLAD HANDS ON GOOD AND TIGHT SO THEY CANT POP THEM OFF WHILE YOUR AT A LIGHT. SHOOT TIGHT THROUGH THE SLEEPER WALL IF YOU HAVE TO..
It’s eventually going to happen. This government refuses to go after the wealthy who owe millions in taxes. Drumpf owes taxes and yet, he was still “placed” in the presidential seat! Their job is to keep the rich wealthy and the blue collars poor! I’m trying my best to prepare for what seems inevitable. Proverbs 6:6-8 references the working ant as wise and to consider its ways.
“Work hard now, gather & store!”
Typical trucker’s fighting each other
Morons are not going to stop untill they push everybody out. !! Then who’s gonna feed your dumbazzz…. Truckers should strike..now more than ever..teach em ( lawmakers ) a lesson
Fella’s please keep driving the world needs you
Of course large Trucking companies are in favor of this legislation. All of these companies do not pay for insurance, they are self insured. Small fleets and Owner Operators can’t afford to self insure. It’s the same story time and time again, where Teamsters, ATA (funded by Large companies and Teamsters) and a whole lot of special interest groups who could care less about Mom and Pop outfits like mine. Our insurance costs are higher than our payments for the trucks and trailers we own, WTF. According to this article it is for claims filed against truckers most of which are questionable at best.
Its the large companies pushing for this,in no way would increase insurance rate create saftey,at some point these idiots need a real wake up call..
We all know whom the most dangerous drivers are out there are , they’ll cut you off, are highly distracted by texting,or just plain rude along with being stupid and don’t give a hoot! But, they can get by with under $25,000 of coverage in a lot of states, why not set a minimum for all up around $350,000, you take the same chance as anyone else that is out on the road ? The squeaky bearing always get the grease- Call, write, e mail your rep or congressman and legislative branch. Ask , where the statistics to support the need to raise limits on trucks only!