Need Affordable Insurance Options, Need Some Advice!

I have been all through this years ago. You MUST change the culture of your driver(s) so that they understand they MUST, MUST, MUST do proper POST trip inspections and you MUST get that stuff fixed. As small carriers, we are discriminated against by the FMCSA's CSA system and by the DOT cops that inspect us more often than the megas.

NO audible air leaks.
NO lights out.
NO soft tires.
NO bald tires.
NO cuts in sidewalls.
NO improper securement.
NO cut straps.

DOT cops can see and hear these things when they roll you through and if they see this you will be selected for an inspection.

How much were you paying before? Must have been $10,000, therefore this is an increase of $10,000. $10,000/100,000 miles/yr = $.10/mile.

Increase your rates accordingly and do better POST trips. Lower per mile pay and replace it with a bonus for weeks with no violations and a bigger bonus for every clean inspection. Driver(s) need to see you are serious and that he will be rewarded for compliance. He will have his truck in tip top shape and will even fix air leaks and pump up tires himself to get his $100 bonus for a clean inspection. He will park on the shoulder and wait for the scale house lights to come ON. It ain't easy being good.

 

Back then we just paid the piper. $14,000/yr and that was a while ago. Would probably be $20,000 now. Sounds like you have already shopped around so your only solution is to pay the man and clean up your safety record. Think of it as another tax........a stupid tax or a lazy tax.

By the way, if the money "isn't always there" to fix stuff...well maybe that is a sign that you need to re-think your business plan. Sounds like you were under capitalized to begin with.....I always say you need to budget $20,000 for repairs and maint in the year 1 of owing a truck.

IME, most OOS violations are stupid oversights anyway and wouldn't have cost much to fix at all. Some of what we have had over the years:

- worn drag link - $200 for the part IIRC
- steel belt showing in trailer tire - $250
- cut strap - $30
- flat tire - $50
- improper securement - $0
- bent chain link - $50
- brakes out of adjustment - $0
- leaky wheel seal - $250
- kinked air line (curly cord) - $30

dumb, dumb, dumb

 

I know in FL cheapest underwriter is Castlepoint,from what i heard from ins. brokers.I'm under them now for almoust 2 years. But when I was shopping arround there were only two insurance brokers that worked with them,and I got by far the cheapest quote from them. Plus they only take a carrier in,when carrier that they have covered leaves them or gets dropped.
I reffered my insurance agent to a friend that was starting a trucking business,and he asked for a quote from Castlepoint and they told him they are not taking new carriers in right now. First year with them 7k + 2k for cargo from another underwriter = 9k per truck. Second year(current policy) 1k increase per truck. All that with 3k down per truck both years. We are pulling dry vans all 48 states, and we've been put out of service 4 times in in the las two years,with 3 small accidents in between(my driver was bumping other trucks in the truck stop) which I paid out of pocket.
So my advice, look for ins. broker that can get you in with them,and I'm pretty sure you will get a good quote. Their Customer Service sucks tho, takes week or two to get a call back or quote.
Hope that helps.

 

Wow, if that were my company I would have dropped that driver after the second bump. The fact that he is still there after #3 should be raising all sorts of red flags. As long as the insurer doesnt get wind of this your golden. Yet that #4 could be more catastrophic than you are able to perceive.

 

I would like to point out. Yes I am a newbie driver. Yet in the 5 months driven? I never once contacted another vehicle. No cars or any type of truck. Your driver just plain scares me. That is an overhead cost I could never justify on my books.

 

That is what I did, he bumped into two knight trucks in one trip.Once in the truck stop parking lot and once at the consignee. I let him go after that trip.

 

Well i think stuff like that happen but 2 accidents in one trip(2 days a part) was too much for me. Other than that, he never had any other accidents,before that. And good for you ,keep it like that ,good driving record = better job opportunities for future .

 

Unfortunately when and if I go back, I will have to go as novice all over again regardless of that I still get plenty of practice every summer moving a 25 foot trailer hauling my antique.

So 6 more months of hell with a mega carrier (at least).