Truckers Insurance for the “Quirks” of the Road

What are the top five reasons for trucking accidents?

Driver fatigue
Drug/alcohol use/abuse
Improperly loaded trucks
Speeding/failing to follow the rules of the road
Vehicle failure

You’ve purchased truckers insurance to cover such accidents, of course. Still, you’d like to avoid accidents as much as possible. Customers’ goods can be damaged or destroyed. Revenue can be lost. More importantly, drivers can get hurt or killed.

Truckers insurance is vital, as is preparation.

Numbers one through four from above can be alleviated by commons sense: Require drivers to rest for 15 minutes for every two hours of driving. Do random spot testing for drugs/alcohol. Insist that trucks are loaded properly and require that driver’s follow speed and traffic laws.

But the fifth cause, vehicle failure, is a bit trickier.

After all, a truck driving through the heat of the southwest (Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas) can easily overheat, even when properly maintained. (Do you have adequate Texas truck insurance for the long ride between Dallas and Houston?) What’s more, the Los Angeles area is notorious for the high winds that arrive in the fall months, known as the Santa Ana winds, that blow like screaming banshees through the region’s canyons and passes at upwards of 50 miles per hour. High profile vehicles like your big rigs are at great risk of toppling. And during wind storms, many rigs do in fact, topple.

The northeast, southeast and the country’s Central Plains region are home to some very icy and cold conditions in the winter months. Freeways have been known to shut down completely during whiteouts. Icy roads can take a rig out in no time.

Torrential rains and hurricanes can plague the Gulf Coast area, as well as, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Are your drivers ready to evacuate with their rigs if necessary? Are they schooled in how best to navigate driving in a deluge?

J.D. Tanner & Associates can help you and your managers find the perfect truckers insurance your rigs need. We hope you’ll contact us soon.