Every Illinois trucker and commercial trucking company knows the importance of insurance for protecting their drivers and vehicles from liability. However, non-trucking liability insurance is a less-known policy option that Illinois truckers should consider to extend their coverage beyond business-related incidents.
This article discusses when non-trucking insurance policies are necessary to protect your business from liability while performing non-business-related tasks. Experienced local insurance providers in Illinois can further help you understand how non-trucking liability insurance can benefit your specific situation.
What is Non-Trucking Liability Insurance?
Non-trucking liability insurance is insurance coverage that applies to non-business-related activities. Many Illinois truckers and trucking companies are unaware that this coverage is essential to mitigating financial liability.
Commercial trucking liability insurance covers Illinois truckers in cases involving accidents, theft, and damage to themselves and their vehicles while performing business duties. Under the umbrella of commercial trucking liability, truckers purchase accident coverage, cargo insurance, commercial auto insurance, and more.
However, operating with commercial trucking insurance alone leaves costly coverage gaps since trucking liability insurance only covers drivers and vehicles when performing business-related duties. Many truckers only discover this gap when a costly insurance claim is denied because the vehicle was not engaged in official business at the time of the incident.
Examples of Non-Trucking Liability Coverage
Truckers should consider non-trucking liability insurance as an essential part of their coverage. The scenarios listed below are commonplace for all Illinois truckers and trucking companies. Yet, conventional commercial trucking insurance will not cover accidents or injuries in these situations.
1. An Accident During an Incidental Stop
Truckers often make incidental stops during transit. The legal definition is a stop during a business route that takes 15 minutes or less, during which the driver may or may not leave the vehicle. Examples of incidental stops include bathroom breaks, meals, rest, and other errands not directly pertaining to the primary business task.
Most truckers assume that accidents or injuries sustained during an incidental stop will be covered by trucking insurance. However, most policies exclude incidental stops from their coverage.
For example, a trucker may stop to get a meal and have an accident in the parking lot. Their truck may be stolen while they use the restroom. Even damage that occurs while the unoccupied vehicle is parked during an incidental stop may not be covered.
Only non-trucking liability insurance guarantees coverage for losses sustained during incidental stops.
2. Picking Up a Job
When truckers are en route to their job, they are not technically engaged in a business activity until they pick up their cargo and begin their route. Accidents or injuries may be excluded from conventional trucking insurance coverage when driving to pick up a trailer or cargo or awaiting a carrier’s orders.
3. Returning From a Job
For various reasons, truckers often return from jobs before they are finished. For example, a canceled order or inclement weather may cause a trucker to cancel their route and return the cargo to the depot or return home with the truck after the job is delayed or canceled.
Despite remaining in their vehicles, the fact that the job has been canceled or delayed means that the driver is no longer performing a job task. As a result, accidents or injuries sustained while driving home or to the depot will often not be covered unless the driver has non-trucking liability coverage.
4. Driving to a Mechanic
As a trucker, you know that regular trips to a mechanic help mitigate equipment-related risks. However, many truckers fail to realize that accidents occurring while driving to a mechanic, even with the carrier’s approval, are not covered by conventional trucking insurance.
Notably, this scenario does not always result in a claim denial. The court may consider the vehicle’s maintenance the carrier’s responsibility, in which case driving to the mechanic may be considered a “necessary business operation.” However, the possibility of different interpretations only further demonstrates the importance of maintaining non-trucking liability coverage.
Contact Pro Insurance Group for Comprehensive Trucking Insurance
As a general rule, while not under dispatch, truckers lacking non-trucking insurance are at risk. Commercial trucking insurance helps truckers remain compliant with Illinois trucking industry requirements and protected from common incidents.
However, many are unaware of non-trucking insurance and its significance in maintaining comprehensive coverage. Without non-trucking insurance, you or your other drivers may be at risk for costly liabilities for accidents that occur during incidental stops, job delays, loading duties, mechanic visits, and more.
Our experienced team at Pro Insurance Group understands the challenges facing local truckers in Illinois, including the need for non-trucking insurance. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn how non-trucking insurance can help you maintain complete coverage, even when between tasks.