Washington Truck Insurance

WA License #: 892948

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Commercial Truck Insurance in Washington

Your trucking business faces many challenges in Washington: The state is home to six of the nation’s worst bottlenecks for trucks. According to the 2018 Annual State and Federal Highway User Taxes and Fees report, Washington is the seventh most expensive state in the country when it comes to operating a commercial heavy vehicle. With time and costs already working against you in the state, the last thing you should want to worry about is insurance.

Rising insurance rates make finding the right Washington commercial truck insurance a daunting task. However, it’s well worth the effort—besides being required by law. The FMCSA reported in 2018 that the “number of large trucks and buses in fatal crashes . . . increased by 48 percent from its low of 3,432 in 2009.” So it’s not a matter of whether or not you should be insured, but how to find the best value for your money while keeping you and yours protected on the road.

With that in mind, let’s review why you need Washington truck insurance and why you should use an independent insurance agent when protecting your trucks.

Why do I need Washington Trucking Insurance?

  • Truck Liability Coverage

    No matter where you’re driving, one thing doesn’t change: You need liability coverage for your trucks. Liability coverage ensures that, in the case of an accident involving another party, you aren’t the one paying for that party’s injuries or damages. Washington law requires that businesses and drivers possess a minimum amount of liability insurance—though you can always go higher if you like—which is determined by where you drive and what you haul. The law notwithstanding, liability insurance protects you. No business owner wants to learn that they’ve lost a truck in an accident and must also pay for the party’s losses.

  • Physical Damage Coverage

    While physical damage coverage is not legally required, it is just as vital as liability coverage. Whenever a truck is involved, accidents are expensive. The FMCSA puts the average cost of a large truck crash at about $91,000 per crash. Factor in injuries, and the average reaches nearly $200,000. But physical damage coverage protects you from losses, especially when a truck is put out of commission.

  • Motor Truck Cargo

    You’re not the only one concerned for your haul: Your clients also have a vested interest. For-hire truckers must have motor cargo insurance to properly cover the commodities they are hauling. It is generally required by the party who owns the product being transported. If the goods are damaged or stolen while in transit, their assets will be covered. You may need specific endorsements, which are determined by the cargo you’re hauling. For example, if you transport refrigerated goods, you will need to make sure you have “reefer breakdown” coverage. This might cover a $50,000 load of ice cream when the reefer unit breaks down in the summer. Of any line of 18-wheeler insurance, cargo insurance is the one you need to understand and pay attention to the most. You usually get what you pay for, and some carriers will make a long list of exclusions that specifically exclude coverage for certain events.

  • Truckers General Liability

    This coverage can be a bit more confusing, but here is the simplest way to understand it: Truckers general liability is designed to protect your business from damage that might occur when you are not behind the wheel of your truck. Your auto liability coverage would cover your business when you are driving. If you have other aspects of your business—such as a quarry or a consolidation warehouse—you will need a more robust general liability insurance policy that considers exposures outside the realm of trucking.

Why Should I use a Washington Insurance Agent?

Find Insurance Programs Specific to Your Needs

Trying to work with a generic insurance policy and forcing it to fit your specific needs can be difficult and cost inefficient. Instead, find a program that already caters to the types of trucks your business uses. At TIS, we specialize in the trucking niche and provide market access to numerous specialty Washington truck insurance programs, such as the following:

Instant Certificates of Insurance with our Mobile App

You never know when you will need insurance—that’s kind of the point. It can happen at any time, and the last thing you want to deal with is waiting for an insurance agent to return your call or get back into the office. For our part, TIS is available 24/7 to issue your certificate of insurance through our mobile app. Regardless of where you or your drivers may go, we’re right there with you for every mile of your journey.

Get Assistance with Washington Truck Permits & Filings

With so many laws and regulations, ensuring you stay compliant can be tricky—but not staying compliant can be expensive.

The right agent won’t only make sure you’re insured but will also help you keep all of your permits up to date. At TIS, our permits department is well versed in all of the permits and regulations in Washington, and we are constantly watching the ever-changing system for updates that might trip you up. We ensure our clients have all of the necessary Washington truck permits and keep you informed of all changes made to laws and regulations.

Commercial Transportation & Truck Insurance in 48 States

We also write truck insurance in states surrounding Washington including Oregon and Idaho. Contact us today to learn more on how we can help you with all your commercial truck insurance and permit needs.

Washington Truck Insurance Quote

Here is what Our Happy Customers have to say

Rita Huerta in permits dept was very helpful and practically held my hand thru the whole process and went above and beyond to explain and help with all questions I had. She has my business for life.
Manny M.
I was in a time crunch when I called The Insurance Store and Lisamarie Wright was quick to get me a great quote. She was very responsive & easy to work with. My insurance coverage now is amazing and incomparable. I can already tell I will be a customer of The Insurance Store for a very long time. Thank you Lisamarie & team!
Ramon Hernandez Jr.
Highly recommend!! Worked with Lindsay to get the best insurance rate and she was very knowledgeable about the trucking industry.
C Plo