Why Truckers need General Liability Insurance
Commercial Truck General Liability Insurance and Commercial Auto Liability often get mixed up, but the difference is actually pretty simple.
- General Liability covers you for accidents when you’re NOT driving your truck.
- Primary Commercial Auto Liability covers you for accidents when you ARE driving your truck.
Here’s the deal: General Liability is optional for Owner Operators and Motor Carriers, while Primary Commercial Auto Liability is required by law to operate your truck.
So, when someone says “Primary Insurance,” they’re talking about your mandatory Commercial Auto Liability coverage—not General Liability.
Yeah, the terminology can definitely be a bit of a headache! 🙂
Keep reading this quick Commercial Truck General Liability cheat sheet to learn why having BOTH types of coverage is a smart move.
Why Do Small Truckers Need General Liability Insurance?
Think of General Liability as a safety net—it covers risks beyond just driving accidents.
Small Trucker general liability insurance is designed to protect you at loading docks or customer sites and other exposures.
More and more brokers and customers see the importance of this coverage because they don’t want to cover certain losses out of their own pocket.
Many will want to see the coverage listed on your Acord Certificate of Liability before you can transport their freight.
What Can Truckers General Liability Insurance Cover?
- Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability
- Personal Injury and Advertising Injury Liability
- Medical Payments
- Products-Completed Operations
- Damage to Premises Rented to You (available for 7 days or less)
Here’s some real examples:
1. Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability
Say your driver decides to lend a hand while loading or unloading the freight.
Unfortunately, the improper placement of the freight causes an accident, injuring a company employee.
2. Personal Injury and Advertising Injury Liability
Using a logo for your business should be straightforward, but a legal dispute is the last thing you need.
Imagine if your logo inadvertently resembled another company’s design and they decided to sue you.
Slander and libel also fall under this category of Liability.
3. Medical Payments
Medical Payments insurance covers physical injuries to individuals who are not typically on your premises but may become injured while there.
For example, if a customer slips and falls in your parking lot this insurance might provide coverage, avoiding a full blown lawsuit.
4. Products – Completed Operations
Products-completed operations cover bodily injury or property damage resulting from delivering someone else’s goods.
An example is incorrectly delivered freight or cargo that was insecurely delivered on the dock causing subsequent damage.
5. Damage to Premises Rented to You
Weird accidents happen—like when a driver rents a motel room and accidentally starts a fire or inadvertently causes damage.
It’s important to recognize that Truckers GL is specifically tailored to address the operational risks of trucking companies.
A Trucker General Liability policy does not extend coverage to other types of operations, such as those of an Artisan Contractor or any other business.
Who Needs Truck General Liability?
If you’re an Owner Operator or Small Motor Carrier hauling freight, General Liability insurance should be on your radar.
It’s especially important if:
- You interact directly with customers and their property.
- Your operations span loading docks, warehouses, or other third-party premises.
- You hire or subcontract drivers to move freight.
How much General Liability does a Trucker need?
Industry standard for Truckers General Liability is $1,000,000/$2,000,000.
This means $1 Million per occurrence, and $2 Million per aggregate.
Another way to look at is $1 Million each time up to $2 Million per year.
Most General Liability policies also include $5,000 in Medical Payments to others.
How much does Truckers General Liability cost?
General Liability premiums for small truckers usually range between $550 to $1,000 per year per vehicle.
Where does a Small Trucker find General Liability Insurance?
Owner Operators and small Motor Carriers can typically obtain General Liability coverage as an addition to their Primary Commercial Auto Liability policy.
Your Primary Commercial Auto Liability is the policy you need to legally drive.
You would add General Liability coverage to that Commercial Auto Liability policy.
What other Commercial Truck Insurance will you need?
Here’s more Commercial Truck Insurance Cheat Sheets for Small Truckers:
- What is Commercial Trucking Liability Insurance
- What is Truckers Physical Damage Insurance
- What does Motor Truck Cargo Cover
Who has the Lowest Priced Commercial Truck Insurance?
Currently the hot trucking insurance company for new start up Owner Operators and small Motor Carriers is GEICO.
CIS is proud to be one of a select group of independent trucking insurance agencies representing them.
Our small team of professional Truck Insurance Brokers can show you the ropes.
She will guide you to the best coverage and lowest premiums:
GEICO Commercial Truck Insurance
Right now that’s likely GEICO, next year it could be Progressive.
The following year…we shop it at every renewal so you don’t have to!
Remember that it never costs you more to work with an authorized independent GEICO agent, and we work as your advocate.
Why CIS Is Your Trusted Partner for Trucking Insurance
Whether you need:
Cargo Van & Sprinter Insurance
Hot Shot Insurance for your 1 Ton Dually and trailer
Box Truck & Straight Truck Insurance
Semis and Small Fleet Truck Insurance
At CIS we’re all about creating insurance solutions that fit your unique needs.
We get that one size doesn’t fit all with various contracts and company setups.
Being family-owned since 2002, we treat our team like family and focus helping out the little guy.
Just check out our CIS 5 Star Google Reviews.
Curious to see what your numbers might look like with a quick GEICO Commercial Truck Insurance quote?
Or just give us a call–We love to Chat!
CIS (330) 864-1511
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