Commercial Auto

The policy protects the tools, equipment and livelihood of small specialty contractors who focus on service, repair and standard installation work.

“I see telematics and cameras—both driver-facing and outward-facing—playing a much larger role in the future,” says independent agent Blake West. “Some insurance carriers are already using telematics in underwriting, while others incorporate it into ongoing risk management.”

This end-of-year episode of Agency Nation Radio is brought to you by the editors of Independent Agent magazine. Will Jones, editor-in-chief, hosts the discussion and is joined by Olivia Overman, content editor, and AnneMarie McPherson Spears, news editor.

In a market with such high selectivity, it falls on the prospective insured to show why it would be a good risk. Independent insurance agencies can help insureds implement approaches that demonstrate insurability and manage costs.  

While factors like increased repair expenses, more frequent claims and stricter regulatory requirements are responsible for over a decade of premium increases, insurance remains a large cost of doing business.

Trucking companies faced $165 million in nuclear verdicts in 2023, with an increasing trend of thermonuclear verdicts. Mounting costs from these large verdicts present significant challenges for the commercial auto insurance market.

A packing and crating company occasionally moves specialty items. Does its business auto policy exclude property damage to others in the process of loading or unloading?

The new endorsement protects truckers by expanding coverage for perils attributed to wetness, rust and corrosion, as well as driver error and changes in temperature on refrigerated loads.