PRODUCT: Liberty Mutual Motor Cargo

COMPANIES: Liberty Mutual Insurance

BEST RATING: A

AVAILABILITY: Appointed agents and brokers only. Agents and brokers not currently appointed can learn more about the Liberty Mutual product suite at business.libertymutual.com.

FOCUS: As the demand for delivery surged during the pandemic, Liberty Mutual recognized a gap in coverage for gig drivers and small businesses, many of which were wading into delivery for the first time.

To better serve this market and offer a more affordable option for small operators, Liberty Mutual recently released a new motor cargo product. Specifically created for the small commercial customer, the product is customizable and flexible.

Liberty Mutual Motor Cargo “allows agents to tailor coverage to the unique needs of their customers and serve the full spectrum of the small commercial market, from independent gig delivery operators up to traditional trucking and regional cargo operations," says Lindsay Guerrant, small commercial product strategy lead, Liberty Mutual.

COVERAGE DETAILS: The product's broad range of optional coverages paired with a comprehensive base form offer coverage that is truly customizable.

“Traditional motor truck cargo products offer excessive amounts of coverage for these smaller market segments and are prohibitively expensive," Guerrant says. “This new product replaces the previous Liberty Mutual motor truck cargo product with a ground-up build that prioritizes customizability while allowing agents and brokers to offer lower limits and a comprehensive base contract that makes premiums more affordable."

Coverages offered include electronics coverage to protect onboard and off-board electronic equipment used for communication, tracking or navigating; refrigeration breakdown coverage to protect against spoilage; trailer coverage; fraud and deceit coverage to protect against theft of covered property through fraud; expediting expenses coverage; and contract penalty coverage to protect against the contractually required costs and fees that occur as a result of a direct loss to the property.

UNDERWRITING: The quote and bind experience will take agents and brokers less than 10 minutes. The quoting process uses pre-filled data and minimal questions to quickly deliver a fast quote before agents need to enter vehicle and driver information.

TARGET: Because of its flexibility, the product can serve traditional trucking operations and regional cargo carriers with less than 50 power units, box trucks and even gig economy delivery drivers.

COVERAGE AVAILABILITY: Currently available in MD, UT, KY, and FL. The Liberty Mutual Motor Cargo product is slated to launch in nearly 30 additional states in the first quarter of 2021, including: AK, AL, AZ, CO, DE, GA, IL, IN, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, WA and WY. Most other states will follow later in the year.

CONTACT: Lindsay Guerrant, small commercial product strategy lead, Liberty Mutual.

Will Jones is IA editor-in-chief.