Trailer Interchange & Truckers General Liability Insurance Explained

It is often the case that truckers will reach a mutually beneficial arrangement with regards to the use and temporary swapping of their respective trailers with other truckers. This is known as a trailer interchange agreement and is useful because it allows the use of trailers in different parts of the country, where otherwise you wouldn’t have a trailer available.

Trailer Interchange Insurance allows for each person’s trailer that is covered by the agreement to also be covered by physical damage insurance. So that if the trailer is damaged by a tree falling on it or vandalism, for example, then the person whose trailer it is will not be out of pocket and will be covered.

Truckers General Liability Insurance is a different type of trucking insurance that is primarily designed for truckers who hire themselves and their rigs out to haulage companies. The reason for the cover is largely to ensure haulage companies for damage that may be caused by you, but which are not the direct result of you driving your truck, and hence would not be covered by other kinds of trucking insurance.

In essence, it offers cover for property damage or injuries that have as their cause business activities that have no direct relationship to the operation of the for-hire trucker’s truck.

Some example of situations where you could make a claim on your Truckers General Liability Insurance would include:

  • If you made some kind of error that was the cause of a fire that caused damage.
  • Some of the products that you deliver turn out to create damage in some way.
  • A customer feels that you have slandered or libeled them in some way and you need to defend yourself.
  • There is an issue away from the truck at a truck stop or loading dock that turns into a bigger incident and causes damage.

There are five main components that Truckers General Liability Insurance Provides:

  • Medical Payouts for Damages.
  • Cover for damages caused to Rental Property.
  • Liability Cover for Property Damage and Bodily Injury Cover.
  • Cover to ensure deliveries are completed.
  • Liability Cover for Advertising Injury and Personal Injury Cover.

This is a type of insurance that is often now required by many trucking companies before they will hire a new driver, and so it is worth checking if the company you wish to work for (or hire yourself and your truck to) have any specific insurance requirements in this regard.

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