Panther Insurance

[dancorn]

Got a call from my Insurance carrier in Ohio that they can no longer provide the type of insurance required by Panther. Panther states that the insurance requirement has been changed fro Non Trucking Liability to Laden/Unladen.

Here is a copy of the email they sent to my agent.


"I cannot accept this NTL insurance certificate based on the 3/02 email that I sent you. Your previous policy does not meet the minimum requirements of your ICOA. To meet the minimum requirements your policy must be a Laden/Unladen policy.



What is Unladen Liability Insurance?

Unladen Liability Insurance covers your personal liability to the general public for Bodily Injury and Property Damage that you may cause in an accident while you are not transporting cargo.


Pursuant to your contract, under the General Provisions, article 6, Insurance subsection 6(b)(2) Non-Trucking Liability states that the Non-Truckling Liability coverage you are required to maintain shall provide coverage in a combined single limit of not less than the amount set forth in Appendix B, article 4, with a deductible no greater than the set amount in Appendix B. In addition, this coverage shall be no less comprehensive than the coverage or liability-limiter programs Carrier (Panther) may facilitate on Contractor’s behalf.

My agent is a major commercial trucking insurer. Since Panther has over 1000 van operators someone surely has come up against this problem. How did you remedy the problem?

Thanks all.

 

[BigStickJr]

I remember dealing with the exact same issue. Very few people write unladen.
I got some. Don’t remember where.
Possibly OOIDA.
If Panther will sell it to you, and it’s not available on the open market, I’d look at it as a scam to sell you overpriced insurance if it raises your cost.
And I’d move on rather than be scammed. Sometimes I let my principles override common sense.
Let us know how it plays out.

 

[dancorn]

I did end up getting insurance thru Panther and surprisingly the annual cost was $300 less than what I was paying to CIS. It ended up being a good thing. The premium is paid weekly thru deductions just like Qualcom rather than annually.

 

[FlyingVan]

I did end up getting insurance thru Panther and surprisingly the annual cost was $300 less than what I was paying to CIS. It ended up being a good thing. The premium is paid weekly thru deductions just like Qualcom rather than annually.

It pays to shop around, so to speak. The first year I got in the straight truck I had insurance with Progressive through CIS. Then next year at renewal time Progressive raised their rates. I called CIS and asked them if they could do any better with one of the other companies that they work with but they couldn't. So I went through Load 1 since it was cheaper that way, not $300 like in your case, but nonetheless cheaper.

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk

 

[Moot]

I did end up getting insurance thru Panther and surprisingly the annual cost was $300 less than what I was paying to CIS.

Is Panther calling it Non-Trucking Liability Insurance? I have it through Panther on the weekly deduction plan also. I contacted CIS a few years ago and was told they weren't taking on any Panther trucks. I was given a very vague reason for this.

 

[ShellyB007]

Hi Guys, Shelly with CIS here…my apologies for any confusion out of our office on Panther. It’s our understanding that Panther now requires Unladen Liability versus Non-Trucking Liability as stated in their email:

"I cannot accept this NTL insurance certificate based on the 3/02 email that I sent you. Your previous policy does not meet the minimum requirements of your ICOA. To meet the minimum requirements your policy must be a Laden/Unladen policy.


Progressive and the other 9 trucking companies CIS represents do not offer Unladen Liability. (One company we have will write it, but only on specific types of Straight Trucks with a minimum of 10 units.)

I believe Panther has likely switched from NTL to the broader Unladen Liability requirement to avoid the confusing NTL definition of operating “on behalf of the Motor Carrier”.

Regarding the question on overall rate disparities… all insurance is based on credit, state, city, radius, driving record and unit type….so premiums are different for every individual situation. Sometimes we can offer the lowest rate and best coverage, and sometimes we recommend an Owner Operator jump on their Motor Carrier’s in-house liability plan that is based on their pool of drivers.


A good rule of thumb? If you’re rock solid with your Motor Carrier and their in-house plan offers you a better Liability rate with equal coverage then you might want to stick with that option.

But for drivers with higher end units, the Physical Damage coverage (Comp & Collision) through their own individual policy is where they can save the most.

That’s why there are some Owner Operator cases where the Unladen or NTL coverage stays with the Motor Carrier while CIS insures the Physical Damage coverage.

Hope that helps to clarify. Enjoy the sunshine, and stay safe out there everyone! Shelly