Risky Business
Passengers, Furry or Otherwise
Hi Everyone,
John and I just returned home after talking with potential Owner Operators at the ExpeditersOnline.com University in Monroe, MI. Nick and Jenny Marcu are always the best speakers because there are so many questions newbies have regarding life on the road. I learn something new and interesting about living out of a Cargo Van every time I see the two of them.
Well, insurance questions aren’t nearly as interesting as the personal inquiries Nick and Jen receive, but we do have one that circles around periodically and that’s about passengers…furry or otherwise.
First, non-furry passengers.
Most of the in-house group insurance plans that are purchased through the
Motor Carrier you’re leased on to excludes passengers.
A passenger "rider" to their policy would need to be purchased, if one is available, and
that passenger needs to be authorized and listed by the Motor Carrier.
There's actually some logic to this, because the Motor Carrier sure doesn’t want to be on the hook if you pick up a hitchhiker or grifter that turns out to be Jeffrey Dahmer.
Progressive apparently isn’t worried about serial killers. They do not exclude any passenger in your vehicle. Coverage is automatically included.
Second, furry passengers.
Most in-house group insurance plans do not address this question at
all, so there is no coverage through your Motor Carrier policy.
Progressive likes furry passengers.
If you have a CIS/Progressive Commercial Auto For Hire policy that includes Collision, then Pet Injury Coverage is automatically included.
The coverage is designed to protect your dogs and cats if they’re
inside your vehicle and injured in an incident like a crash, theft, fire or
flooding.
The policy will pay up to
$1,000 total per event.
Apparently Progressive only likes furry pets, since birds, iguanas, lizards, etc., are not included in the coverage. (I’m working on them to loosen their underwriting…LOL, my Gramma had an iguana named Igor that used to run around her house. As kids we thought she was crazy, but now that I look back, the little guy really didn’t require much....could make a good traveler!)
To learn more about how your in-house group insurance plan and your own Independent policy differ, be sure to attend the
Expedite Trucking Expo July 27th and 28th in Wilmington, Ohio! Click here to register:
REGISTER NOW!
Warm Regards,
Shelly Benisch, CIC Commercial Insurance Solutions (CIS)