I HATE Insurance

[AlanB]

Seems to be my day today with insurance folks.

Seems I just found out today when I went to insure our new truck, that I would need to buy a rider (or some such insurance drivel) for each and every trailer I own for liability towing behind my commercial truck...........

Becuase it was a "Heavy Duty" truck.... (the first answer)

So, I ask the question, why don't I have that on my current policy?

Was told it was not needed because it was not a "heavy duty" truck....

Then on the callback, apparently I DO need it, and have been towing without liability coverage on my trailers for the past couple years.............

So they will write the rider on the "new" truck, $40 or so, per trailer,,, per 6 months, but it will cover either truck.......... Wait a minute, it will be on the "new" truck policy but will cover it on any truck?? Well yes, obviously.

I HATE dealing with this crap. Oh, and the same trailer, hooked behind my non commercial tagged vehicles is covered..................... no additional riders needed.....

So she says I would not need to say cover my Motorcycle trailer,,,,,,,,,,,,, I said well, what if I pull it with the new (commercial) truck,,, then she says it would not be covered for Liability

This is driving me flat up the wall.

Oh, and if you take your kid to the emergency room,,,,,,,,, You pay the doctor, and the hospital, and the radiologist, and god knows who else seperate.............. Oh, and the inusrance wants a $100 copay to everyone that sends a bill...... So far, $500 in bills for a freaking tetenaus shot that the week before he stepped on a nail his doctor said he did not need.... then the next week when he stepped on the nail, they say I need to get him to the emergency room to get this shot................

Sorry, just wanted to rant a bit.

It's all good, and I am proud and glad to live in a country where these are my problems.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I hate consumer and small biz insurance, too. I am a lawyer who spends 99% of his time on insurance; I know it well. But when I call my local agent, I get some 80 IQ sales drone who gives me different (and wrong) answers each time. If I complain and get the local agency owner (85 IQ) I may get an OK answer, but way too much glad-handing and still little confidence all is well in reality. I am using a very well known company that has "State" in its name. I can't imagine buying any other product or service like this, and just wonder in awe at the waste in the marketing of this insurance.

 

[Builder]

Try owning a business with equipment and employees.....you ain't seen nothing yet.

 

[AlanB]

Try owning a business with equipment and employees.....you ain't seen nothing yet.

I thought I did

 

[powerstroke444e]

I have an insurance agency for a one of the larger companies in this part of the COUNTRY, & I understand the furstration you are having. I have specialized in these risks & my companies give good training but I still have to work with & compete with people that don't give nothing but bad advice. I get so mad when someone gives out a low ball price but don't give the coverage that is really needed or required. Wish you the best of luck in dealing with your agent, but just make him put it or show you in writing you are covered & if he won't fire him & find one that will.

 

[Bird]

One of my brothers has been driving an F350 crewcab dually with which he pulls his home; a 38' fifth-wheel travel trailer. He recently traded for a new F550 and had a custom built flat bed put on it, and he ran into the same problems. His insurance agency first said they couldn't insure it at all, then that they could insure it as a commercial truck, and after several calls and going to see the agent, he thinks he's insured.

 

[AlanB]

Bird, I am not sure what has me the maddest, but one big one is that I have been running around for the last several years, thinking (after discussing scenarios in depth with my agent) that we were covered.

I guess what bothers me, is that nagging feeling now in the back of my mind that say's OK, so I pay $80 a year per trailer (liability only) What else have we "missed"

We have been darn lucky all in all that nothing happened that needed the insurance though.

 

[Builder]

I don't pay anything for insurance on a trailer. My insurance company says the towing vehicle automatically covers the trailer and any damage it may incur or cause. Now the cargo on the trailer is a different story, it must be insured.

 

[Bird]

I don't pay anything for insurance on a trailer. My insurance company says the towing vehicle automatically covers the trailer and any damage it may incur or cause. Now the cargo on the trailer is a different story, it must be insured.

That was always the case with my insurance, too. But then I was never insuring a "commercial" rig, so maybe it's different.

 

[milkman]

The hassle getting coverage is not half the hassle of getting a fair settlement if there's a claim, there starts the real run around.

 

[chh]

It seems like every company has its own rules and those rules vary state to state most likely. When I insured my dodge flatbed new, I was asked if I wanted to insure the bed with a rider. The company I use considers that and added accesory since it didn't come from the factory that way.
I quit mailing in payments after the main office "lost" my check. I apparently drove around for 2 weeks uninsured(after mailing the check 2 weeks early). They demanded a new check plus late fees to reinstate my coverage. I have been their customer for over 20 years. I wrote the agent a new check(minus the late fee) and told them I would pay it if the office didn't find my original check. I was assured if they did only 1 check would be cashed. I went ahead and payed the $20 stop check fee to my bank, just in case though. It turned out they "found" the check on an underwriters desk. They tried to run it thru after already being paid and called me when it wouldn't go thru. I won my late fee arguement . That is really the only the second problem I've had out of this company since I've had them and they are still cheaper on my vehicles and ranch than any other company I have priced. But I still always go in a pay my agent and get a reciept after that incident.

 

[arveeotto]

Builder
I ran into this issue in the past. They say it is covered by the tow vehicle insurance policy, until something happens, then they say "We didn't know you were using the trailer for commercial use." Even though the towing vehicle is insurred as a commercial vehicle. Also ask what happens if you tow a trailer (they say is covered by the tow vehicle), and it uncouples from tow vehicle, you will get five diffrent answers if you ask five diffrent insurance companies. Good luck understanding insurance companies.
Rick

 

[Diamondpilot]

My understanding with my insurance agent is that when I am towing a trailer that is uninsured on its own it is covered by my trucks insurance. If it were at my home and a tree fell on it or something like that my homeowners covers it. If I were towing a trailer with a piece of equipment on it and lets say it fell off and killed someone my auto insurance would cover them but the piece of equipment that fell off would not be covered with out a separate rider.

Chris

 

[powerstroke444e]

How the trailer insurance works in most states. The if they are used for commercial use IE your primairy business it needs to be on a commercial policy. If you are average guy/Farmer liability will be extend from the towing vechile if it is on a personal auto policy, but if you buddy uses the trailer it comes unhitched his insurance is priamary but any thing excesse would be your (the owners) responsiblity, ie if the buddy doesn't have insurance or his limits are to low. Liability should only cost about $20 per year or less. As for the damage to the trailer you home owners will pay up to $500 in damages to the trailer for losses other than collision which is not covered on home policy. If you want full coverage you should have all trailers on an auto policy.

The one thing is that trailers under 2500 gvw have automatic coverage for liablity on most home & comercial policies, which is mainly for small trailers with little or not value (under 1,000 value) like mixers car dolleys & small boat trailers.

Hope this makes it clear as mud.

 

[AlanB]

I don't pay anything for insurance on a trailer. My insurance company says the towing vehicle automatically covers the trailer and any damage it may incur or cause. Now the cargo on the trailer is a different story, it must be insured.

Well builder, every state, and heck I bet each company is different I am sure, but that being said,

I was told when I bought my insurance, exactly what you just said, and we sat and went through several scenarios about the trailer coming loose etc.

Thinking back (I think at this point 4 + years now) what probably happened was we had the intense trailer discussion and they were looking at my POV policies (I have my POV's and Commercial trucks insured with the same agent) and they are all covered. Then we moved on too the commercial stuff, and I assumed (bad word when speaking of liability) that the coverage deal would be the same. That said, I cannot for the life of me think of how a competent insurance agency would sell a multiple vehicle commercial policy to me, a landscaping and lawncare business, and not think I would use trailers.

All that said, you may want to verify that you are covered.

I sure thought I was.

 

[AlanB]

Diamond pilot, you may want to check that tree fell on it part, here, it would not be covered is my understanding (business trailer) unless you have a seperate policy covering it, (and it is written as a seperate policy here not on my equipment policy)

I agree with your first part about being covered and that is what I operated on the last several years, till Friday when I heard the big "except" for the commercial tagged vehicles.

Not sure how yours are.

Stroke, for here, for mine, it was about $70 per year, per trailer so times 4 (I have 4 regularly pulled trailers) to cover them. the other place was about $80 pr trailer.

And sorry about the double post above, not sure how I did it.

 

[Bird]

Alan, I've had that double post thing happen to me, too, sometimes. Anyway, I removed one of yours so you don't have the double there anymore.

 

[gemini5362]

Alan I have a thought but really dont know the answer so you might ask your agent or maybe someone on here can answer. I have an umbrella policy that covers everything I own. Home, rental property, automobiles. That policy kicks in on liability when my liability insurance maxes out. If you have an umbrella policy will you have to pay a seperate amount for each trailer or will they be covered under the vehicle policy

I wrecked my 16 foot utility trailer once in a small accident. Damaged the trailer pretty badly but nothing else. I mentioned it to my agent and he told me I should have told him I had a trailer I could have insured it for an additional 10.00 per year. So I know that at least in arkansas with one of the policies you can get a seperate rider for damage.

 

[MACDABS]

I thought I did

Allan B,
You will never own a business, the tax man and the business owns you!

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I can't let a group flogging of insurance pass without participating. I've had a hard time with the concept of insurance for a while. I won't get into the "Healthcare costs are so high because the insurance bureacracy interferes with the market impact of supply and demand", but I will chime in about auto insurance.

It's bad enough that we are required by law to pay someone for something that we really never want to use. What gripes me is that if you pay the guy to sit on his @$$ for ten years and then you finally need what you've been paying for this whole time, the guy gives you the fight of your life trying to satisfy the claim, raises your premiums, and/or drops you altogether for filling out a form wrong that his secretary actually filled out for you.

(No offense, Powerstroke444e. I know there are good agents and good companies out there too.)

The most frustrating thing is that the state of our "Not-my-fault-because-the-world-owes-me-a-living-anyway" litigious society is such that no responsible person dares go without it.

One final hint, though, that is only somewhat relevant to the discussion: If your car is totalled and the adjuster calls to settle, remember that you are selling a used car. Negotiate with them to get as much as you can.