Dump Truck Insurance

Dump Truck Insurance is specialty insurance that covers trucking companies using dump trucks for the transport of dirt, sand, gravel, rock, asphalt, and other loose materials used in construction, road work, quarries, fracking, mining, etc. Dump trucks are classified as heavy-duty commercial vehicles and their massive size and design introduce unique challenges for insuring businesses employing these vehicles. Large dump trucks such as Mack, Sterling, Ford, Freightliner and Peterbilt have over 55,000 pounds in gross vehicle weight. Tractors pulling dump trucks may have over 80,000 pounds of gross vehicle weight.

As one of the nation’s leading dump trucking insurance specialists, Colonial Trucking Insurance understands the unique insurance challenges businesses employing dump trucks face. Our experts can design a policy which will suit the needs of your business, whether you are a single truck, an owner-operator or a dump truck fleet with 50 units. We have access to 20+ of the nation’s leading providers of commercial truck insurance, and our rates are some of the most competitive in the industry.

In contrast to other commercial vehicles, dump trucks are normally constructed for use either off-road and on construction sites. As a result, dump trucks are often built to withstand or avoid collisions and overturns. Dump trucks are more often involved in back-up accidents and overturns than other commercial trucks because of their use in construction sites and roadwork zones. Therefore, it’s important to maintain adequate liability limits and physical damage coverage in the event of either of these incidents.

Colonial’s Dump Truck Insurance program was built with the following trucks in mind: standard tandem dump trucks, tractors pulling a dump body trailer, transfer dump trucks, end dumps, side dumps, 6 or 10-wheelers, super dump trucks and any other commercial vehicle with a bed that tilts backward or sideways to dump loose material. Essential components of a comprehensive dump truck insurance program include liability, physical damage, pollution, workers compensation and general liability insurance. Cargo coverage is rarely required due to the little value of the materials hauled. Another consideration may be rental reimbursement with downtime, which pays for renting another dump truck in the event yours becomes inoperable or is stolen.

Insurance Coverages You Need:

A typical dump truck insurance policy will contain these coverages:

1. Primary Liability — covers injuries or damage to other people or property if you’re involved in an at-fault accident.
2. Physical Damage — coverage for your truck and trailer in an event of collision, theft, overturn, fire, vandalism, flood and other perils.
3. Medical Payments or Personal Injury Protection — pays medical and other expenses expenses to driver and the passengers in your vehicle who are injured during an accident, regardless of fault.
4. Downtime — you can add downtime coverage to your physical damage policy to give you added protection against lost income if you have a covered loss. Downtime coverage can help you keep your truck payment and other bills current if a covered loss renders your vehicle inoperable for an extended period of time. Most of our carriers offer downtime limits of $100 per day up to 35 days, subject to policy limitations.
5. Loan or Lease Gap — sometimes trucks and trailers depreciate faster than the equipment financed value. Loan or lease gap coverage can help assure that a total vehicle loss does not leave you “upside down” on your loan or lease.
6. Truck Rental Reimbursement — having a collision or comprehensive loss doesn’t mean you have to stop working. When you add truck rental reimbursement coverage to your physical damage policy you can rent a replacement truck and trailer and receive reimbursement for a large part of the rental cost.

Most states require that all dump truck companies register with the state and maintain a certain level of liability insurance. Truckers must file form E with their home state. Form E filing certifies that trucking company’s liability insurance complies with the state’s financial responsibility laws. Liability limit requirements vary by state. Texas, for example, only requires $500,000 in liability coverage. If your dump truck business crosses a state line, then the truck company must register with the FMCSA, obtain a Motor Carrier Number (MC number) and have their insurance company file their insurance with the FMCSA. This is called a federal liability filing or BMC-91X filing. FMCSA requires a minimum of $750,000 in primary liability coverage for most for-hire dump truck operators. Keep in mind that most dump truck operators carry at least $1,000,000 in primary dump truck liability insurance. Colonial’s Dump Truck Insurance program is designed to provide liability limits from $500,000 to $5,000,000. Some dump truck companies work with large construction companies or quarries that require higher liability limits. We can also provide “excess liability” or umbrella policy with limits up to $50,000,000.

How much should I expect to pay for dump truck insurance?

Most dump truck companies pay anywhere from $4,000 – $14,000 / year per truck for insurance. Premiums for dump truck insurance depend on many factors: number of trucks insured, types of truck, what is being hauled, where it’s being hauled, the experience and driving records of truck drivers and sometimes credit history and number of years in business. Generally speaking, if the trucking company has been in business for 2 or more years, has a good loss history, good safety scores and experienced drivers, they will secure the most competitive rate on their insurance. On the flipside, if you are a new trucking venture, have losses or have inexperienced drivers, you will pay a higher rate.

Dump Truck Insurance Sample Quote:

We encourage you to NEVER base insurance decision solely on price. Normally, when we buy a product we look for the lowest price — if all other things are equal, we take it. If you insure for lower rates, but that company can’t provide good timely service, the lower premiums will not help you out at all when you can’t get loaded due to problems with your insurance. The same is valid when your claim is not covered because your insurance agent sold you a “subprime” policy. Please note that your actual proposal may vary based on underwriting factors such as location, age of driver, MVR and more. Coverages, payment plans, policy terms and conditions vary state by state. No two policies are the same. No two insurance needs are the same either.