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Insights
Independent with Attitude
Inconsistencies in insurance policies are maddening
Be sure to seek out an insurance broker who understands the trucking industry
  Insurance is on every small trucking company’s list of top three aggrava- tions for several reasons, cost being the biggest. Assume you’ve had no claims for a few years.
Don’t use it, and you can cash it in later. Put that idea right up there with a fiscally responsible govern- ment on the fantasy shelf.
Like any service provider, the cheapest option should obviously always be avoided. I once made the mistake of switching from a thor- ough, knowledgeable broker, to one located closer to us, who came highly recommended.
He was reportedly very good at his job. His nephew, who handled our account – apparently his first job after his fast-food career – wasn’t nearly as good as the broker we left. We experienced constantly chang- ing driver qualification standards, rejections of almost every good driver I tried to hire, and he needed frequent reminders of which forms we were supposed to be given. All this guaranteed that we didn’t have a long working relationship.
Our longest-serving insurance broker is the kind to search out. They handle trucking insurance, period, and have knowledge of the industry that others only wish they had. This broker, if you can fathom this level of diligence, even included a clause to cover cargo damage caused spe- cifically by tarp damage occurring in transit.
I’d have never dreamt that was even available. They even have the patience to frequently answer stu- pid questions.
After you’ve spent enough years in business to be noticed, you’ll be approached by your local household insurance broker. The person who sold you home, car, or life insurance is rarely the same person to trust your truck insurance to.
Typically, they have no clue about our industry. Pay close attention to
NEW OWNER-OPERATOR PAY PACKAGE
• Year Round Ontario Miles
• Minimum of 2 years Experience
• 2010 or Newer Tractor
• Premium Paid on Back Haul (loads over 400 kms)
• All Miles Paid – Top Rates • Wait Time Paid
• All Stops Paid
• Set Weekly Schedule
• Fuel Capped @ 43 cents/litre
• Company Paid Group Health Plan
Fax: 416.621.2416 or email us at:
recruiting@wilsonstrucklines.com
Visit our website: www.wilsonstrucklines.com
Bill Cameron and his wife
Nancy own and operate Parks Transportation. Bill can be reached at williamcameron.bc@gmail.com.
the questions they ask, and you’ll figure that out quickly. There are too many ways your company will be dangerously unprotected if your insurance broker isn’t knee-deep in our industry. Ask them some truck-specific questions, and when they can’t answer, be wise enough to move on.
The part of the insurance game that infuriates me is the obvious double standard that exists between small and large sized fleets. I’ve joked that the only driver acceptable for a small carrier policy is a former driving instructor, while large com- panies can hire almost anybody.
If you question this double stan- dard, the phrase “risk management” will be used as justification. I prefer to call it “profit management.”
It’s obviously good business to give priority treatment to the truck- ing company insuring 500 trucks, rather than only five; I just can’t find an insurer courageous enough to admit it. Apparently, a driver with minimal experience – or demerit points – is a safe driver at a large carrier, but totally unacceptable at my company.
Can anybody explain that one to me? If I only have a few trucks, and am familiar with every com- ponent on all of them, I’m not put- ting a driver in one unless I have full confidence in them. Someone with lesser experience is a lot easier for a small outfit to monitor than at a big company, where it’s easy to be just a number on a roster.
Our first insurer taught me to question everything any insurer tells me. Initially, they were very obliging, until the policy was in place, after which nearly every driver was unsatisfactory. I tried to insure a good driver, with 10 years’ experience, who hadn’t driven for three years.
They wouldn’t allow it, without a refresher course. Coincidentally, the insurance company had a driving school. Angry, I sent my full stack of resumes, to show what level of talent was available. They asked why I didn’t hire the driver who’d attended their school. Easy answer: he couldn’t drive. Despite my eval- uation, since he’d been to their school they were willing to insure him immediately.
Insurance a top three aggrava- tion? Maybe the top. TN
Think of the premiums spent: hundreds of thousands of dollars for just a few trucks, not a nickel of which you’ll ever see again. What if we could set it up like life insurance?
   WE ARE
   HIRING
               DRIVERS
                                      with the ability to operate in a Dynamic LTL environment. If you have the rightattitudeforthisenvironment WEWANTYOU–CALLUS
  We offer:
0.47 PER MILE
+ 0.02 PER MILE TO DRIVER WITH FAST CARD
+ 1/2 CENTS PER MILE EACH YEAR COMPLETED $30 BORDER CROSSING
$25 FOR EACH PICK-UP AND DELIVERY
$100 FOR A SECOND TRIP IN THE SAME WEEK
THE COMPANY HAS SPONSORED HEALTH AND DENTAL BENEFITS
1-800-388-8947 x270 & 238
HEAD OFFICE: BRAMPTON, ON
Experience the
  BIG
    DIFFERENCE
         We are a cross border trucking company that currently has opportunities for OWNER OPERATORS and CITY DRIVERS
    OWNER OPERATORS:
We offer a very competitive pay package, no hold back and NEVER any forced dispatch. We pay base plates, insurance, all tolls, a quarterly safety bonus and direct deposit paid every two weeks. If you are tired of being treated like a number, give us a call, we are large enough to keep you busy and small enough to care!!
    CITY STRAIGHT TRUCK OWNER OPERATORS:
We currently have opportunities for STRAIGHT TRUCK OWNER OPERATORS for local picks and deliveries around the GTA. We offer competitive pay and steady full time hours.
If you are looking for a place to grow, call recruiting direct at
416-677-9222
          Ontario Highway O/O’s
GTA based City O/O’s
GTA based Company Drivers
If interested please fax your resume to the
Safety Department along with a Current Abstract, CVOR & Criminal Search and Tractor information.
     44 Truck News • June 2017


































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