Insurance costs for many motor carriers have crept higher in recent years, particularly for commercial auto liability insurance. The trucking and insurance industry experts I’ve spoken with over the past few years cite several factors for the rise, including the litigious environment the trucking industry is battling that is being fueled by certain trial lawyers.

That trend, combined with the focus on trucking safety technologies, as well as regulatory changes on the horizon that some say could help insurers identify unsafe motor carriers, makes it an ideal time for Transport Topics to publish its first Trucking and Insurance Special Report.

Special Report: Trucking and Insurance

And under the current circumstances, if there’s one mantra that the insurance industry and the trucking industry can agree on, it is this: safety first. That’s because although insurance companies are there for their policyholders, they certainly don’t want to have to pay out big-ticket claims. And motor carriers, on the other hand, certainly don’t want to have to file a claim to begin with.

One company executive summed up her take on trucking safety technologies and insurance: “Do I get a break on my insurance premium for these voluntary purchases? No,” said Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, CEO of Garner Trucking, referring to lane departure systems, crash avoidance, cameras and driver-assist systems. “Will they help a driver stay safe operating his/her truck? That is the objective, safety. But it takes time to cycle these trucks with these new safety technologies into operation.”

And in an ever-connected world, fleets are facing new and emerging threats, such as cyberattacks. Securing the right insurance coverage for this increasing risk is essential.