Insurance in Santa Ana can be expensive depending on what your looking to insure.
Everyone is looking for the cheapest insurance possible, regardless if it’s automobile coverage or commercial.
But commercial coverage has many rating factors different from your personal auto insurance policy.
But before you look at coverage options, there are a list of underwriting concerns with every policy.
Rather it be an auto insurance policy or commercial. Even if your operations is located in Santa Ana CA or Ontario CA.
If you were at Santa Ana Car show and purchased a new car or truck, you would need to look at exposure.
Exposure risk are inevitable and can happen at any given moment.
Trucking firms for example have exposures. They can be a variety of hazards.
This depends on the nature of their hauling operation.
If you are hauling flammable fluids versus dry goods, you can expect to pay a lot more.
Can you imagine if you were to cause a Santa Ana Car Accident.
High Exposure Insurance Risk
Actually, flammable fluids or liquids would need to find a special risk policy.
These policies are written by high risk carriers that specialize in these products.
This is one component to the general car insurance rate for both commercial and personal auto.
As you can see, this is a major concern when insuring large trucks and fleets.
Travel Time
Another rating factor is travel distance or time. This will calculate how many miles you drive one way to a site.
If you are hauling out of state, then different type of coverage would be offered.
This is because you are no longer within state lines, or intrastate driving.
If you pass the 250 miles or more radius, more then likely you are traveling outside the state.
Make sure to provide accurate radius miles to your Santa Ana insurance broker.
Accurate Insurance Quotes
This will help to properly set your rate and have no recourse if a claim and investigation should occur.
Many people do not realize, it’s when a claim happens is when an investigation is prompted.
This is usually triggered by some type of red flag.
Either-way, you do not want to jeopardize your future by misrepresenting yourself on an application.
California Insurance Rating Factors
In conclusion, all these factors will base your policy rate.
The radius of travel, type of commodities hauled.
The extent of warehousing or other incidental operation are considered.
The following below is a list of exposures to loss that are of particular concern to underwriters.
They take this evaluation in consideration when assessing trucking accounts.
The Motor Carrier Act of 1980 has had a profound effect on the competitive situation.
This is true for most regulated carriers.
There are more aggressive environments that make it difficult to make profits.
Additionally, companies that insure regulated carriers must file MCS-90 forms.
Provide Insurance Proof
These forms hold them to absolute coverage.
This is regardless of whether the driver has the ability to reimburse them in case of an uninsured loss.
Consequently, most underwriters will want to review a trucker’s past and current financial statement.
They will ask for this material when reviewing the submission. This is to ensure the account is financially sound.
All activity is posted and can be easily accessible online.
If you are in the process of getting job contracts, this is one way your new deal can verify coverage.
General Insurance – Business Conduct
How a trucking firm conducts business can be another major consideration for carriers.
Underwriters will want to know the extent of vehicle use.
This is for the company uses lease, rented or borrowed vehicles.
They will also want to review the relationships drivers have to the company.
As an example, many companies will lease out some or all of the driving duties.
Interdependent Trucking Duties
This is given to independent owner operators on either a per trip or long term basis.
This is not like Santa Ana car rentals however.
One is permanent and the other transitional.
In these case, procedures requiring proof of coverage is required.
This is from owner operators should be in place.
This is when such drivers are responsible for the own coverage.
Some operations can be considered high hazard operation.
This can disqualify them from many programs.
Most underwriters will want a detailed description of the type of hauling done.
Also, as well as all incidental operations they may engage in.
Commonly excluded activities include long haul trucking exposures.
Other Trucking Exposures
Also, extensive back hauling of unknown commodities are performed.
This can also be transportation of garage, waste materials or build commodities.
These are such as sand and gravel.
In addition, leasing operations, involvement in specialized hauling is used.
This is the use of heavy equipment or machinery.
This can include:
Probably the number one cause of trucking losses is resulted due to driver error.
Consequently, most underwriters will require a driver qualification program.
This is in place for all drivers who operate company vehicles.
Such a program may vary depending on the scope of operations.
Driver Stop
This will generally involve a number of stops.
This is designed to ensure careful driver selection, training and on going supervision.
For instance, requirements might include tests.
These include license checks along with written and road tests for all new driver.
Used cars Santa Ana uses this protocol in their business.
Record Checks
Motor vehicle record checks on an annual basis for current drivers and compliance.
This is with all applications.
This include DOT, ICCC and state agency regulations:
Low Maintenance
Another major cause of claim results from improperly maintain vehicles.
All companies require that firms establish a vehicle maintenance program.
This includes written service and repair records.
It is also:
This is prior to, and after, each trip and mandatory replacement schedules.
This includes for both equipment and vehicles
Nature of Commodities
The nature of the commodities hauled by a operator.
This is another factor that will be reviewed by underwriters.
Cargo often target as high hazard will include: designated as hazardous cargo or explosive or flammable cargo.
Theft
Theft is the major cause of loss to cargo.
The two major factors that determine the severity of this exposure are:
Since companies cannot change these variables, most will take a close look.
They will look at specific theft prevention methods used by an insured to protect and cover.
Business Use?
This might include use of business vehicle or warehouse alarms.
It can also include hiring or guard services. The use of convoys or accompany vehicles for high target cargo.
Also, use of closed pick up trucks for local deliveries and the use of fencing and lighting at terminal areas.
All firms maintain and use a variety of flammable substance:
Underwriters will review the usage and storage procedures used in conjunction with these items.
High Hazard Repair
High hazard repair operations such as:
This can include parts cleaning and spray painting.
This requires that business firms follow all guidelines.
These national fire protection association guidelines are for such activities.
Public Access
Public access to shipping and receiving areas can lead to slip and fall related claims.
This can be especially relevant for truckers who maintain warehousing operations.
Underwriters will want to review these procedures.
They are used to keep all public access areas free of oils, snow, ice and debris.
Transit Companies
Transit companies that store gasoline or other petroleum products in underground tanks.
They are subject to a number of additional federal, state, and local regulations.
Operators who engage in vehicle repair work have certain materials.
These result in the disposal of hazardous waste materials. They are subject tot the toxic substance control facet.
Underwriters will closely review all pollution relative exposures.
Even when the garage or liability policy contains an absolute pollution exclusion.
Terminal Operations
Terminal operations with large numbers of vehicles have certain risks.
If parked, they can present a catastrophic loss potential.
Vehicle thefts and vandalism can be common in high crime urban areas.
Severe wind damage, flood or fire loss can occur.
Warehouse operations require the time fire protection considerations as any large property structure.
Policy Coverage Review
Just like you do to find the cheapest car insurance, underwriters will review your policy to ensure accuracy.
Underwriters will review the age, construction and update of building.
Along with the extent of private and public fire protection available.
Housekeeping in storage areas and merchandise stacking procedures.
They will also be a primary concern for warehouse operations.
Moving Storage Operations
Moving and storage operations will be reviewed.
This is to the quality control program used for packing, delivery and installation work.
Most underwriters will want to make sure that such work is checked.
It is also approved by supervisory or other experience personnel.
Record Keeping
Maintain records of such work.
This can include any customer complaints and actions taken are a plus.
Freight forwards or specialize haulers may engage in consulting services.
It is prone to professional coverage exposures.
Most underwriters will take a very close look however.
Cash handling procedures may also be reviewed. Such controls can vary.
They include the use of pre numbered purchase orders.
Also:
The requiring of check logs and the use of stamps.
This is an important factor labeled time element.
This will ensure that the time received is the time stamped.
Final Processing
This is for specifying for deposit when checks are final endorsed.
The elimination of large amounts of cash on a premises by making frequent bank deposits.
The requirement that all personnel be subject to a background.
This is prior to hiring and the use of outside accounting forms for annual audits.
Santa Ana car dealerships have company polices and procedures how they intake monies.
This helps to streamline both the inflow of cash as well as outflow.
Each business has it’s own stipulations, but at a dealership there are just more of them.
You have several departments within the dealership that will have their hands on the deal.
These hands can also increase the risk of errors.
Finally, as with most other service businesses, hold harmless provisions are present.
They are becoming more and more common in contracts.
Most underwriters will want to review any assumption for liability provisions. These can be present in hauling agreements.
If you need help searching for car insurance Orange County or Santa Ana Insurance Agency in California, contact us.
We can help find car insurance quotes comparison for both commercial and personal lines.
Peninsula General Commercial is committed to making our website's content accessible and user friendly to everyone. We comply with all the recommendations in WCAG2.0 the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Compatibility Standard by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). If you are having difficulty viewing or navigating the content on this website, or notice any content, feature, or functionality that you believe is not fully accessible to people with disabilities, please call us at (310) 539-2533 or email our team from our Contact page with “Disabled Access” in the subject line. We take your feedback seriously and will consider it as we evaluate ways to accommodate all of our customers and our overall accessibility policies. Additionally, while we do not control our business partners, we strongly encourage all our third-parties to provide digital content that is accessible and user-friendly.
