TERM: COI = Certificate of Insurance.

CARGO insurance vs. VEHICLE insurance:
We know you have to have cargo insurance but who pays for the cargo Insurance? You have to have vehicle insurance , it's the law.

There are many ways to interpret this information and it can be
presented in several different manners by all expediting carriers but
regardless of presentation, it's a charge YOU will pay for for YOUR
business one way or another! Insurance's are never free.

Some carriers ISSUE your VEHICLE insurance to you (by adding you under their umbrella policy). This makes it easy but can have devastating affects on you and your ability to run for multiple carriers...

Some carriers allow and encourage you to get your VEHICLE insurance on your own (enabling you to own and control the policy) which has tremendous benefits, MAINLY being able to issue COI's to your expedite carriers (when your running multiply), upon request by you, to the insurance company...

If your carrier is making the payment for your VEHICLE insurance, your most likely getting a rate per mile deduction to cover that expense OR, they may just deduct the cost from your settlements for the insurance. Every carrier has their own way of doing things and one carrier will vary to some extent from another.

Every carrier should be adding you to their CARGO insurance umbrella policy UNLESS YOUR AN AGENT,**running under your own ICC/MC - **Your Own Authority**.

If you have your own ICC/MC# (Authority) you must - have your own
cargo insurance policy since your hauling the cargo under your
Authority (meaning a carrier is "Brokering" loads, out to you.

However, there is a growing trend now where some carriers WILL ALLOW YOU to get your own, cargo policy even if you DO NOT have your own "Authority".

Recently, this has been a growing trend and appears to be changing more and more in that direction because more and more Owner Operators are hauling for multiple carriers instead of just one.

Many carriers are hesitant to jump into this idea and reluctant to allow you to run for multiple carriers but again, it's leaning heavily in that direction but not completely. You simply need to ask carrier recruiters up front if they allow it or not. If they don't, simply move on to one who does. Again, the benefits of more carriers is MORE LOADS...

We find that many users of our site tell us they fall into one or the other following categories;

1. Your leased on to a carrier (s) as an *AGENT*, hauling under your *OWN* ICC/MC - Authority, you should have your own cargo POLICY.

2. You sign on with one specific expedite carrier hauling under the *CARRIERS* Authority, hauling and insured under *THEIR* cargo policy (which would create difficulties signing on with multiple carriers).

3. You sign on with MORE THAN ONE expedite carrier (at the same time) hauling under *EACH CARRIERS* Authority (ICC/MC# and NOT having your own Authority) and you have your *OWN CARGO INSURANCE* on your own that you coordinated, pay for directly yourself to your insurance company, which by the way should also be insuring your cargo unit & they are adding the cargo insurance endorsement / inclusion.

4. Or, you may be able to find a carrier who includes you / adds you
to their company umbrella cargo insurance policy and they charge you each month typically the same amount you would pay if you acquired the cargo insurance yourself.. If this is the case, the carriers cargo insurance policy your added to ONLY COVERS THEIR FREIGHT, no other expedite carriers freight. Therefore, if you were to run for multiple carriers, you could have different versions of how the cargo is covered and by whom.

5. Luckily for you, there are several carriers out there that have joined the growing trend which is to have you get your OWN CARGO INSURANCE. One policy that can cover ANY AND ALL FREIGHT you haul (when you have a signed Lease Agreement) from ANY carrier. Now, theres one insurance policy, one simple small payment each month and your now enabled to haul for one or AS MANY expedite carriers that allow you to run multiply...

We suggest you work for multiple carriers and ask us for that list of
carriers who work this way, the way that will maximize your income
potential.

Every vehicle MUST BE INSURED with REGULAR/TYPICAL "vehicle
insurance". It's the law… You will pay for this insurance as part of
your business *overhead*. Your load wages will cover this cost.

Every vehicle MUST ALSO BE INSURED with "cargo insurance" regardless of who's paying for it. As we pointed out earlier. EVERY carrier MUST HAVE their cargo insurance covered, period. Who pays for it is another issue.

Do you have to pay for the **VEHICLE** insurance if the Carrier adds
you to their umbrella policy?:

Some carriers will OBTAIN your **vehicle** insurance FOR YOU by
adding you to their umbrella policy. Some will outright charge you for
this and others may tell you its free. If your told its free, its probably really not… No one will pay your bills and expenses for you. Some carriers may actually cover this expense for you (or so it appears) but in reality you are paying for it by way of a reduced per mile wage. If your pay is reduced, it is in an effort to take those deductions, and apply it to your vehicle insurance. Therefore, you are ultimately paying for it.

Some expediting carriers simply prefer to "control" your cargo unit and enjoy exclusive use of the asset.

Some - carriers will even issue your cargo unit an insurance policy in
an effort to make it difficult for you to work for other carriers.

Some expedited carriers will terminate you if you run for multiple
expediting carriers:

It's simpler to just acquire your own cargo and vehicle insurance. Control the policy and have your insurer issue COI's to whomever you need them issued to, to prove your insured and you have your own cargo insurance that covers whichever carrier (s) freight you have in your possession.

If your goal is to increase your load volume, this will definitely do the trick! Some carriers will terminate you if your discovered doing this. If your reading this now, your probably not getting enough loads from your carrier anyway and your more than likely with only one carrier, putting all your reliability on the one carrier or all your eggs in one basket. Very risky we feel…

You can always replace them for another carrier to where you will
obtain and control your own vehicle and cargo insurance policy, issue COIs to the carrier (s) and also Lease on with 1 or 2 other carriers as well simultaneously. Up to 3 carriers is recommended especially from November of each year thru the end of March each year.

Capture the tax deduction, OWN & CONTROL THE POLICY:


It's always best to own & control **VEHICLE** insurance policy:
It's always best to own & control **CARGO** insurance policy:

Its always best to obtain your own VEHICLE INSURANCE and have the insurer issue COIs to your expedite carriers. This is a snap to do. It only takes a phone call to your agent.

Its always best to obtain your own CARGO INSURANCE and have the
insurer issue COIs to your expedite carriers. This is a snap to do. It
only takes a phone call to your agent.