Well the entrepreneurs responsible for their emergence as a staple of Los Angeles luncheons should be looking to Beijing for their next investment—the now 11-day traffic jam that’s occurring on National Highway 110 has become 62 miles long and is expected to last through September!!!

What’s worse, the vast majority of Chinese trucks are not equipped with nearly the same amenities as the typical American rig—rather, the cabins are more like little boxes meant to comfortably house a single driver distraction-free while driving.  The concept may be great, but unfortunately, it assumes the driver is actually moving and needs to pay attention to the road.  Currently in Beijing, drivers are moving at a pace that would make racing with a snail an interesting competition, moving less than 1/3 of a mile per day.

Drivers are getting together and playing cards to pass the time, and hordes of vendors are lining up along the 62-mile stretch of stopped traffic to sell food like ramen noodles and packaged snacks at drastically inflated rates to the poor drivers stuck on the road.

Enter the food truck idea: Purposely stock a Grilled Cheese Truck, a Fishlips Sushi Truck or a Coolhaus slinging ice cream sandwiches with about 11 days worth of food and purposely send them up Highway 110. You’d be guaranteed capacity business for a solid week or two before finally squeezing out of the bottleneck jam and having a chance to reload.

On second thought, 11 days might not be the greatest idea for Fishlips—let’s replace that with a Burger Bus.  And we’ll probably need a port-a-potty truck to go along with them.  And while we’re at it, let’s add a disco or night club truck with a full bar in the trailer—these drivers are going to need it. (Can you imagine the commercial truck insurance policy you’d need for a vehicle like that? Your general liability would be off the charts!)

Whatever the case, these mobile entrepreneurs need to get to Beijing and bring a fleet of bicycles to reload supplies along with them—with projections of this jam extending into September and lane expansion projects expected to finish well into next year, the traffic situation in Beijing isn’t looking to clear up any time soon.

Drivers near the Chinese capital have likely been wishing their commercial truck insurance providers could provide traffic jam insurance since August 13th, and the so-far 10-day traffic jam on National Highway 110 is expected to last through September, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal Online.

Though China’s capital is under heavy construction to add alternate routes and build lane additions to the bottleneck freeways that cause the bulk of the congestion, experts say it’s those very construction projects that are temporarily causing the world-record delays.

The phenomenal traffic jam, where vehicles are moving at approximately 1/3 of a mile per day, is being attributed to a boom in middle-class auto purchases that’s surpassed the rate at which roads to accommodate them can be built.

Last year, Auto sales in China greatly surpassed those of the U.S. for the first time in the industry’s history—the Chinese bought over 13.5 million vehicles.

Though this traffic jam is freakishly unusual, the gridlock is not—it’s not unusual on even the best days of traffic for thousands of autos and commercial trucks to be lined up for miles along the main routes to Beijing.

Because shipping is greatly affected by the transit issues, costs are rising to account for the long delivery times.

To try to reverse the commercial trucking impact, city planners are attempting to expand mass transit systems in the form of subways, railroads and bus lanes.

But with the financial impact becoming problematic, maybe the idea of traffic jam truck insurance isn’t so crazy after all…

Coming soon this June is the Great West Truck Show, and we couldn’t be more excited about attending since it promises to be “the greatest truck show Las Vegas has ever known!” This summer’s event will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in halls n2 through n4 on June 17, 18 and 19.

The most fun attractions will be flooding the entire perimeter of the convention; a slew of customized trucks that are entered in the Custom Rigs Pride and Polish Beauty Contest will be on display throughout the show. Participants will have their rigs lined up surrounding all of the booths and seminar rooms, showing off some of the coolest rigs with fully customized finishes and appointments, competing for a number of awards and prizes given by Custom Rigs Magazine.

Royalty Truck Insurance will also be checking out the hundreds of trucking industry exhibitors, ranging from companies that specialize in everything from highway safety to truck communications systems. Pretty much every corner of the trucking industry, including commercial truck insurance, will be represented, and seminars will be given on everything from employee illness and injury prevention to leadership skills to how to pass a DOT audit!

With all of the industry reps and the magnificent custom rigs that will be on display, the Great West Truck Show should be packed with educational seminars, tons of opportunity to meet new friends, to work with new business partners and maybe even take part in a little late night Vegas activity if we all play our cards right!

The trade show promises tons of opportunity for the independent owner/operator and will even host a slew of employment opportunities.  Royalty Truck Insurance actually just launched a special site dedicated to bobtail insurance or nontrucking insurance to help independents save on non-trucking liability rates while getting them better coverage.

Here at Royalty Truck Insurance, we’ll be skipping the booths this year, but we’ll definitely be walking around visiting and carrying tons of promotional materials that describe our expanded services, better rates and our new easy-to-navigate web site.

We hope to see all of our friends there and to make some new ones along the way, so look for us and don’t be too shy to say hi!  We’ll definitely be writing another blog with some pics and write ups regarding the best parts of the show when we return!

The ruling was in favor of the commercial truck insurance company, who defendant and Los Angeles resident Roland Polanco accused of negligence that resulted in his arrest that allegedly triggered a seizure and cost him further medical bills.  The commercial truck insurance agent allegedly failed to call Polanco’s bank to verify his identification after receiving call from Polanco’s girlfriend and learning the bank had authenticity concerns regarding a check they had issued to him.

Polanco suffered a neurological disorder and is currently receiving checks from a workers compensation insurance policy the truck insurance company covered him under.  Only later, after Polanco was arrested and suffered a seizure, did the insurance agent call Los Angeles police to verify the authenticity of the check.

According to the published reports of the court, the justices ruled in favor of the commercial truck insurance company, stating the agent had no specific legal obligation to place the call to the bank.  Though the case was dismissed in favor of the insurance company, it seems the entire incident could have been avoided with better customer service regarding the claim.

If there is always an open line of communication between insurance agents, claimants and insurance providers, situations like these can be completely avoided.  All it takes is a little personal service—in this case, one simple phone call in real time to the bank would have prevented the Polanco’s unnecessary arrest and possibly even his seizure.  It certainly would have prevented a four-year court case that was ultimately dismissed by the Court of Appeals.

When choosing a commercial truck insurance company, always make sure you trust your agent to provide you with expedient and detailed service in the case of a claim.  Without reasonable customer service, truck insurance claims can be a lot more difficult on both insurance companies and customers alike than they really need to be.

Royalty Truck Insurance knows that the truck driving industry represents one of the largest work forces in the United States. There are over 3.2 million truck driving jobs in the country according to the US Department of Labor statistics and the industry is projected to grow steadily in the coming years higher than the rate of new drivers are developing.

With over three million drivers that need commercial truck insurance out there, we at Royalty have come to understand the business pretty well.  Unfortunately the trucking industry was no exception to layoffs and job closures at the dawn of our current recession—the biggest in this country since the Great Depression.  Shipping needs dropped by about 20% almost immediately with the recession, but recent statistics and quarterly business earning published by the big shipping conglomerates seem to suggest that the industry is picking back up, so much so that they are suggesting a current shortage of truck drivers.

While it’s no cause to throw a parade yet or call the recession over by any means, this is a great sign, as the earnings of trucking companies tend to go hand in hand with the fluctuation of transportation needs, and increased transportation needs tend to go hand in hand with a spiking economy.

According to an article published by Reuters this past month, UPS, CSX Corp, JB Hunt Transport and Landstar System all reported higher than expected earnings for the first quarter of 2010 that reflect improved shipping demands.
Additionally, the logistics firm FTR Associates seemed to hint at a shortage of truck drivers at a trade forum earlier this year.
“As the marketplace expands, even slowly as we are forecasting, there will be a driver shortage,” said FTR Associates representative Noel Perry. He went on to forecast a driver shortage of 180,000 truckers in 2010 and upwards of 500,000 in 2011 if the economy rebounds as expected.

A spokesman for JB Hunt alluded to experienced driver competition increasing between companies, as all major trucking companies seem to be hiring at a much higher rate than they have in the past year and a half.
“While masked by a poor economy in recent years,” JB Hunt rep Greg Smith told Reuters, “these factors, combined with fewer new entrants coming through driving school and carrier training programs during the recession, will limit the ability of the industry to add capacity.”

New safety regulations imposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will take effect in 2010 as well and also affect the pool of capable truckers.  Programs are in place to monitor trucker’s driving records and history, threatening fleet suspension if the company’s drivers aren’t up to par with new standards.  The plus side is that safe drivers will definitely have an impact on commercial truck insurance rates and of course, overall highway safety.

Additionally, UPS is projecting some 25,000 drivers will retire in the coming five years.  So make sure your truck insurance policy is up to date and keep your driving record safe, because all signs are pointing to increased available opportunity for a slew of qualified truck drivers in the coming months.  With an unemployment rate of about 10% still in the US, the news for truck drivers couldn’t come at a better time.

If ever there was an example of a dump truck owner needing top quality commercial trucking insurance, it comes in a recent sentencing of a Wisconsin man named Michael Frambs.  Frambs, a resident of the small Northern Wisconsin town of Eau Claire, stole a dump truck in June of last year and took it on a parade of destruction in the front yards of the residential suburb Lake Hallie, slamming it into two houses and three parked cars at 11:00pm while the families were occupying their homes. Not only that, but an Eau Claire police officer had to physically jump into the dump truck passenger door to stop Frambs from causing any more damage.  Initially, Frambs tried to push the officer out of the truck, but he was eventually overpowered and cruised to a stop.

All of this racked up 18 different charges to the Wisconsin man, but after cooperation with the law, plea bargaining and given the fact he had no prior record, a judge sentenced him to a mere 360 days of jail time, some of which was served awaiting his trial, and seven years probation. Frambs, a young man at the age of 24, was also required by law to pay back $90,000 in damages for his dump truck rampage. It is speculated that he will be released from jail before his sentence is served because of good behavior and cooperation.

A good commercial truck insurance policy with full comprehensive coverage would likely pay for all of the damages that Frambs or any other delinquent might have caused with the truck.  Luckily, the damages in this case only equated to a truck insurance payout of less than $100,000, which is roughly the average damage amount associated with hefty truck insurance claims after accidents.  The damages could have been infinitely worse, as a dump truck has the power to crush through entire houses, and certainly could have injured or killed anyone in its path.

Wisconsin may take the cake for the most forgiving and understanding residents in the world, as many neighbors who were affected by the dump truck rampage told Wisconsin’s WEAU news that they were okay with the compassionate sentence since no one was injured in this particular instance.
“I think it’s probably fair,” said neighbor Becky Van Nortrick to the WEAU news team. “I mean, hopefully he’s learned a valuable lesson on this.”
And hopefully the owner of the dump truck had a great commercial truck insurance policy!

Just as the current trend in American cinema is to take advantage of 3D technology to give films a greater impact on audiences and garner them more overall attention, so has the 3D concept begun to permeate the marketing and advertising world.

Mobile billboards have been a popular form of advertising for years, as they allow trucking companies to gain some extra revenue and are usually a lower cost to advertisers than traditional billboards, as installation and maintenance of vehicle-sized ads are substantially less than their building-sized counterparts.  Studies have also shown that mobile advertising is effective, gaining a significant amount of consumer attention that’s in line with that of traditional billboards.

Advances have been made in printing and imaging that allow advertisements to be replaced or changed fairly inexpensively.  And now, designers are beginning to get a little more creative by implementing ads on all sides of trailers to create the illusion of a 3D image.

Check out these pictures which reportedly came from a European advertising contest; they’re actually Photoshop-generated entries of the same blank truck with contestant’s designs layered on top that were judged in the contest.

The first is an ad for a European beer, seemingly poking out of the trailer when viewed from the back corner.  We hope the driver’s truck insurance policy has an alcohol clause! The second is a stack of Pepsi cartons that seem to defy gravity and the third is a mobile library for a bookseller ad.  The fourth makes us at Royalty Truck Insurance cringe, depicting a driver on the road backwards. (We hope he gets a corrective lens examination before renewing his truck insurance policy!) The driver in the Pringles ad better have been covered with primary liability and a good hazardous materials hauler policy, because they’re going to need a new trailer after this delivery!

According to sources, these were all notable entries that received significant attention at the contest, and allegedly the Pepsi and Pringles advertisements actually made it to trailers in Germany—hopefully they won’t detract drivers on the road too much! Remember, these are all in good fun and in the interest of effective marketing, but don’t take your eyes off the road for mobile advertisements!  Driver safety is the number one way to avoid having to make commercial truck insurance claims and we at Royalty Truck Insurance always say good driver safety is good business!

At Royalty Truck Insurance, we do our best to make sure that all of our carriers are covered in the event of an accident.  But accidents involving large trucks can be extremely serious, and though covering you and your trucks with liability insurance is essential, your insurance should only be your second line of defense against accidents; prevention and safety should be the first.  Truck safety is of the utmost importance in avoiding serious injury or fatalities associated with commercial accidents, and it is imperative for all companies and drivers to ensure they are not putting themselves in compromising positions that can increase the risk of crashes.

If you check out some of the statistics posted by the US Department of Transportation, you’ll notice that it’s shocking how many commercial truck accidents that have occurred in recent years could have been prevented. In 2005 there were over 5,000 deaths and over 90,000 injuries reported as a result of commercial truck-related accidents. In recent years with similar statistics, it has been estimated that over 20% of these accidents occurred while excessive speeding was involved.  It is important for truck drivers to obey traffic laws at all times, but probably more important for them to recognize that many drivers on the road will not.  Always be attentive to the other drivers on the road around you, and if you notice reckless drivers or speeders, drive defensively and avoid them rather than reacting toward them aggressively.

To add to the speeding statistic, roughly 5% of drivers involved in large truck accidents were excessively fatigued, and another 2% were using alcohol or controlled substances.  We always have pressure to hit deadlines and meet demand, but using substances to stay awake or trying to push through fatigue is extremely dangerous to driver awareness. 
While you may think you need to make a quick delivery to get another job or handle another account, recognize that safety is much better business than risking accidents.  Of all the accidents in 2005 that resulted in a fatality, the average cost of the truck crash was $3.6 million.  The accidents that resulted in injuries averaged a cost of almost $200,000 per crash. The average cost per crash for all accidents combined was about $90,000. No amount of business able to be gained from rushing or pushing the limits of drivers outweighs the financial risks of a crash—not to mention the priceless loss of life that occurs far too many times per year.

So being up to date with a quality truck insurance policy that covers liability is essential, but don’t let the peace of mind it grants detract from your usual safety measures.  Follow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration guidelines and standards for safe driving, and always make sure that you’re staying alert and defensive while on the road.  For a truck insurance qute please contact us to visit us online for a quick truck insurance quote.