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.

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!

Motor carriers operating motor vehicles transporting hazardous materials, hazardous substances or hazardous wastes. For-hire motor carriers operating motor vehicles transporting property in interstate or foreign commerce. For-Hire motor carriers transporting passengers in interstate or foreign commerce. Private motor carriers domiciled in Mexico transporting property in interstate or foreign commerce.
Financial Responsibility: Having insurance policies or surety bonds sufficient to satisfy the minimum public liability requirements   { Royalty Truck Insurance can provide you with both.  You can receive a quote online http://royaltytruckinsurance.com/?id=truck-insurance-quote or call us at Toll Free: 1-866-989-8998 }
Public Liability:  Public Liability means liability for bodily injury, property damage and environmental restoration.
Environmental Restoration:  Environmental Restoration means restitution for the loss, damage, or destruction of natural resources arising out of an accidental discharge of toxic or other environmentally harmful materials or liquids
Definitions of terms relating to FMCSA financial responsibility regulations can be seen at:
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rulesregs/fmcsr/regs/387.5.htm
and/or
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rulesregs/fmcsr/regs/387.29.htm
Requirements: Motor carriers must have at least the minimum amount of insurance required by law. A list of the minimum requirements can be seen at:
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rulesregs/fmcsr/regs/387.9.htm
and/or
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rulesregs/fmcsr/regs/387.33.htm
Proof:  Proof of financial responsibility shall be maintained at the motor carrier’s principle place of business. All vehicles operating in the U.S. must have a legible copy of the proof of the required financial responsibility.  All motor vehicle in which there is no evidence of financial responsibility shall be denied entry into the U.S.
Examples of Proof:
Form MCS-90
Form MCS-82
Form MCS-90B
Form MCS- 82B
For more information or clarification please call Royalty Truck Insurance 1-866-989-8998

These tips coming from the US Department of Transportation.Reference:   Part 387 Minimum levels of financial responsibility for motor carriers

Overview: The training module is designed to educate the executive staff of motor carrier companies on the FMCSA regulation on the minimum levels of necessary financial responsibility

Purpose:  The purpose of these regulations is to create incentives for motor carriers to maintain and operate their vehicles in a safe manner and to maintain an appropriate level of financial responsibility.

Applicability:

Motor carriers operating motor vehicles transporting hazardous materials, hazardous substances or hazardous wastes. For-hire motor carriers operating motor vehicles transporting property in interstate or foreign commerce. For-Hire motor carriers transporting passengers in interstate or foreign commerce. Private motor carriers domiciled in Mexico transporting property in interstate or foreign commerce.

Financial Responsibility: Having insurance policies or surety bonds sufficient to satisfy the minimum public liability requirements   { Royalty Truck Insurance can provide you with both.  You can receive a quote online http://royaltytruckinsurance.com/?id=truck-insurance-quote or call us at Toll Free: 1-866-989-8998

Public Liability:  Public Liability means liability for bodily injury, property damage and environmental restoration.

Environmental Restoration:  Environmental Restoration means restitution for the loss, damage, or destruction of natural resources arising out of an accidental discharge of toxic or other environmentally harmful materials or liquids

Definitions of terms relating to FMCSA financial responsibility regulations can be seen at:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rulesregs/fmcsr/regs/387.5.htm

and/or

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rulesregs/fmcsr/regs/387.29.htm

Requirements: Motor carriers must have at least the minimum amount of insurance required by law. A list of the minimum requirements can be seen at:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rulesregs/fmcsr/regs/387.9.htm

and/or

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rulesregs/fmcsr/regs/387.33.htm

Proof:  Proof of financial responsibility shall be maintained at the motor carrier’s principle place of business. All vehicles operating in the U.S. must have a legible copy of the proof of the required financial responsibility.  All motor vehicle in which there is no evidence of financial responsibility shall be denied entry into the U.S.

Examples of Proof:

Form MCS-90

Form MCS-82

Form MCS-90B

Form MCS- 82B

For more information or clarification please call Royalty Truck Insurance 1-866-989-8998