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When you’re working with heavy machinery like skid steers or dump trucks, it’s often necessary to have liability coverage, at the very least. In this guide, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about insuring these vehicles, including how to get cheap dump truck insurance and garbage truck insurance.
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Commercial Dump Truck Insurance
Unless you’re using a dump truck for personal reasons, which is unlikely in 99% of the cases, then you’ll need to get commercial dump truck insurance coverage. A tailored dump truck insurance consists of different policies that cover your liability for personal injuries, property damage, and vehicular accidents.
Also, there is coverage for the commercial space used as a terminal, and even for the drivers and mechanics. So who will find commercial dump truck insurance useful? This insurance is for
- Standard dump truck businesses
- Semi-trailer end dump businesses
- Transfer dump truck businesses
- Super dump truck businesses
- Semi-trailer bottom dump truck businesses
- Side dump truck businesses
What is Covered by Dump Truck Insurance?
Exactly what is covered by your dump truck insurance depends on the kind of coverage that you’re getting. Keep in mind that each form of coverage that you add to your dump truck insurance policy will increase the cost of premiums. Let’s talk about the most common inclusion for a dump truck business – liability insurance.
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Liability Insurance for Dump Truck Businesses
Liability insurance will be very useful if you’re running a dump truck business that makes money by hauling debris, goods, or materials from other companies. Liability insurance has different types and for dump truck businesses, carriers offer general liability insurance.
General liability insurance will cover claims third parties file against your business. The language of general liability insurance covers claims for:
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Third-Party Personal Injuries | Third-Party Property Damage | Legal Expenses |
| Your dump truck business’s operations might cause injuries to third parties. For example, visitors might experience a slip and fall accident in the terminal. Those renting your dump truck might get injured due to sudden defects in the machine. If a third-party files a personal injury claim against your business, general liability insurance will pay for medical expenses | Dump trucks are big and loud machines and they might damage third-party property. For example, your dump truck’s horn might suddenly blow off due to defects causing a person standing by to get surprised and drop his phone. If the person requests reimbursement, general liability insurance will give the money on your behalf | Third parties who got injured or had their property damaged because of your business might take legal action. In such a situation, general liability insurance is to the rescue and will cover attorney fees, compensatory payments ordered by the court, and other legal costs |
Insurance companies underwrite general liability insurance for dump truck businesses comprehensively. At an additional cost, you can include add-ons to general liability insurance for more protection. These are:
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising Injury Coverage | Products and Completed Operations | Rented Premises Liability Coverage |
| Advertising injury coverage is an add-on in general liability insurance that covers claims for reputational and advertising harm. Use this to cover attorney fees, compensatory payments, and other legal costs if your dump truck business committed or allegedly committed slander, libel, false advertising, and copyright infringement | A client you’ve once worked with before might sue for personal injuries or property damage. In such a situation, products and completed operations coverage will pay for the associated expenses | If you’re renting a warehouse or a terminal to store your dump truck, rented premises liability coverage is handy. This will cover costs if the commercial space you’re renting is destroyed by fire. If the property owner demands payment, rented premises liability coverage will provide money on your behalf |
Commercial Property Insurance for Dump Truck Business
Just like a snow plowing business, you need commercial property insurance too. Commercial property insurance will provide coverage for the commercial building you’re using to store the dump truck, spare parts, other materials for maintenance, documents, computers, and more. This insurance covers the following perils:
 |
 |
|---|---|
| Building Destruction | Building Damage |
| If your dump truck business’s commercial building burns to the ground or crumbles due to extreme weather, commercial property insurance will reimburse your losses. Note that destruction due to earthquakes and floods aren’t covered | Fire, extreme weather, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils will incur some damages to your building’s structures. In such an event, commercial property insurance will give reimbursements based on the value of the damaged building structures |
Commercial property insurance comes with inclusions that allow it to not only protect your dump truck business’s building but also other physical assets. These are:
 |
 |
|---|---|
| Stocks and Contents Coverage | Business Equipment and Tools Coverage |
| Inside your dump truck business’s warehouse and office are oil, spare parts, computers, furniture, and other valuable items. If these become damaged or lost due to fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils, stocks and contents coverage will reimburse your losses based on the value of the items | You have trailers, jacks, drills, and other materials used to maintain the dump truck. Business equipment and tools coverage will reimburse losses if such items get lost or damaged within the business premises due to fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils |
Actual Cash Value vs Replacement Cost
Commercial property insurance provides reimbursements based on the actual cash value or replacement cost of the scheduled property. The table below explains the difference between the two:
 |
 |
|---|---|
| Actual Cash Value | Replacement Cost |
| Actual cash value commercial property insurance will provide reimbursements based on the depreciated worth of the scheduled property. This one will give a lesser payout if a covered peril happened when your property has aged a lot | The reimbursement replacement cost commercial property insurance provides doesn’t take depreciation into account. This means that you’ll recover the full value of the damaged or destroyed scheduled property regardless of its age |
Commercial Auto Insurance for Dump Truck Business
Your dump truck can’t operate legally if it’s not covered with commercial auto insurance. Commercial auto insurance is a coverage for vehicles used for business purposes whether they be a large dump truck, an automobile, a commercial van, a tractor-trailer, or any other vehicle. Commercial auto insurance provides the following protection for your dump truck business:
| Coverage | Function |
|---|---|
 Auto Liability Coverage |
While carrying a heavy load, a dump truck’s brake can fail. It’s also possible to hit someone due to blind spots. Either way, you’ll have to pay for the medical treatment of injured third parties and reimbursement for damaged property. The job of auto liability coverage is to cover such expenses on your behalf. Note that auto liability coverage will only apply if your dump truck caused an accident while dispatched |
 Physical Damage Coverage |
Physical damage coverage has two forms – collision and comprehensive. Collision physical damage coverage will pay for parts repair or replacement if your dump truck collided with a vehicle or object and incurred damage On the other hand, comprehensive physical damage coverage will cover parts repair or replacement if your dump truck incurred damage due to fire, theft, vandalism, hail, storm, and other covered perils |
 Emergency Roadside Assistance |
Your dump truck might stall on the road due to engine failure, battery failure, burst tires, defective brakes, etc. In connection, the job of auto liability coverage is to reimburse what you spent for towing, battery jump start service, gas delivery, tire delivery and replacement, and other roadside assistance services |
 MedPay/Personal Injury Protection |
Vehicular accidents don’t only injure third parties but the driver of your dump truck too. The purpose of medical payments coverage (MedPay) and personal injury protection is to cover his or her medical treatment/procedure as well as hospitalization |
Other Coverage for Your Dump Truck
Aside from commercial auto insurance, insurance companies also offer the following additional protection:
- Non-Trucking Liability Insurance
- Bobtail Insurance
- Cargo Insurance
Non-Trucking Liability Insurance
You or another driver might use the dump truck for non-commercial use. If an accident happens during such time, non-trucking liability insurance will pay for the medical expenses of injured-third parties. It will also provide reimbursements to individuals who had their property damaged because of the accident.
Bobtail Insurance
Bobtail insurance is useful if you’re using transfer dump trucks and semi-trailer end dump trucks. This will cover medical payments and reimbursements for damaged property and personal injuries if your dump truck causes an accident while there’s no trailer attached. By the way, there’s an insurance that works like non-trucking liability insurance and bobtail insurance at the same time – unladen insurance.
Cargo Insurance
Cargo insurance will pay out if the cargo your dump truck was carrying was either damaged or lost. Since dump trucks rarely carry expensive cargo, this kind of coverage usually isn’t that expensive compared to cargo insurance for other kinds of motor trucks.
Commercial Fleet Insurance
Commercial auto insurance will only allow you to cover one dump truck. That’s why it’s not a useful coverage if you own five or more units. In this situation, the insurance product you’ll need is commercial fleet insurance.
Commercial fleet insurance will provide coverage to five or more dump trucks under one policy. Also, its cost is way cheaper than if you decide to cover the dump trucks separately. Commercial fleet insurance doesn’t differ from commercial auto insurance in terms of the protection it provides as it includes auto liability coverage, physical damage coverage, medical payments/personal injury protection, and emergency roadside assistance coverage.
Workers Compensation Insurance for Dump Truck Business
Mechanics and drivers might experience repetitive motion injuries, chronic back pains, cuts, burns, and others. It’s your duty to look after employees when they experience a work-related injury or disease. Do not do this and you might be sued.
Of course, you don’t want to use business funds when looking after employees. This is why you should get workers’ compensation insurance.
Workers’ compensation insurance is required by law the moment one or more employees are in your dump truck business. Failure to get this will result in fines or imprisonment. The function of workers’ compensation insurance is to cover:
| Coverage | Function |
|---|---|
 Employee Treatment/Medical Procedure |
Workers’ compensation insurance will pay for the medical treatment/procedure of an injured or sick employee such as therapies and surgeries |
 Hospitalization |
If your dump truck business’s employee needs to stay in the hospital for a while, workers’ compensation insurance will take care of hospital bills |
 Medication |
Workers’ compensation insurance will also cover the expenses for medicines prescribed by the attending doctor of your injured or sick employee |
 Rehabilitation |
Injuries such as fractures, repetitive motion injuries, and others need rehabilitation or else, these will significantly reduce the employee’s quality of life. Workers’ compensation insurance covers rehabilitation costs so that the employee is fit to work once again |
 Lost Income Compensation |
Healing from an injury is to stop working for a while. Workers’ compensation insurance will help you compensate for the lost earnings of an injured or sick employee. Lost income compensation will be equal to two-thirds or 67% of the average weekly wage |
 Death Benefits |
Workers’ compensation insurance provides death benefits if your employee dies from his injury or sickness. Death benefits include but are not limited to funeral payments and allowance to dependents |
Is a Dump Truck Business Perilous for Employees?
A dump truck business is very perilous for employees. There are many recorded incidents that prove this. We’ve compiled some in the table below:
| Incident Date | What Happened? |
|---|---|
| November 2, 2020 | An employee was replacing the transmission of a dump truck and had to raise the vehicle’s cockpit to do so. While doing the task, the beam that prevented the cockpit from crashing down failed to do its purpose. As a result the employee was crushed |
| May 13, 2021 | An employee was facilitating the exit of a dump truck that unloaded a trailer. As the dump truck was backing up, it hit the employee |
Other Insurance Your Dump Truck Business Needs
Business Interruption Insurance
Business interruption insurance will pay out if your truck ends up getting damaged and you lose income from it being in the repair shop. This coverage will even payout if your truck can’t be used any longer, for example, if it is a write-off.
Fire and Theft Insurance
Fire and theft insurance is a form of comprehensive insurance that covers damage to your vehicle resulting from it being stolen or catching fire. Some of these insurance policies can also pay out if your truck is damaged by an act of God like a hurricane or a tornado.
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Dump Truck Insurance Cost
The average dump truck insurance cost is about $438 per month or $5,250 per year for a $1 million general liability coverage. This cost is for insuring a single dump truck.
If you’re looking for an accurate dump truck insurance quote, then you’ll need to account for the specifics of your situation. For example, your dump truck insurance cost will depend on your business’s history and whether or not there have been any collisions involving your trucks.
Another thing to consider is whether you’re insuring a single truck or if you’re insuring an entire fleet of trucks. If you have multiple trucks to insure, then you can expect to get a reduction in your premium on a per truck basis, so you’ll be paying less than you would if you had insured the trucks individually.
You’ll even have to account for the trucks themselves and the drivers behind their wheels. If you’re trying to insure older trucks that aren’t quite as expensive as a modern fleet, then you can expect to pay less to cover them, provided the dump trucks have been well-maintained and have passed an inspection by a mechanic.
Another factor that determines your dump truck insurance cost is what materials your dump truck hauls and the distance it is hauled for.
We’ve gone ahead and compiled some dump truck insurance quotes from some top insurers so you can have a better idea of the typical dump truck insurance price. These dump truck insurance estimates are for a relatively modern dump truck with million-dollar general liability coverage.
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CoverWallet | $300 | $3,600 | Dump truck insurance quotes comparison online |
| Geico | $350 | $4,200 | Dump truck insurance with discounts |
| Progressive | $430 | $4,730 | Commercial fleet insurance for dump truck businesses |
If you’re curious about how much you can expect it to cost you to insure your dump truck, simply click one of the ‘Get Quotes’ buttons at this page and follow the process to find some of the cheapest dump truck insurance quotes online from the best insurance companies.
Compare Dump Truck Insurance Quotes Online
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Best Dump Truck Insurance Companies
Instead of going to Google and typing in “dump truck insurance near me” and hoping for the best, it’s often a good idea to know which companies excel at providing coverage for vehicles like dump trucks. Here are the best dump truck insurance companies to work with. Know about their pros, cons, and pricing for a $1 million general liability coverage.
CoverWallet Dump Truck Insurance
Pros
- Cancel a policy anytime
- Get insured online
- Stable rates
- Easy policy management with the MyCoverWallet app
Cons
- Doesn’t help with state filings
CoverWallet’s dump truck insurance offers commercial auto insurance, nontrucking liability insurance, bobtail insurance, and other specialized insurance for dump truck businesses. You can also opt to go for commercial property insurance and workers’ compensation insurance if they apply to your business operations. Work with CoverWallet because it insures you instantly online. Upon getting insurance, the company then grants you access to the MyCoverWallet app where you pay premiums, check the status of insurance policies, and get certificates of insurance online.
Best for: Dump truck insurance quotes comparison online
Average cost: $300 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Geico Dump Truck Insurance
Pros
- Basic commercial auto insurance for dump truck business with a lot of discount options
Cons
- Other business insurance policies might be written by third-party companies
Geico tends to cover dump trucks under their commercial auto insurance policies. Their policies will protect you from damage to your vehicle, injuries caused to other motorists or pedestrians, damage to other’s property, and injury to the driver of the dump truck. Geico currently doesn’t offer coverage for semi-trucks and trailers.
Best for: Dump truck insurance with discounts
Average cost: $350 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Progressive Dump Truck Insurance
Pros
- Helps with state filings
- Has specialized motor carrier insurance policies for dump truck businesses
Cons
- Specific coverages are restricted by mileage
Unlike Geico, Progressive offers specific policies for dump trucks, and their coverage includes primary liability insurance and physical damage coverage. Progressive also works closely with motor carriers to make state and federal financial responsibility filings for them.
Best for: Commercial fleet insurance for dump truck businesses
Average cost: $430 per month
Our rating: 8/10
