1st Guard Commercial Truck Insurance Review
1st Guard is the trucker’s insurance company and focuses on offering direct-to-trucker insurance. The company prides itself with offering insurance options tailored specifically to truckers with massive funding through their parent company: Biglari Holdings Company.
The insurer has been serving customers for over 80 years, so you can be confident that you’re in good hands.
1st Guard Insurance Products
Three main insurance produces are offered under the 1st Guard name:
Physical Damage Insurance
Want physical damage insurance for a semi truck? 1st Guard has you covered. The insurance, also called collision coverage, is one of the best in the industry and provides coverage to fix or replace your trailers or tractors.
And coverage is extended to you even when you use your rig for personal use.
Key Features of Physical Damage Insurance
- Towing. The full cost of towing your vehicle to a repair facility nearby.
- Grille Guard. A no-deductible option if you have an approved grille guard.
- One Deductible. A single deductible if your truck and trailer were both involved in the same accident.
Physical Damage Options
Options can be added or removed from your policy. Whether you add an option will depend on your vehicle and needs. The following options are available for an additional fee:
- Extended Towing. A towing option that allows you to have your vehicle towed up to 2,000 miles.
- Downtime. Coverage for lost income while you’re replacing or having your vehicle repaired. Downtime coverage ensures that you remain financially stable even after an accident.
- Emergency Expense: Coverage for emergency expenses, such as lodging or transportation.
- Loan Gap: Insurance for your loan in the event that your truck depreciates in value rapidly and you owe money to the lender after an accident.
- Truck Rental Reimbursement: Rent a vehicle to replace your truck during repairs, and a large portion of the rental will be reimbursed.
Physical Damage Rates
Rates take multiple factors into account. When calculating rates, the company considers:
- Vehicle mileage
- Cost or value of the vehicle
- Value of the trailer
1st Guard will charge you monthly, so you don’t have to come up with a six-month payment like other insurers demand.
Non-trucking Liability Insurance
If you’re using your truck for personal use, it’s normally not covered under a standard insurance plan. A quick 10-minute drive can lead to an accident leaving your rig destroyed. Non-trucking liability insurance covers these very accidents.
Your vehicle will be covered in two main circumstances:
- Truck was being used for personal use
- Truck was in use for a non-economic purpose
This is vital 1st Guard insurance for owner operators. When you’re leasing the vehicle, there are times when your use will fall outside of the lease agreement. Non-trucking insurance covers these incidents so that you can pay off the lease.
Occupational Accident Insurance
Truckers are at risk of work injuries every day. If you’re injured as an owner-operator, you need coverage for potential injuries. No one plans to be injured on the job, but it happens every day. There are options from 1st Guard that offer important benefits, such as:
- Accidental death
- Accidental dismemberment
- Accident disability income
- Accident medical
Many owner-operators do not fall within the scope of workers’ compensation laws. 1st Guard offers this insurance through sponsored occupational accident programs.
Two main options are available:
- Workers’ Compensation insurance for fleet owners. A key form of insurance that is available to fleet drivers. You’ll need to call and provide an application to determine whether you meet the criteria for this product.
- Passenger Accident insurance. If passengers join you on the road, this insurance will cover the passenger if they’re injured while riding along.
Accident insurance covers both medical costs and lost wages that occur in the event of an occupational accident.
Programs Available for Fleets
Are you a fleet owner that needs to have a custom solution to meet your insurance needs? 1st Guard customizes their fleet programs to match your needs. Representatives will help you determine your program needs without the hassle of working with multiple insurers.
A suite of fleet tools is available through 1st Guard, including:
- Fleet analytics,which provide in-depth data about your fleet’s operations. You can view premiums and losses, vehicle stats and more through the program. You can rapidly view information graphs and other data to make rapid decisions for your business.
- Fleet support is provided with a dedicated team. You’ll work with a dedicated person who is available to answer all of your questions and will be there if you need additional support.
- Rapidly add drivers and equipment through an online interface. You can add or change unit numbers and view the value of each.
With the fleet program, you gain access to in-depth online reporting, easy online claim management and the ability to access all documentation online.
How is 1st Guard Rated?
1st Guard is a highly rated insurance company that gets additional points for their extra coverage options. Customers rate the insurer as “excellent.” A few of the main benefits of working with 1st Guard are:
- For an insurer, they offer some of the best customer service around. The ability to speak to a dedicated manager means that the same person will deal with your issues and know any recurring issues that you’re having.
- Prices are said to be great, but you will need to contact 1st Guard to see if their rates are any better than the rates you have with your current insurance provider.
- Service is also fast thanks to the online portal. Mobile apps also help you keep on top of your insurance and allow you to make claims or change coverage with the touch of a button.
When you need to get things done fast and don’t want to be stuck on the phone with an insurer night and day, 1st Guard is a great option. The insurer always picks up the phone and will help you obtain the coverage you need.
If you need commercial trucking insurance and want to work with a responsive, dedicated company, 1st Guard is good choice.
Visit 1stguard.com for more information.