Husky288XP
ArboristSite Guru
What is costing you guys, auto insurance wise, to cover your bucket truck?
Insuring a bucket
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tomtrees58
Addicted to ArboristSite
we used state farm
ducaticorse
Addicted to ArboristSite
Mine's a 97 GMC 7500 I have full coverage/ fire, theft, vandalism. 1 million injury coverage for med/disability. Costs about $1300 a year.
To do a proper comparison, you need to look at policies side by side. Coverage can vary wildly, and are priced accordingly.
treemandan
Tree Freak
TreeCo's life isn't even insured for that much, in fact he has more on his truck than himself but that is what it cost me for life ins. Why insure the truck when you don't insure your life?
ducaticorse
Addicted to ArboristSite
The million is not for my health care, it's for whomever I or my crew smashes into. It covers me up to a million in the event of huge med bills/disabillity/lawsuit brought by the the injured if we happen to be at fault.
sgreanbeans
Treeaculterologist
Insurance? whats that? whats dat fur?
1200 a year,full coverage with Pekin. 4 trucks, 4 trailers. I have very good rates as compared to most.
1200 a year,full coverage with Pekin. 4 trucks, 4 trailers. I have very good rates as compared to most.
ducaticorse
Addicted to ArboristSite
Let's see, my 1974 56Kgvwr is $2K a year alone. You have 8 pieces of equipment fully covered for a total of 1200? So your premium for an entire year on one piece, is far, far less than your deductible.
Do you happen to be bangin' the ins co's presidents daughter? How the hell does that even work? Makes no sense.
What trucks, and trailers specifically are covered under that 1200 a year?
I'm not being a ####, I'm just trying to figure out how that is even remotely possible. Your rates aren't good, they are literally unbelievable. Your insurance company should just pay you 1200 a year at that pint. Holy ****!
Well done though1
sgreanbeans
Treeaculterologist
They are all old trucks, which makes a diff, trailers are old as-well,and are not worth to much. I looked at it just now and I was wrong 420 a quarter, so my actual is 1680, it was 1200 but I added the 83' F-350 and 78' F-700. I also believe Pekin does package discounts, I have my Dental and Renters with them, also the commercial policy for the biz, which, well is not so cheap! Pekin is a International Co., you guys should look into them if your paying way more than me, I'm not special!
My total annual bill for all is, $4017.15, just did our year close out. That is for all biz related,with a 2 mil umbrella, dental and rental not in that. My F-250/F-150 are personal, they are with State Farm.
My total annual bill for all is, $4017.15, just did our year close out. That is for all biz related,with a 2 mil umbrella, dental and rental not in that. My F-250/F-150 are personal, they are with State Farm.
sgreanbeans
Treeaculterologist
2000 GMC bucket
1988 C-8000 bucket
1983 F-350
1978 F-700
2005 Baker Built Dump
2- 20ft flatbeds, year unknown
1-16 ft flat bed, year unkown
CHIPPER IS COVERED WITH BUCKET
DEDUCTIBLE IS $1000
1988 C-8000 bucket
1983 F-350
1978 F-700
2005 Baker Built Dump
2- 20ft flatbeds, year unknown
1-16 ft flat bed, year unkown
CHIPPER IS COVERED WITH BUCKET
DEDUCTIBLE IS $1000
Last edited:
ducaticorse
Addicted to ArboristSite
Thats still good pricing. My log truck is so high because of the weight. The bucket though, is like $1300 a year. That seems high in comparison to you. F600 is about a grand, and my ram is about the same. With chipper, the bucket, f600, the logger, and the ram i'm at about 5 grand a year.
sgreanbeans
Treeaculterologist
Id shop around! The big co's like Pekin and Zurich have the comm biz down pretty good, when I was shopping, State Farm, and those like them, where way higher. These Co's (Pekin and Zurich) primary is Biz Insurance, not H.O. or medical like the others, that is all secondary to them, opposite of Co's Like State Farm, Farmers, American Family, ETC.
State Farm will not even cover a tree service in Iowa! Why? you ask! I have no clue!
When you deal with a Agent, make no mistake, he is pumping it up, they adjust there prices based on what they think you will pay, believe it. The big co's dont do it that way, they have so many clients they have their margins are set pretty tight. Your not dealing with the local franchise guy trying to pay for their kids college. I have an office, but not an agent. They do all my bonds for me automatically (separate cost) which is nice, send them out to the city's as-well.
ducaticorse
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'm going to check on it. I think 2 grand is way to high for a 74 logger.
sgreanbeans
Treeaculterologist
You said earlier, that yours was high due to weight. I have never heard of that. The only time I deal with weight is at the DOT for registration and such. I have never been asked about weight when dealing with insurance. Only age and value. I too, believe you are paying way to much for that truck.
The small, independent agents are always looking for some stupid justification to charge you more, its all B.S. Try and scare you into some crazy extra coverage or tell you that you have to have this or that before they can insure you. Again, all B.S.
Then, when it is time to pay a claim. They drop you like a bad habit. When you are dropped, thats a big justification for the next guy to rape you even more. I dont deal with all that. I have not had a claim, ever, knocking on wood! But I did have a friend have one, he had Zurich, they paid right away, didn't raise his rates at all and he has been with them since with no problems at all. Zurich is not avail here, but dealt with them in Cali. The big Co's will give you discounts for proof of training, like safety, CPR and first aid. If you are lucky enough to be close to one of their main offices, they will provide that training for free, may even require it, at no charge. When I was at Gothic in S.D., they had a safety guy, from Zurich, come in all the time to give classes and he would even come out on the jobs to give tailgates.He would look thru our lubs and fuels and make sure we had all the MSDS. Granted, Gothic spent ALOT OF MONEY with them, so I'm sure that had something to do with all the extras. My point to all this, Commercial Insurance company's are way better than your General Insurance co.
Actually your insurance will be based off "principal driver" & secondary drivers!! if you`re getting commercial insurance & your employees will be driving....??? better hope their DMV record is good!!
I just went through this with a newbe.....he fills out all the paper work & when I submit to carrier........they call me & tell me "dont let him drive a bicycle" the guy had taken a points reduction test 3 times & had more moving violations than could be counted!!
when I told him "your worth less to me now cuz you cant (legally) drive" we decided to part ways! Im not paying top dollar for some one who I cant insure to drive a truck out.....My company wouldnt insure him!!!! it wasnt a matter of high risk!!
So when checking for prices....I suggest giving all drivers info to the carrier!!
good luck!!
LXT........
I just went through this with a newbe.....he fills out all the paper work & when I submit to carrier........they call me & tell me "dont let him drive a bicycle" the guy had taken a points reduction test 3 times & had more moving violations than could be counted!!
when I told him "your worth less to me now cuz you cant (legally) drive" we decided to part ways! Im not paying top dollar for some one who I cant insure to drive a truck out.....My company wouldnt insure him!!!! it wasnt a matter of high risk!!
So when checking for prices....I suggest giving all drivers info to the carrier!!
good luck!!
LXT........
sgreanbeans
Treeaculterologist
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