Vehicle Insurance

Darin Cook_3

How many of you use your personal vehicle for your business? Basically you would use it for business and personal use. Does anyone have commercial truck insurance for this type scenario? Or do you just have your personal policy? I live in New York state so my truck has commercial license plates. Inquiring minds would like to know.






Darin

Phil_6

Truck insurance..

I'm in NY also. I have an astro van that I use myself which has commercial plates and is on my personal insurance. I also have a cube van which I have commercial insurance on. The premium for that one truck is more than I pay for my astro van, an old pick-up, another full size van and the wife's new Volvo. Combined.


Why do you ask? :-)

Phil

S Davis

Insurance

We had ours on the personal policy but after finding out that we would not be covered in an accident if they knew it was being used for commercial we changed to a commercial policy to a tune of about $4,000.00 extra a year for two trucks, but with the way every body is ready to sue at the drop of a hat it is worth the peace of mind.

S Davis


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Darin Cook_3

Peace of mind

I just bought a new truck and switched my license plates from the old truck to the new one. My insurance company made a mistake and showed a lapse of coverage. I get a notice of suspension on my registration and plates. I call up and get that squared away. The girl asks me why I have commercial plates on the truck? I explain that New York requires we have those plates. She asks if I use the truck for business, hauling material? I told her it is used for my personal vehicle and used to transport myself, tools, and parts to people's homes. She gives me a number to call of a different company who offers commercial vehicle insurance. She says that now they have to check on me to see if I am using it for business. This is Geico. I call back to the new customer quote number. I explain, I have a business going to peoples homes to work on plumbing and heating systems and use it for my personal use. Can you insure me? Please hold. A few minutes later, YES we can write you a policy. So my real question is, Do I need commercial insurance? I do not believe the State requires it. I have had my license for over twenty years with no accidents. With all the cash I have paid in premiums over the years, I do not want to pay any more if I don't have to.




Darin

Grumpy_2

A siding installer in our area had a pickup truck insured as a personal vehicle under his family policy. He was involved in a serious crash and his coverage was denied because he was using the truck in a commercial enterprise against the rules of his policy (almost all insurers have this restriction). He lost his business, and his home because of it. Don't take the chance, it is a fully tax deductible item, even though you still have to make the dough to pay the premiums. Why risk it, factor it into your overhead cost and rate structure.

Al Letellier

insurance

I agree with Grumpy. If you're in business, why do you have a personnal vehicle? Unless you're a large business owner and the "boss" has her own car, everything you drive should be a business vehicle. Why give it to Uncle Sam?. We're a small shop with 4 vehicles. My wife is the office manager and uses that SUV for everything from post office to delivery supplies to the crew. Seldom do we do anything that isn't business related, in one way or another, in our personal lives. We talk shop while driving, visit friends we've done work for (a customer by definition), go to trade shows and trade association meetings and functions....that's in a business vehicle. TAKE THE DEDUCTION!!!

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chuck shaw

I have two trucks

one is a full size pick up truck, the other is a 3/4 ton van which is lettered. I have commerical plates on both, obviously, the van makes sense. But, with Mr. Murphy who likes to ride shotgun, I figured it would be just my luck, that I would be delivering an oil tank, or a boiler with the pick up, and something would happen. I guess what I am saying is, a few dollars, buys a lot of sleep.

Chuck

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Mark Hunt

Just pay the damn insurance!!!!


Geeze!

billy

stumped

and

thats why the insurance agencies can charge us so much..........nobody really complains about the price........"just pay the damn insurance"

I guess none of you are comlaining about the gas prices either???

the rich get richer, and we pay the bills!

Bud_14

Becarefull

I have had my van for the first two years insured as a personal vehicle, the problem is if you have an accident in route to a job, equipment on the truck? whose paying for that? I've heard of a plumber one time that had a load shift as he turned the corner and caused an accident..personal insurance and not commercial use insurance...the insurace company wouldn't pay out! It's funny the other day I was sitting with the insurace man, removing the commercial insurance from my van...and putting in place a personal use policy:) The rate dropped about 68 bucks every 6 months, ok thats about 11 bucks a months savings.. but when I had the commercial insurance added, my cost went up from 45 bucks a month to 90 bucks a month DOUBLE! I asked how come so much? he said The truck used for commercial use is more of a risk...So I ask how come so little is being is being deducted now? He sez "I put all these figures into the computer and thats the cost"..I tried those other .com companies for a better rate...haven't found one with a better rate.

Oh yeah, I said,"I guess thats the cost of knowing I have the best possible plan there is", he sez, "well you really don't have the best plan." What do you mean? When I ordered the insurance on the car and van, i said I want the maximum limits...he said at that time they were the best, but the stae of Wisconsin has a Wrongfull Death limit of 500K now and you're only covered for 250K..So I walked in wanting to pay less and walked out breaking even and having better insurance.

Bud_14

Becarefull

I have had my van for the first two years insured as a personal vehicle, the problem is if you have an accident in route to a job, equipment on the truck? whose paying for that? I've heard of a plumber one time that had a load shift as he turned the corner and caused an accident..personal insurance and not commercial use insurance...the insurace company wouldn't pay out! It's funny the other day I was sitting with the insurace man, removing the commercial insurance from my van...and putting in place a personal use policy:) The rate dropped about 68 bucks every 6 months, ok thats about 11 bucks a months savings.. but when I had the commercial insurance added, my cost went up from 45 bucks a month to 90 bucks a month DOUBLE! I asked how come so much? he said The truck used for commercial use is more of a risk...So I ask how come so little is being is being deducted now? He sez "I put all these figures into the computer and thats the cost"..I tried those other .com companies for a better rate...haven't found one with a better rate.

Oh yeah, I said,"I guess thats the cost of knowing I have the best possible plan there is", he sez, "well you really don't have the best plan." What do you mean? When I ordered the insurance on the car and van, I said I want the maximum limits...he said at that time they were the best, but the state of Wisconsin has a Wrongfull Death limit of 500K now and you're only covered for 250K..So I walked in wanting to pay less and walked out breaking even and having better insurance. You can't win, don't wait until you need it to find out your accident isn't covered.

Bud

Darin Cook_3

CHING - CHING

That is the sound of the cash register at the insurance office. I have been getting quotes all morning and the lowest so far is almost $1800.00 a year. That is double from my personal plan. That is with a clean license. I could not imagine if you had a speeding ticket or a DWI. Looks like our prices are going up again.





Darin

JEM

Insurance

Ok, you pay this and I'll cover that but I make the rules. Insurance is nothing more than the largest form of leagalized GAMBLING in the world period. ,,,,,,,But you got to have it !! So we all play or pay and say Thank You.

Matt Clina

Commercial Plates in NY

I moved out of NY several years ago, but I think they changed the requirements for commercial plates. I can remember when any pickup truck had to have commercial plates, and a Chevy El Camino or Ford Ranchero was considered a commercial vehicle. It was a pain for those of us who lived along the Taconic State Parkway, because you couldn't drive on it with commercial plates, even in an El Camino.

I think that they have changed it so that you can register pickups with passenger plates. You might need to have a cap on the truck?

I can't say which way you want to handle business vehicles. I would suspect that commercial is better from a liability standpoint.

Darin Cook_3

In the end

I am just going to get the commercial insurance. I was never trying to pull any thing, I just ASSUMED that since this is my personal vehicle it was covered by my personal insurance. This is just another example of how assuming things can get you into trouble. Ignorance is no excuse, or so the cop would say to me.





Darin

S Davis

Be Happy

Be happy ours is $5500.00 for two trucks, no accidents or tickets for the last 20 years.

S Davis


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bob_34

i was always told by my insurance man that commercial was cheaper because the average commercial driver is safer than the average private driver making their loss ratios better on commercial. my box van [1993] is 450 bucks a year including fire -theft-collision. my private car [2000] is about 650 with fire-theft-collision.