Who needs it
For-hire and private motor carriers hauling hazardous materials, substances, wastes or oil listed in federal hazmat rules. Some of these minimums apply even within one state.
What it pays for
- Liability at the higher federal minimum for your hazmat class
- Injuries and property damage you cause to others, as with any auto liability
- Pollution and cleanup costs after a spill, if your policy includes pollution coverage
What it won't pay for
- Spills from a slow leak or poor maintenance, usually
- Pollution from your load, on a standard policy without pollution coverage
- Fines and penalties
- Damage to your own truck and the freight itself
What moves the price
We don't show prices online. These are the things an agent and the insurance companies look at.
- The hazard class you haul
- Bulk tank or non-bulk packages
- The liability limit you need
- Drivers' hazmat experience and records
- Where you run
- Your claims history
Real situations
- A tanker hauling diesel rolls over and spills onto the highway shoulder. Liability pays for injured people and damaged property, and pollution coverage pays for the cleanup, up to its limit.
- A drum of corrosive chemical breaks open in a crash and damages a car next to you. Your liability policy pays for the car.