Tow Truck Insurance Philadelphia | Tow Truck Insurance : Tow Truck Insurance

Tow Truck Insurance Philadelphia PA

Posted on 24 August, 20181 August, 2023 by WIN Admin

Tow Truck Insurance Philadelphia PA — Great Deals, Call Today!

Tow Truck Insurance Philadelphia PA Great deals can be had on Tow Truck Insurance in Philadelphia Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas when you call Pathway Insurance @ 800-998-0662.

Our agents are standing by to take your calls, answer your questions, provide accurate rate quotes based on your provided information, and issue policies Monday through Friday up until 5 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Pathway Insurance is a leading agency offering Tow Truck Insurance in Pennsylvania and across the country in many states.

A second convenient way to speak with a licensed agent is to do so using this website. Click on our chat button and you will be connected to one of our Tow Truck Insurance Agents up until 8 PM.

The final way that you can reach out to us is by sending us your request for quotes and information by using our online quote forms.

Since we service the greater Philadelphia area choose the area closest to your business location, click that link, complete a few details, and a licensed agent will get back to you soon to answer your questions and provide rate quotes.

Tow Truck Insurance Philadelphia PA — You Can Lose Everything in the Blink of an Eye!

Hiring the wrong driver could cost you your entire business! Let’s see a fictitious example of how that happened with one towing operator who had been in business for some time.

Ted Jones of Jonesy Tosi Towing has a small but very financially successful towing operation.

Ted owns three tow trucks and employs three full-time drivers, two part-time drivers, and three other full-time staff to manage his business. One of Ted’s most experienced drivers, Bill Davis, tells Ted that he is going to be retiring and moving to Florida and his last day on the job is today.

Ted was caught completely unaware by Bill’s plans to suddenly retire and now he’s in a bad spot because he runs a 24-hour towing service and Bill just so happens to run the graveyard shift.

Ted tries to talk Bill out of quitting so soon but Bill has made up his mind, sold his house, purchased a small one-bedroom condo in Clearwater Florida, and is leaving tomorrow.

Ted now needs to scramble to find a replacement driver which will be tough in itself because, up until this point, Bill had been so reliable. Otherwise, he’s going to be running the graveyard shift himself personally.

Ted is getting close to retirement age himself and really doesn’t want to work more than he has to, especially from 12 am to 8 am in the morning. Ted runs a few ads online and has several people who call him for the job. He sets three interviews.

Two potential hires show up for the interview. One, named Jerry, is clearly hungover, with a heavy 5 o’clock shadow at 10:00 in the morning. The other is a younger man named Buzzy Bigelow, maybe 25 years old, if Ted had to guess.

Jerry was slovenly dressed, reeked of alcohol, and clearly, Ted could see, would not be someone he would entrust to driving his trucks.

Buzzy seemed to be the best of the two candidates so Ted hires him on the spot. However, Ted, in his desire to hire someone immediately, failed to run Buzzy’s MVR or ask for references.

Buzzy did give Ted a resume showing that he had three years of experience working for a company in Michigan and recently moved back home to Pennsylvania.

Wrecker Insurance Philadelphia PA — Hook, Line, and Sinker.

Ted bought Buzzy’s story hook, line, and sinker without checking his resume or running an MVR.

BIG MISTAKE!!!

Ted also wanted to bring Buzzy on as soon as possible because he had a scheduled seven-day cruise that was leaving in two days from Miami that he was going to take with his wife of 27 years, Belinda.

The other drivers assured Ted they could cover the slack in Ted’s absence, but Ted did not want to pay the extra overtime to his drivers so he hands the keys to one of the trucks over to Buzzy.

The next day, Ted and his wife are driven to the airport by their daughter Jane and they excitedly wait for their flight. They make it to the Miami airport at around noon and catch a shuttle service to the dock where they will sail away on their dream vacation to the Caribbean.

Before leaving, Ted calls the shop to check in to make sure Buzzy showed up for work. Ted’s dispatcher, Sally, assured him Buzzy showed up 30 minutes early for his training day with Pete Hilton, his day driver.

Both Sally and Pete are enthused about Buzzy’s positive disposition. Pete confidently assures Ted he made a good hiring decision. This gives Ted peace of mind so he can enjoy his Caribbean cruise.

Since Ted will be out of the country he has no access to email or text messages and he thoroughly enjoys his dream vacation with his wife.

As is true of all vacations, all good things come to an end. About 15 minutes before the cruise ship docks in Miami, Ted turns his cell phone on for the first time in a week and notices there are at least 50 text messages. He starts to go through them one by one.

Belinda, Ted’s wife, notices her husband’s expression go from alarm to something she’s never seen before; she sees an absolute look of horror on Ted’s face!

Buzzy, a One Man Wrecking Machine

After his training day with Pete, Buzzy hit the road the next evening on his own. After an excellent day of training, Buzzy turned into a one-man wrecking machine the next day once he was on his own.

Unbeknownst to Ted – because he didn’t check by running a simple motor vehicle report – Buzzy was an addict. He took hard drugs several times to calm his nerves before driving Ted’s large tow truck.

It’s tough to operate any type of machinery or large tow trucks when sober, let alone when you are under the influence of opioids.

It was reported to Ted after the fact via the local law enforcement that Buzzy damaged or wrecked five customer vehicles by 10:00 PM, severely injuring two people, one of whom later died.

Buzzy was subsequently chased by three police cars until they used stop sticks to prevent Buzzy from additional harm or property damage.

Ted’s $90,000 2017 wrecker was damaged and impounded. Buzzy was facing vehicular homicide charges. He later opted for a plea deal and got seven years.

Weeks later, Ted’s business was hit with five different lawsuits. Over time, judgments were assessed against Ted’s business, coming in at $9.8 million. One person, as was previously reported, died at the scene, and a second person was seriously injured, paralyzed from the waist down. There were a few other minor injuries.

Ted’s policy paid $1 million to the deceased victim as that was his maximum limit allowed. After that, Ted was forced to hire his own attorney to defend against the other lawsuits.

Ted lost his entire business because he failed to check Buzzy’s MVR and references, the latter being completely fabricated by Buzzy.

Tow Truck Insurance Pennsylvania — A Simple Mistake Ted Made!

If Ted would have taken the time to run a simple MVR on Buzzy he would’ve discovered that his driver’s license had been revoked because of two previous driving under the influence charges, in addition to three accidents and seven speeding tickets in the last three years.

Buzzy was actually 34 years old, living at his girlfriend’s home and desperate to feed his addiction but blessed with stunningly youthful looks and a sunny disposition.

He was under the influence at the interview yet Ted had no idea. Buzzy had never driven a tow truck in his life, and he was really hoping that Ted would not check his driver’s license number. Obviously, Ted did not.

In fact, Ted had forgotten to even call his insurance agent to add Buzzy to his policy because he was in such a rush to enjoy the last nice vacation he would ever have.

Ted’s insurance company had sent out a letter to Ted with something called a reservation of rights clause. In the beginning, it was Ted’s insurance company’s intention to fight Ted on paying the claim.

After a brief investigation, they decided that there was no malfeasance, or wrongdoing, on Ted’s part. He simply made a mistake. A big mistake.

Ted’s insurance company paid the $1 million claim, then promptly notified him they would no longer provide legal representation, as their obligation under their contract had been fulfilled with the claim payment.

Next, Ted’s insurance company canceled his policy, which really didn’t matter at this point. With all of the bad publicity, Ted’s business was going down the drain quickly.

The multi-million dollar judgments forced Ted into bankruptcy. He lost the business that he had worked so hard to develop.

Years of hard work and labor, many late nights, and, as the saying goes, lots of blood, sweat, and tears were all wiped out in the blink of an eye.

Buzzy really did not intend the harm he caused. He cleaned himself up in prison and was released two years early.

Ted never recovered. He went to work driving a tow truck for one of his competitors. His wife was forced to take a full-time job. He could no longer afford the home he had lived in for the last 19 years. Ted was ruined financially,

All because of one simple mistake, a mistake that you yourself could make quite easily.

Never allow someone to get behind the wheel of one of your commercial trucks without running their MVR reports.

Never fail to add drivers to your policy who are operating your covered vehicles. In the case above, Ted’s insurance company paid the claim of $1 million but they were willing to fight him in the beginning because they thought that Ted was trying to pull a fast one on them.

Some insurance companies would not have paid the claim because of exclusions within the fine print of their policy.

Don’t make Ted’s mistake your mistake.

Wrecker Insurance Philadelphia PA — Great Options Are One Call or Click Away!

Call the agents of Pathway Insurance by dialing 1-800-998-0662 Monday through Friday to receive quotes on Tow Truck Insurance in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas or use our chat system up to 8 PM through the week.

We are a leading agency offering Tow Truck Insurance in Pennsylvania and in many states throughout the country. You can count on Pathway to help you find the coverage you need.

You can also send us a request for quotes and information 24 hours per day by using our online submission system.

To use our online web portal, pick the area closest to your actual business location by clicking that link, fill out a few details on the quote form, and one of our specialists will get back to you quickly to help you with your insurance.

Please choose one of the links below:

If you are a new towing company. Visit this website to obtain your Tow Company License in Philadelphia.

Tow Truck Insurance Pennsylvania

Posted on 23 August, 201823 August, 2018 by WIN Admin

Tow Truck Insurance Pennsylvania — The Secret to Keeping Low Rates Explained!

Tow Truck Insurance Pennsylvania If you’re looking for the best options for Tow Truck Insurance in Pennsylvania you have found the right website.

Call 1-800-998-0662 Monday through Friday up until 5 PM EST to speak with a licensed agent about your Pennsylvania Tow Truck Insurance needs.

You can also use our online chat system to speak with a licensed agent up until 8 PM EST.

Pathway Insurance is a leading insurance agency specializing in Tow Truck Insurance in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and Alaska.

You can also send us a quotes and information request around-the-clock by clicking any of the links below closest to your area:

Want to know the secret to keeping your rates on Pennsylvania Tow Truck Insurance low for as long as you are in the towing business? Keep reading.

Tow Truck Insurance Pennsylvania — Give Us the Facts, Jack!

You might mistakenly conclude that the absolute secret to keeping your rates low for Tow Truck Insurance in Pennsylvania is to simply shop around from year to year. On one hand that sounds logical, but here’s the problem: There are relatively few insurance companies offering Tow Truck Insurance in Pennsylvania.

By contrast, there are hundreds of different insurers that offer Car or Home Insurance in Pennsylvania. Not so for Commercial Tow Truck Insurance in Pennsylvania.

Why are there so few companies willing to offer commercial Tow Truck Insurance in Pennsylvania?

It’s an interesting question, but here’s one answer. Commercial insurance inherently comes with more risk for insurers.

For example, tow trucks can range in size from small- to medium-duty trucks, up to tractor-trailer tow trucks that can pack a punch when they run into other vehicles, buildings, and, upon unfortunate occasion, people.

Example: in 2016, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 4,440 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes, a 2 percent increase from 2015. The number of large trucks and buses in fatal crashes has increased by 29 percent from its low of 3,432 in 2009. You can read that report by clicking on Trucking Accidents.

In addition, some towing companies have not been as strict in their hiring practices for drivers, making the mistake of hiring some individuals that would automatically need to be placed in a high-risk insurance category if they bought a personal car insurance policy.

In addition, aggressive towing practices have led to claims that were in most cases totally preventable.

Towing companies that work for auto clubs are paid less money than typical towing for hire and road side assistance companies. And the tow drivers, most on commissions themselves, are in a quick hurry to get from tow to tow, leading to haphazard activities by drivers that lead to unnecessary claims.

Example: one towing company had so many minor claims within a two-year period of time, mainly involving damage to customer vehicles that are being transported, that they could no longer find an insurance company willing to insure them affordably. They were forced to close down their multi-million dollar towing operation.

So, the bottom line is that few insurers want to provide Tow Truck Insurance in Pennsylvania.

Companies that you see advertising on television for car insurance will not offer this type of commercial insurance. It is simply a risk beyond their scope of acceptability. Therefore, fewer options mean higher prices.

However, there are some steps that you can take to keep your rates low, in contrast to towing companies that fail to take these steps. Let’s examine them now.

How to Keep Low Rates on Pennsylvania Tow Truck Insurance — Explained!

Because there are so few companies offering Pennsylvania Tow Truck Insurance it’s important for towing operators to understand which businesses get the best rates and which do not.

Example: The number 1 rate factor is claims history. A towing company paying the lowest premium rates will have had zero claims in the last 3 to 5 years. A company paying the highest premium is due to claim activity.

The difference between a company paying the least and the most for Pennsylvania Tow Truck Insurance could be ten times or more!

For example, it could be possible for a towing operator to pay as little as $3,000 per year per truck when they have a spotless claim record. Or, that same operator with a poor loss history could pay $30,000 per truck per year or more! (True)

Here’s the question to consider: Is it conceivably possible for a towing operator to have zero claims?

Absolutely.

Just like it is possible for someone who drives a personal automobile to never have had an accident it is possible for drivers of towing operations to be claim free.

How is it possible to be claim free? Hiring good drivers, firing bad drivers immediately, and good equipment and safety training. A good towing operation has a regimented safety training program, evaluates drivers on a regular basis, runs MVR reports frequently, and performs random drug tests.

Tow Truck Insurance Pennsylvania — Why Proper Experience & Training Is Vital

Why is driver training vital? Example: Many years ago, after being discharged from the military, I accepted my first civilian job working as an electronic tech for a scale company.

The scales we worked on were both small and large, i.e. truck scales for weigh stations. One day, my manager tells me to take the weight truck over to a weigh station in Indiana so that it could be tested and calibrated because there had been reports that it was providing inaccurate readings. I immediately told my supervisor that I have never driven a tractor truck before!

The weight truck carried a number of 5,000 pound test weights and the truck itself was a large international tractor truck. He throws the keys to me and tells me to practice driving the truck in the parking lot.

I did what my supervisor told me, practicing for about 15 minutes before he comes out to yell at me that I have had enough practice driving the truck and need to hit the road.

Turning on to the highway in that big truck was a bit nerve wracking as I knew I did not have enough experience behind the wheel, and, of course, ZERO training other than my 15-minute practice session in a parking lot.

Fortunately, I didn’t have an accident and I drove the truck half a dozen additional times before they got tired of hearing me grind the gears. They took me off big truck driving duties and gave me a smaller 25-foot box truck to drive.

Here is the problem: I had absolutely no business driving a tractor trailer. The probability of having an accident was great, and the fact I had ZERO experience driving a truck that large without a CDL license would have also been problematic for me in the event of a crash.

Training can make a big difference in your claims track record as a towing operator.

If you offer the same level of training that my supervisor did for me personally, this is a sure-fire recipe for disaster!

Do not allow inexperienced individuals to “learn on their own”. Make sure that you offer ride along training to observe the driver. Otherwise you may regret it later.

Remember, you are ultimately responsible for the actions of your drivers, regardless of whether they are employees or independent contractors.

GPS systems that allow you to track not only location but speed and hard braking are important tools to monitor the activity of your drivers. Additionally, purchasing dash cams to record activity for both front and back recording is also a good safety feature and will help you to keep claim activity lower.

Tow Truck Insurance Pennsylvania — Hire the Right Drivers.

Claims activity, as was mentioned above, is the number 1 reason why towing operators will pay the lowest rates for their Pennsylvania Tow Truck Insurance, and it’s also the number 1 reason why towing operators close their doors forever, because they can’t find affordable rates.

What drives claims? Bad drivers.

A bad driver or drivers will kill your business.

Example: one towing company with 20+ vehicles on their policy was canceled because of claim activity. Previously, they were paying around $80,000 per year with one insurer who has since gone out of business (too many claims).

Their new rate – the lowest they could find – was $365,000 per year!

They were a multi-million dollar towing operation and most of their trucks were financed. They could not simply shut down, so they paid the higher price to stay in business. Imagine if that is you.

Your insurance rates increase by four times because of bad drivers. Don’t think it’ll happen to you? Think again if you hire the wrong drivers.

As is true of any business, sometimes it is hard to find good help. Is that not true? Don’t fall into the mistake of hiring any driver who can fog a mirror; take the following steps prior to hiring a new driver:

#1 — run their motor vehicle report

#2 — only hire an experienced driver

#3 — ask if they caused any claims or accidents with the previous tow company. If so, ask for pertinent details on what happened.

#4 — require mandatory drug testing prior to hiring

Why should you take the above steps?

It is simply to protect your business. By failing to take the above steps you are entrusting a person whom you may have never known previously with your financial future.

In our next post we will see how you could lose everything in the blink of an eye when you hire the wrong driver or drivers. Click on Tow Truck Insurance in Philadelphia Pennsylvania to read this article.

Tow Truck Insurance Pennsylvania — A Company You Can Count On!

If you’re looking for a great deal on Tow Truck Insurance in Pennsylvania you can count on Pathway Insurance to help you find the coverage you need!

Call 1-800-998-0662 to speak with one of our licensed agents Monday through Friday up until 5 PM Eastern Standard Time, or use our online chat system to speak with an agent up until 8 PM EST.

Additionally, some have found it helpful to use our online system to request quotes around-the-clock. To do so, you simply need to click the links below closest to your operational area: