It pays to check around each time your insurance comes around for renewal. Sometimes it is the way the agent presents your application to the underwriters. I found out about a year ago the underwriter who looks at your application can make a big difference in your premium.

 

Thanks guys,

I was just trying to get in touch with Cooper Insurance to get a quote from Northland like henboy said but they're not working today.

Where can I check Northland myself?

And, in your opinion, $4998 from Great West wouldn't be that bad, right?

 

$4998 is a pretty decent rate, but I would still check around to see if you can find something a little cheaper. From what I have been told, Northland has been giving the best rates recently. That can change at a moments notice. One thing that I have found is that one insurance company may be less in one area while another may be less in a different area of the country.

 

INSURANCE COMPANYS ARE STRUGGLING JUST LIKE WE ARE.
Before Northland, I called up at least 7 of them for a quote.Carribou Insurance who writes for Great West insurance called me back several times to sign me on.His first quote was 7500.When I found Cooper Insurance/Northland, I never called him back.They are struggling and eager to sign O/O on.

NO ONE SHOULD PAY $8000/YR WITH DECENT CREDIT ABOVE 700, AND BEEN AN O/O FOR MORE THAN 4 YRS.NOT TO FORGET A CLEAN MVR and an equipment not more than 30k.

I met a spanish guy when we were picking up a load, and his truck trailer was worth around 25k.He was paying 12grand, then again the guy could barely speak english
to understand this whole business.


This story is unrelated.
A friend of mine named Misha, called me because his friend needed a driver for his truck.I then talked to his friend named Olland on the phone to find out what kind of driver he was looking for.Previous to this conversation, I had talked to a driver who was looking for work.Len was referred to me by a former roomate of mine.My roomate's name is Rodney.Rodney said Len was ready to jump in someones truck.I never really knew Len, I just remember he had once bought a truck and was ready (dec last yr)to lease it on to a company.He couldn't find anyone to lease it on, and had to return the truck.I talked to him 3 months ago about being a potential driver.He did seem ok on the phone but in my mind I would be going strictly by the book with this guy.
Back to Misha and Olland.Misha gives the the phone to Olland who I had never talked to.I mentioned to Olland that I had talked to a potential driver named Len who might be a fit for what he was looking for.Apparently, Olland's driver was having seizures and high bloood pressure issues and he couldn't put him in the truck anymore.I did specifically let Olland know that this guy named Len is not a friend of mine but rather friend of my former roommate.Whatever went behind the scenes after I hung up with Olland, I have no idea.
To cut this story short................ 2 weeks later, Misha called me blaming me for referring this guy named Len to Olland as a driver.Come to find out, Lynn had totalled Olland's trailer.Instead of making a wide turn into Richard Kearns junkyard parking lot, he went on and hit a big rock that was put there to protect a bunch of gas lines at the entrance.Messed up the whole back axle,brake chambers etc.....
I was being blamed for referring this guy but I tried to defend myself.I am also pissed of at Rodney for not having a CDL and having the guts to refer me to a CDL driver.This whole thing is a dominoe effect but I still feel guilty and pissed.

There are many shady people in this business not doing the right thing.Come to find out , Olland has his authority but has no CDL.He had given Len a test drive and during the tests, Len was at times braking ubruptly.How can an owner without a CDL give a CDL driver a test drive?Unknowingly, the reason why no big company would hire Len is because he had totalled a company truck in the ice in NC(DAC).He did mention his DAC was messed up but he also said he had a clean MVR.Go figire.In one of the very first conversations with Olland, he had mentioned that he was looking for a cheaper insurance company.During of the converastions, I realised he wasn't doing the right thing when it came to his IFTA.The guy was clueless but had his authority.One the other hand, there are many drivers out there claiming they can drive, but whatever the heck they have been doing for the past 1yr without driving a big truck, ONLY GODS KNOWS.They cannot get hired by the big Carriers and they turn to people like me thinking I wouldn't screen them just like the big carriers.I had many applicants who had tickets going 15mph over the speed limit IN A BIG TRUCK.UNBELIEVABLE!
This is unrelated, I just wanted to vent about this.



DM, Cooper insurance was closed friday, I also need to contact them monday morning.

 

My renewal came back monday from northland. 18.3% decrease for 2010. Eight years with them. If you stick with them and follow their policy's and limit claims they keep getting cheaper.

 

When 1 quote is way cheaper than the others check and make sure it's quoted correctly. I got a quote once that was a few thousand cheaper and found out the agent had the truck listed as a Class 6 truck.

Sometimes it's an error and sometimes they do it on purpose to make the sale hoping when you get the bill you'll be too busy to shop and just pay it.

 

Hey Henboy,

I just spoke to Roger at Cooper Ins. but he told me he can't write me if I'm in IL - I'll look for a local agent to to get me a quote from Northland.

And, Bigmon, the lowest quote I got so far - $4998 from Great West - was through an agent I've been with for over 3 years so I wouldn't think it was by mistake.

I'll let you guys know what I find out from Northland.

P.S. Just got my IFTA - just walked out of IL Revenue in Springfield - spent $3.75 on decals + fuel and 3 hours drive one way to get here from Chicago.

 

I just spoke to an agent about Northland and - before even running it - he said he couldn't beat the $4998 from Great West. He said he could get me Northland for roughly $6k.

He also said that both Northland and Great West give you credit for being with them for bobtail and physical damage (as a leased o/o) so future/potential independents should take that into consideration.

 

[QUOTE=d.m.;469263]I just spoke to an agent about Northland and - before even running it - he said he couldn't beat the $4998 from Great West. He said he could get me Northland for roughly $6k.

He also said that both Northland and Great West give you credit for being with them for bobtail and physical damage (as a leased o/o) so future/potential independents should take that into consideration.[/QUO

Any quote besides Great West, try to get it down to $5500.It amazes me how a Northland quote form an agent in AL and one in GA will be totally different in pricing.They are struggling and as hungray as we are.

 

"Any quote besides Great West"

henboy, you don't mean you advise me against Great West, do you?