Insurance for Trucking Companies that Haul Explosives

If you’re in an industry that sells explosives, weapons, hazardous materials or chemicals, you’re going to have specialized insurance. This is particularly true for construction companies or oil companies who regularly may need to transport explosive materials such as oil or dynamite from time to time. In addition, even basic businesses may need explosive shipments, especially around the 4th of July and New Year’s Eve.

There is no doubt that hauling explosives is a dangerous task and requires a special consideration when it comes to insurance. You are shipping explosive materials, meaning that if you were to crash you would cause a heck of a lot of damage to nearby cars and pedestrians. In addition, there are some factors that will affect how the shipment is hauled through the country. These are described below.

Factors That Affect the Hauling of Explosives

The factors that are taken into account when you are hauling explosives vary and you need to plan out where you’ll be going and how many explosives you’ll be hauling. Here are a few factors that will have an effect on the shipment.

The Law

This is an obvious one but one that will affect how the explosives are kept during transportation. The OSHA in the US Department of Labor has a number of rules and regulation that companies need to follow when they are hauling explosives across the country. There are a lot of rules with the mains stating that the explosives should not be contained in spark-producing metal. If the explosives are contained in a box, wood needs to be placed on the inside of the box to prevent any unwanted explosions. In addition, the vehicle hauling the explosives needs to be labeled on both the sides and back with the word “explosives”. Some laws may vary between states but these are the general guidelines.

Escorts

Depending on the location you’re traveling, you may require escorts. This is particularly true when you’re hauling the explosives through a dense public area, like a city. In this instance, you probably get an escort through by the local Police department, as well as any of your own private escorts you have. This will prevent you from going somewhere you’re not meant to by accident and allows you to be aware of any approaching hazards.

Insurance Requirements and Costs

As for the actual insurance and costs of hauling explosives, it varies as with any insurance. The liability insurance and premiums for this kind of hauling are very expensive because the company needs to prove financial responsibility in case of an accident. In most cases, the liability for this insurance can be as much as 5 million dollars. This is for a truck weighing more or less than 10,000 pounds and one that is carrying hazardous materials, including explosives.

Conclusion

If you need to haul explosives across the country you will need to make sure you are following the rules and have the right insurance covering you in case you have an accident. There a lot of prices you can get for the liability insurance so let us help find the best price. Use us today and get a quote absolutely free!