Trucking Insurance FAQS

If you are an owner-operator driving a truck in Florida you need to know all there is to know about trucking insurance in Florida because your very livelihood relies on having your truck even if something bad happens. At Zot Insurance Agency we are happy to answer any questions you have about trucking insurance in Florida. We serve drivers in and around Davie, FL with quality insurance services. 

Trucking Insurance Frequently Asked Questions

  • How does trucking insurance differ from regular driver’s insurance? There are higher coverage limits, and the premiums can be higher as well. Regular driver’s do not come across the same risks that a trucker does and a good insurance policy will protect you and your livelihood in case of an accident. 
  • How much coverage do I need? In Florida, you are required to carry a minimum that starts at $10,000 but can grow significantly according to what your cargo is. Ask about specific coverage requirements for your situation. It is a good idea to go beyond the minimum requirements so you have more than minimum aid after an incident. 
  • Should I buy more than my employer covers?  If you are not an owner-operator and are driving under your employer’s insurance policy it may be a good idea to buy an additional umbrella policy to protect yourself further. Discuss your options with our insurance agent, and possibly your employer to see if they want to fund part of your additional coverage. 

Contact us at Zot Insurance Agency to learn more about trucking insurance or to purchase a policy. We serve Davie, FL and the surrounding areas with quality insurance services for all types of drivers. Do not let risk lay in your life or job, get the coverage you need at the price you want. 

Why Vacant Home Insurance Is a Good Idea

Many people do not consider getting insurance coverage for a home that is vacant. If it is not occupied, why would it need to be insured? And many insurance companies standard plans will not cover events that may happen in a house that is unoccupied for certain periods of time.  

There are good reasons to have the property insured at all times. Zot Insurance Agency in Davie, FL deals with this type of situation and can help you choose the right insurance.

Providing financial protection from loss, theft or damage of a home that is uninhabited is what unoccupied property insurance deals with. A standard homeowners insurance policy won’t cover things like vandalism, fires, damages or other types of claims on a vacant property that has not been occupied. Leaving your home for even a few months and something like your home being vandalized, vacant home insurance is what would be needed for coverage because standard homeowners policy doesn’t cover this.

Unoccupied or vacant property insurance can be purchased as an add on to existing homeowner policies or it can be purchased separately. If it is purchased as a standalone, it is possible to eliminate the cost of a regular homeowner policy. An add on will potentially increase the cost of an existing standard policy.

The reason that standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover unoccupied and vacant homes is that a greater insurance risk comes with an occupied home. Reasons can include greater chances of theft and vandalism in addition to an emergency response being slower since no life-threatening dangers exist when no one is there and the fire will be reported slower. These increase costs for insurance agencies that aren’t covered under a standard policy.

If you have a vacant home in need of insurance, Zot Insurance Agency in Davie, FL can help you with different options to suit your needs.

Do I Need Fleet Insurance If I Own More Than One Rig?

Owning a trucking company can make for some pretty big decisions. One of the most common is deciding whether or not you want to own two or more trucks. Not only does that require managing logistics, it also means finding the right type of insurance policy that will fully protect your business. Buying more than one semi can provide you the opportunity to invest in fleet insurance which could eventually result in major savings. In Davie, FL, the agents at Zot Insurance Agency can help you figure out what you need.

Fleet Insurance

Fleet insurance is designed to cover multiple vehicles that are used in the daily operations of your business. While some insurance companies require you to have at least two vehicles, others can require as many as five before you can be considered for fleet insurance. Vehicles that are maintained under a fleet insurance policy should only be used for the operations of the business.

Discounts for Multiple Vehicles

Insuring each vehicle on a one on one basis can be extremely expensive. Fleet insurance policies allow you to insure all of your vehicles under one policy, eliminating the extra administrative fees while providing you with the same type of coverage for an affordable rate. Rates vary from company to company so talking to your insurance agent is the best way to find out just how much you will save over the course of a year.

The agents of Zot insurance Agency make themselves available to business owners in Davie, FL who own multiple vehicles as part of their business. They can provide all of the answers you will need about fleet insurance. All you have to do is call and set up a consultation.

 

 

 

Does Commercial Insurance Cover Just Your Building?

Commercial insurance is something that all business owners should have. It covers a great deal more than you might expect in addition to your building itself. For those that live in the Davie, FL area, the agents with Zot Insurance Agency can help you find the commercial coverage that works best for you.

A commercial policy is first and foremost in place to protect the physical business itself. This means the building in which it is housed, the inventory, and any other elements that are vital to the working of the business. This also means anything like computers, scanners, or machines that are used to make products for sale for the business. This type of policy also covers your employees. If they are injured on the job, the policy can help pay for medical costs and for time off work.

It can also cover things like customer injury and even lawsuit costs if you are potentially dealing with a lawsuit. These coverages are there to make sure that you can stay open and stay operating through a greater variety of instances and that your business is always going to be working effectively even if something were to happen. Commercial policies can also have supplementary policies built in to protect from things like vandalism, theft, flood and so much more. It is critical that you make sure your commercial coverage fits the business that you are running and that your coverage is going to protect your business from just about anything.

For those that live in the Davie, FL area, the agents with Zot Insurance Agency can help you tailor a policy to your business and to your specific needs to make sure you are covered no matter what comes your way and no matter what you have to deal with.

Purchasing a Home? What Steps Should You Take?

If you’re interested in purchasing a home, you have more ahead of you than you may realize. It’s important though to follow these rules. At Zot Insurance Agency, serving Davie, FL and the surrounding area, we strive to help make the process of buying a home and maintaining it easier. 

Decide on a Budget

Before you decide on a home, you need to determine what’s in your price range. You want to keep in mind you may need to pay a higher monthly rate if you choose to put down a smaller down payment, especially since you may need to pay a special fee. To help you decide on a budget, you may want to use a mortgage calculator.

Start Looking for Homes

The second step to purchasing a home is browsing the homes that are in your price range.

Getting Your Loan

Then, you want to get qualified by a lender and gain approval. 

Make an Offer

The next step is to make an offer on the home you want. 

Select Your Loan

Then, you want to work with your mortgage lender and obtain your loan.

Get a Home Appraisal 

Your lender is going to ask you to get an appraisal. This particular portion of the home buying process consists of a person who isn’t associated with your lender going to the home and figuring out the value of your home. 

Paperwork

Like any major purchase, you have paperwork to fill out. In fact, when you’re buying a home, you have a great deal of paperwork to complete. 

Closing 

Closing the house is the final step. You finish with the last of the paperwork and loan documents. 

Get Insurance

As soon as you get your home, you want to purchase a home insurance policy.

Get a quote for a home insurance policy from Zot Insurance Agency, serving Davie, FL and the surrounding region, by calling 954-680-8088 today.  

Trucking Insurance: Excessive Liability Or Umbrella Coverage?

When it comes to your Florida trucking insurance, although the terms excess liability and umbrella liability are often confused as being the same, they are quite different. Zot Insurance Agency is here to help you understand how each type of insurance works. 

Umbrella vs. Excess Liability Insurance 

While there are similarities, there are differences. Umbrella liability is collective. It could reach over general, auto, or employer’s liability, as well as provide coverage when the underlying coverage does not exist. Excess liability is very specific. It is extra coverage over a set amount for all three lines of coverage. What they do share in common is that for either an umbrella or excess liability policy to trigger, the underlying insurance policy line must be exhausted. 

Umbrella Liability and Excess Liability Insurance Coverage 

Both policies provide an excellent solution to help you protect your assets (such as your Davie, FL home) and net worth in the event you are faced with a large claim. The coverages may also meet shipper’s requirements for specific loads. 

For example, excess liability can be written in whereby the carrier chooses not to select the higher limits required by the shipping contract. This provides no coverage for other hauls that the carrier has that do not involve the shipper named on your excess liability policy. If an umbrella policy is triggered due to a claim that doesn’t include the underlying insurance than retention or deductible (typically $10,000 per claim) would apply.  

With ever-increasing claims in the trucking industry, it is smart to consider either an excess liability policy or an umbrella liability policy to protect you and your business. To learn more about umbrella and excess liability or to speak with an agent about your trucking insurance needs, call  Zot Insurance Agency in Davie, FL today. We serve over seven states!

Can You Have More than One Commercial Policy?

When it comes to commercial insurance, it is always best to know just what you can and cannot have. For those that live in the Davie, FL area, the agents with Zot Insurance Agency can help you to determine what type of coverage you need and what type of coverage you want for your business.

When you have a commercial property, it is essential to have a commercial policy to help protect this property from theft, damage, and to help protect the employees that work there, as such, it is essential to figure out what policy is going to work for you. In many cases, you can have as much insurance as you wish on any property. The issue when it comes to having multiple policies is the overall value of the business.

You cannot, for instance, have three policies on one property that amount to more than the property is worth. This causes an issue with most insurance companies as insuring a business for far more than it is worth is going to cost the insurance company a great deal more money to take care of a claim than what the property is actually worth.

In most cases, you are not going to be able to have multiple policies on the same property through the same insurance company. You may be able to insure it through another company, but you always want to speak with an agent about what is legal and what is smart when it comes to insuring your business. You can always insure your business and adjust coverage as needed to guarantee that you are going to be fully covered in the event of an incident.

For those in the Davie, FL area, the agents with Zot Insurance Agency can help you to find the policy that works best for you, and that is going to do the most for your business.  

Ways to Improve your Homeowner Insurance Risk Standing

Insurance companies pay attention to risk in every policy they approve and provide to consumers, and homeowners are no exception. So when a consumer in Davie, FL or anywhere in the state takes the time to reduce risk in a home that is covered, insurers often reward the consumer because it benefits the safety of the home as well as reduces their chance of having to address a damage claim. The most common way to reduce risk is to install a home alarm; this is a well-known discount and is even identified by insurers to new clients. However, there are other steps one can take as well.

Automatic water shut-offs are a newer tool, thanks to advancing technology, that are a big winner with home insurers, according to Zot Insurance Agency. The most common cause of water damage in a home tends to be a burst pipe or unidentified leak behind the internal walls of a home. Now, there are easy to install tools that monitor water presence and moisture around the highest risk water systems in a home, and this shuts the water flow to them if triggered. The water heater is a perfect example. Old heaters are notorious for springing leaks, and the water flow will normally continue if not shut off. An automatic moisture sensing monitor will solve this problem almost as soon as the leak happens and spreads.

Shatter proof windows are another method insurers like. Smash and grabs are common in neighborhoods where people commonly leave during the day for work. Higher temper glass makes it much harder to get in, even stopping some attempts. That also reduces losses. Again, the big benefit is a reduction of risk for the homeowner and insurer. If you need help finding out what benefits you can receive for  your home in Davie, FL, call Zot Insurance Agency today. We can guide you on exactly what changes to make and which will benefit you the most.

When do You Need Trucking Insurance?

If you own a business in Davie, FL that uses trucks for hauling equipment or transporting goods, you need trucking insurance to protect your vehicle and cargo. Any business that offers trucking services needs trucking insurance. Although this type of insurance is geared mainly to large companies with fleets of trucks, small business owners can also benefit from the protection this insurance has to offer. By talking to an agent from Zot Insurance Agency, you can get a better idea of the type of trucking insurance coverage you need.

Trucking Insurance Options

Trucking insurance policies come with many coverage options ranging from basic protection to customized coverage. Basic protection often includes collision damage and comprehensive insurance. Collision damage helps cover the repair costs of your vehicle and that of other drivers if you’re found at fault of an accident. Comprehensive insurance covers the costs of damages to your truck from accidents that don’t involve a collision like hail, wind, vandalism, etc. Before getting coverage, take time to assess your risks as this can help you choose the amount and type of coverage you need.

Customized Coverage

If you own a large fleet of trucks and your main business is transporting goods, you can get specialized insurance coverage to protect your assets fully. Options for specialized trucking insurance include commercial collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, auto liability, cargo insurance, and uninsured/underinsured motorist. You can tailor your policy to cover the types of vehicles in your fleet and the services they provide.

In short, you need trucking insurance if your business uses trucks for commercial purposes to haul equipment or supplies, transport hazardous materials, tow heavy machinery, deliver food, ship freight, or perform chauffeur services.

To learn more about trucking insurance and policy costs, contact us at Zot Insurance Agency in Davie, FL.

What Does Commercial Insurance Mean?

When you open up a business, you want to make sure it grows. One way to keep it safe is to have full coverage insurance, such as commercial insurance. Commercial insurance will protect your business from losses that may have to do with natural disasters, theft, employee accidents, or even auto accidents. The Zot Insurance Agency in Davie, FL would like you to inform you about what it means to have commercial insurance.

Commercial Insurance Coverage Types

Having commercial insurance to protect your business can be costly, but worth it if something unexpected happens and you have no way of paying for damages. To be fully covered, you should consider all of the different types of policies under the commercial insurance umbrella. But there are two main types that you should have, at least.

  • Property insurance – Covers your building and equipment, if it is destroyed or damaged.

  • General liability insurance – If someone is injured on your property, then you could be covered for any damages the person received.

Other Types of Coverage

  • Commercial umbrella – This umbrella coverage fills in the gaps that general liability does not cover.

  • Electronic data coverage – With data being stored and developed more and more through the internet, it would be costly to lose it without this coverage.

  • Commercial Auto Insurance – Is similar to regular auto insurance, including bodily injury, property damage liability, and collision coverage.

Finding the Right Commercial Coverage

In Davie, FL, the professional agents at Zot Insurance Agency are waiting for you to call or stop by. They can happily help you find the right kind of commercial insurance for your business. They can also help you establish other types of insurance for your personal needs as well, such as auto, home, and life insurance.