If your insurance policy is coming up for renewal, it’s important to review your drivers’ scores to ensure you won’t be faced with significant premium increases.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, roadside inspections conducted by state and federal inspectors in 2016 revealed that nearly 5% of the commercial vehicle drivers had sufficient violations to require ordering the drivers out of service. (1)
Make Sure to Vet your Drivers or You’ll Pay for it – Driver Scores Impact Insurance Premiums
Driver performance plays a huge role in how underwriters determine your insurance rates. There are several factors that we consider when analyzing your fleet and the overall “Driver Score”:
Driving Records – Why they Matter to Underwriters
A driver’s past experience is a predictor of their future performance. History of traffic tickets or violations vs. a driver with a clear record makes a huge difference in determining the driver score. For example, violations such as failure to yield the right of way, including running traffic devices like a stoplight or stop sign, can cause severe intersection accidents which have a big impact on the motor vehicle report and driver score. Multiple speeding tickets is also a significant issue that impacts the driving record. Refer to the insurance driver eligibility form which outlines the disqualifying violations, along with key major violations, for more information on individual incidents.
Years of Commercial Driving Experience – Fewer is NOT Better
Driving experience is another underwriting component that impacts your driver score and insurance rates. The more experience drivers have behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle, the less likely they are to make mistakes that lead to violations, accidents and claims.
Safety Plans Save Lives and Money
When running a commercial trucking operation, it is always a good idea to have a safety plan in place. Management teams that demonstrate an active concern for safety typically have safer drivers. Formulating a safety plan, implementing good hiring practices (such as reviewing and monitoring potential and existing driver’s MVR’s) and hosting routine driver safety meetings positively impact your fleet driver score and help you save money on your insurance.
We encourage our insureds to work with a BizChoice Transporation customer service representative to identify and discuss ways to improve your Fleet Driver Score and save money on your next insurance renewal.
(1) FMCSA, 2017, https://driving-tests.org/driving-statistics/