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Written by: Shelly Campbell

Category: Commercial Auto

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A flatbed truck is handy for a lot of commercial applications. The biggest issue operators face with flatbed liability is ensuring the load is secured correctly. At least with a box truck, you can store everything inside, and if you close and lock the door, cargo won’t go flying out onto the road, causing damage to other’s property or causing other drivers to crash. Of course, if the product inside a box truck isn’t secured, it could suffer loss, but at least others on the roadway would be safe from spillage. A flatbed is a different story. Tying down the load is critical.

Usually, the operator of a flatbed truck is transporting a single unit or something heavy and bundled together, strapped down. It might be a car, some other equipment, or a roll of fencing material. You wouldn’t want to stack bricks on the back of a flatbed without wrapping them securely in a crate.

Some flatbeds have a lift, allowing the operator to lower the bed, making loading easier. When insuring the truck for physical damage, we need to know if the vehicle has such additional equipment added. Many commercial insurance companies will cover items differently that are considered add-on equipment. We will need to distinguish between truck and chassis and auxiliary equipment.

Just like with any commercial vehicle, all drivers must be listed on the policy and be appropriately licensed according to the size of the truck they drive. An unlicensed, suspended, or unlisted driver causing an accident may void a claim.