Commercial trucks are required to carry a minimum of just $750,000 in liability insurance — a figure that hasn’t increased in nearly 40 years. But in recent research by U.S. Xpress (NYSE: USX), 76% of U.S. adults agree or strongly agree the government should increase the minimum amount to $2 million.
In its Safe Trucking Report released Wednesday, the company details a few of its industry-leading road safety practices — including robust liability insurance. U.S. Xpress reports that it has maintained insurance above the Department of Transportation-required minimum for years.
More than doubling insurance minimums may put some smaller trucking companies out of business because they won’t be able to afford the premiums, but U.S. Xpress Chief Legal Officer Nathan Harwell believes it’s for the greater good.
“If a carrier can’t afford premiums on a $2 million insurance policy, you might question whether it should be operating a trucking company,” Harwell said.
U.S. Xpress said it’s a safety leader in other ways as well, including hair follicle testing for drugs and fleetwide installation of event recorders, speed limiters and disc brakes.
“Shippers entrust us with a huge responsibility and want to work with safety-conscious carriers who view the relationship between the parties as a true partnership,” said Harwell. “Our customers are increasingly sophisticated and want a similarly sophisticated carrier partner.”
Disclosure: FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller retains ownership of U.S. Xpress shares through his family trust.