Texas is an integral hub for trucking, with interstates like I-10, I-20, I-30, and I-35 intersecting the state, along with critical ports like Houston and crossing points like Laredo. Commercial truck drivers are constantly hauling cargo in and out of the state. For these truckers, having proper insurance coverage is crucial for protecting themselves and the trucking business on these highly trafficked roads.
However, some truck drivers may not realize one of the key factors that affects insurance rates is the CAB report. Insurance companies use this report to set rates, so understanding how it impacts truck insurance is necessary.
What Is a CAB Report and What’s In It?
A CAB report provides details on your driving history and is generated by the Department of Motor Vehicles. It includes details on any licenses that are held and recaps incidents that have been reported to the DMV. This can include:
- Loss of license due to violations
- Tickets for unsafe driving like speeding, illegal passing, running red lights
- Skipping court dates or failing to pay fines
- All accidents, whether you were at fault or not
- Your overall score as a driver from the DMV’s point of view
Major Violations Mean Much Higher Rates
Insurers consider some driving incidents as more serious. Major violations like reckless driving or careless driving, excessive speeding, improper lane changes, and especially DUIs will certainly increase your insurance rates. Some insurers may even decide to not cover you if multiple major violations have taken place within a short period. Minor tickets like equipment issues or paperwork violations have a smaller impact on premiums. However, these tickets still raise rates and may indicate risky driving behaviors to your insurer.
Crashes Raise Your Risk Profile
If you are involved in an at-fault accident, this means you’re more likely to file a claim, which would raise potential costs for insurers. So accidents where you’re given a violation or determined to have caused the accident will cause your premiums to rise. The more severe a crash is, the higher your rate increase will be. Even if you are involved in an accident where you are not at fault, this may still raise your insurance costs. Insurers know that the more time you spend on the road, the more vulnerable you are to accidents — so they still see you as a higher risk.
How Clean Records Lead To Savings
While you may be worried about the findings on your CAB report, the good news is that a clean CAB report that has no citations or crashes lowers your risk profile. Insurers may reward good driving records with discounts on premiums. Maintaining a clean record for several years can lead to the biggest savings. Commercial truckers may be able to offset previous incidents on a CAB report by taking driving courses. Insurers recognize the risk-reducing benefits of additional training. Regardless, extreme violations still have lingering effects on premium rates for many years.
Improving Your CAB Score
The impact your CAB report has on insurance premiums gives truckers strong motivation to improve their driving record. That is why we want to share a few tips that could help you improve your report:
- Fight unfair tickets to get them removed from your record if the court agrees you did nothing wrong
- Review your driving history often so you catch problems right away
- Slow down and allow plenty of stopping distance to avoid speeding tickets
- Take refresher driving classes even if you’ve been ticket-free lately
- Talk to your insurance agent about how to counter the cost increases for serious violations
Your CAB Report Provides Insight on Premiums
We know truckers often feel frustrated by constant insurance rate increases and don’t understand the reasons behind them. Checking your CAB report gives you some insight into what’s affecting your insurance costs. Being aware of how driving history impacts premiums also encourages safer driving habits. Maintaining the cleanest record possible keeps insurance affordable so you can stay on the open road.
At J.E.B. Insurance Services, LLC, we offer competitive rates on commercial truck insurance in Florida, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Tennessee. Our agents have decades of experience helping truckers find the most affordable policies. Contact us today to discuss your needs.
