Renting a Moving Truck - What Kind of Insurance You Need

     It's time to move; the boxes are packed , the truck is loaded and you're about to drive off into the sunset towards your new home. Then you wonder , what happens if I have an accident on the way? Who's responsible to fix the truck? What about all of your precious cargo in the back? You start to question "what kind of insurance do I need for this move?"

     There are 3 primary concerns when you are renting a truck to move your belongings from house 1 to house 2. They are:

1. What if something happens to the truck?
2. What if I crash into someone and hurt them?
3. What about all my stuff in the back?

The size of the truck plays a part in the answer , as does the specific coverage provided by your insurance company , but in general here is what you should know.

What if something happens to the truck? Most insurance companies provide coverage to rental trucks , but ONLY if they are UNDER 10 ,000 pounds. Since you probably won't have your truck scale with you when you're looking for a rental , it is typically for the smallest (or 2 smallest) trucks available to rent. Any truck heavier than 10 ,000 pounds is considered a commercial vehicle and therefore it is typically not covered by your personal auto insurance policy. The way to get the coverage is to buy it from the rental company. It's an extra expense , but it's far cheaper than buying a new truck if you crash the rental!

What if I crash into someone? Unfortunately , answer number one usually applies to question number two as well. Liability coverage (the coverage in your policy that protects you if you are liable for other people's injury or property damage) will probably need to be purchased from the rental company if the truck you are using is heavier than 10 ,000 pounds. However , many insurance companies will have a provision that extends your liability coverage to other vehicles as a back up coverage. This means you may only need to buy the minimum coverage offered by the rental company if you carry good liability limits on your personal insurance policy (something that we've recommended repeatedly!)

What about all my stuff in the back? Most insurance companies will extend coverage from your property insurance to cover your personal belongings while in transit. HOWEVER , you must have an active property policy (insurance on either the place you are moving out of or the place you are moving in to) in order for there to be coverage. Also , some companies require that you add an endorsement to your policy. There may be a small extra charge for the endorsement , but it is a very small expense compared to replacing everything you own if something were to happen during your move.

Check with your local , professional agent for the specifics on your policy , and have a safe move!