1. Driving record (MVR or motor vehicle record)

Keep your driving record clean. By driving safely throughout the year you can dramatically reduce the cost of your insurance. Some insurance companies will charge $1,000 for an accident or $500 per moving violation. You can avoid this added expense by keeping your driving record clean.

2. Radius of operations (annual miles)

This applies mainly to commercial auto insurance. However, for personal auto insurance it helps to accurately state exactly how many annual miles you will be driving each year. For Commercial Auto insurance it helps to know that insurance companies base your driving radius on air miles or “as the crow flies”. Most people over estimate their radius. Make sure to ask your insurance radius to re evaluate your radius based on where you go and how far you usually drive away from your garaging location.

3. Change the Deductibles for your Commercial Trucking Insurance Policy

Your deductible is what you are responsible for in the event that you need to make a claim. This amount must be paid before the insurance company will start to pick up the tab. This deductible usually only applies to your collision and you comprehensive coverage (not your liability, although some companies when writing commercial auto insurance put this on your liability to make it cheaper for you) and is the insurance that specifically covers your car.

By increasing the amount that you are willing to pay out when you need to make a claim is like telling the insurance company that you will pay more out of pocket if you get into an accident. This is a good indicator to the insurance company that you are a lower risk to them than drivers with lower deductibles. By increasing your deductible your can cut your premium dramatically. Since insurance is meant to cover the big stuff that you couldn’t handle normally on your own, by having a deductible that is higher can make a lot of sense. In general, increasing your deductible from, let’s say, $250 to $500 could have a big impact on your insurance rates. With this small change you could save 15% to 30%. By increasing your deductible to $1,000 you could save as much as 40% or more.

4. Pay your commercial auto insurance policy in full

By paying in full for your policy you can save up to $15 a month. This is just because you can avoid all of the monthly installment fees that insurance companies charge on top of your insurance premium. When it comes to commercial trucking insurance, most companies will give you an additional 5-8% discount just for paying in full at the beginning of your policy. This is another indicator of a low risk driver according to statistics.

5. Get a 12 month commercial truck insurance policy

By getting a 12 month commercial insurance policy versus a 6 month insurance policy provides a number of different advantages. One major advantage is that most companies will actually give you a discount for paying an insurance policy in full. With a 12 month policy you get a small discount as if you paid one 6 month policy in full. The biggest advantage is that you will be able to “lock in” your insurance rate for a full 12 months. If you get a 6 month policy and you get into an accident, get a speeding ticket, or make a claim during your 6 month commercial auto insurance policy then after your insurance policy is over you will have to renew your policy at a higher rate of auto insurance. A 12 month insurance policy will not change based on driving record or claims during the 12 month period.

6. Year, Make, Model

The year of your vehicle or how new or old it is can affect your insurance rates. You won't be able to get these numbers from your insurer; in fact, you may not be able to get them at all. But the auto insurance companies have a system for rating every car make and model. Most of these insurance companies use a system devised by the Insurance Services Office, which starts with the cost of the vehicle and then factors in safety and theft data. Cars are given a rating from 1 to 27, and the higher the number, the higher your premium. For Commercial auto insurance Peterbilt and Mack trucks are cheaper to insure then other makes of big rigs. This is because those that buy Peterbilt and Mack truck-tractors have a tendency to get into fewer accidents and make their payments on time. This is just what the research shows.

7. Physical Damage Stated amount

Many people when they start getting quotes for their auto insurance over-state the stated amount of their commercial vehicle in the hopes that if they get into an accident they will receive this over-stated amount from the insurance companies. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but insurance is there to make you “whole” again. Insurance companies wouldn’t be in business if they over paid people for what their items were worth. It is important to know that when getting a commercial auto insurance quote you state the amount of your vehicles and trailers as close to market value as possible. A good rule of thumb is if you state the amount of your vehicles close to what it would cost to by a similar make and model used. This is basically what the insurance company is going to do in the event of an total loss.

8. Garaging Zip code

Not every garaging location was created equal. Nowadays there are very few things about your garaging location that actually helps to lower your rate. Even though garaging in a gated yard with dogs, cameras, and security may get you some brownie points and some peace of mind you won’t see any savings on the insurance side of things. Whether you park your truck in a yard or on the street, the only thing that will get you a discount is which garaging zip code is on the address of the location. The rate could drop as much as 25% percent by just garaging in a location the next zip code over. So if you are close to Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, San Fernando Valley, Fontana, Palmdale, Hesperia, Apple Valley, or Beaumont you might want to think about finding a new yard or garaging location in these cities. These cities compared to the surrounding areas are significantly cheaper areas to park your vehicles. You can see some big discounts just by switching one zip code over. Be careful, if you say you garage in one city but really garage somewhere else you could chance the insurance company not covering a loss. Most insurance companies do an audit to verify this information and the big companies are starting to require proof of garaging location. So make sure that you park your big rig where you say you park it.

9. Credit Score –

If you have good credit, you'll pay less for your auto insurance. This is especially true for commercial truck insurance. Almost all insurers -- including the top five included -- pull your credit report. Why? Studies have shown a direct correlation between your credit score and the likelihood that you will file a claim.

10. Available Discounts

Most of the insurance companies give discounts for being a member of AAA or other auto clubs. You can even get discounts for having driving experience or for taking driver safety courses that give you a certificate of completion. Having more than 3 years of driving experience with your commercial driver license can give you a 10% discount, this can be a pretty big discount since it is a percentage discount. Having 3 years in business experience can also help you to get additional discounts. Make sure to ask for any and all discounts that are available to you.