(Photo courtesy Georgia State Patrol, May 4, 2013)

Don’t take my word for it (alone); examine the issue and decide for yourself. Time is short to make a  public comment on a federal regulation to raise the minimum liability insurance for trucking companies. FMCSA already has the responsibility and authority to set these limits; they simply have not raised them (for inflation) for over 30 years.

See what you think of this comment on the Federal Register:

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FMCSA-2014-0211-1596 :  I am a 1 truck leased Owner Operator. I have over a million miles safe driving without a single recordable accident.

It appears greed is trying to enter into my life again, by means of greedy lawyers trying to get more money from insurances that myself and my company pay for. All the companies I’ve ever worked with and worked for have ALWAYS requested and received safety and driving records prior to hiring or leasing me or my equipment. So if I was unsafe or going to be a large financial risk I would be turned down for employment. I don’t see any reason to raise current insurance coverage. Being there is a very very small percent of incidences that would require anymore insurance than I already have. The needless financial burden this would put on myself and my company would more than likely put me out of business and out of the trucking industry for good. I have no way to pass this extra cost on to my customers. For they would not understand or agree to pay for a rate increase do to my liability costs. My trucking business relationships don’t and never will function this way. This goes back to my previous statement of being employed because I’m safe and not a huge financial risk. The second I have astronomical rate increases will portray me to be a larger financial risk.

Also, who would pay for something they will never come close to using. The shear amount of destruction that would have to occur to even come close to using such a policy amount is very small. So small that it would never happen to and never does happen to the very large majority of trucking operations.

Please use knowledge and good sense to turn down these proposed increases.

In contrast, read these comments:

• http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FMCSA-2014-0211-1584
• http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FMCSA-2014-0211-1637
• http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FMCSA-2014-0211-1512

According to our research, the fears of astronomical increases in premiums are unfounded. In addition, the attitude shown in these comments is disturbing to someone who knows all too well the devastation that comes from being part of that small percentage of tragedies that you never really thought would touch you.

The changes which this rule would bring about will not have any bearing on our truck crash which occurred on May 4, 2013. But I am convinced that this rule is vitally important for countless truck crashes which will occur in the days and years ahead.

Public Comments must be submitted by February 26, 2015. Go here and click the Green Button, Submit a Formal Comment:  https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/11/28/2014-28076/financial-responsibility-for-motor-carriers-freight-forwarders-and-brokers

You can read all of the Public Comments here (and can search for your own comment with the Search function, after it gets posted):  http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketBrowser;rpp=100;so=DESC;sb=docId;po=0;dct=PS;D=FMCSA-2014-0211