At the beginning of the 20th Century, Waste Haulers were garbage haulers. They used a vehicle to collect waste, they searched it for anything they could sell and then carried the waste to the nearest dump. No permits needed, no rules for sustainability, simply collect and dump – early in the century using a horse-drawn wagon.
Today, garbage collection has morphed into waste collection and it is a huge business – it has nearly 8,500 companies, employs 203,000 people, and grosses $43 billion. Its annual growth is 2.3 percent. Contracts with local governments allow for captive customer bases, but there are a number of concerns the industry faces including:
Not surprisingly, safety is a significant issue, partly because many trucks carry hazardous waste. There are many waste categories:
Insurance protection against claims arising from hazardous waste hauling is vital to those waste haulers engaged in servicing that industry. But, all waste haulers need a comprehensive business insurance program.
Waste Hauler’s insurance is available for more than just refuse haulers. Other industries that need waste hauler’s coverage include:
If your company hires one employee in any capacity such as bookkeeper, truck operator, or dispatcher, California law and the law of every other state requires businesses to get worker’s compensation insurance. this insurance covers you and your company for liability associated with an employee who is injured or falls ill and the incident is work-related.
This insurance protects your business from third-party claims against you, your business and its employees for bodily injury, medical costs related to the injury and damage to the property of others.
This coverage is especially needed for waste haulers if they or their employees:
The waste hauling business depends on its vehicles to do its hauling. In addition, since your business vehicles are on the road all day there is a greater risk of accident involvement. A commercial vehicle insurance protects you from legal liability by providing coverage for:
This policy protects against other drivers’ and passengers’ injuries or death for which your business is responsible.
Pays the cost of repair for damage to someone else’s property caused by your business
Protects against losses not related to an accident such as theft, fire, or a fallen tree branch damaging your vehicle
Protects you, your business and its employees for damages caused in a crash by hitting or being hit by another vehicle.
Protection for authorized drivers of your vehicles against injuries, damages or death caused by an at-fault uninsured or underinsured driver.
Pays the medical expenses for the driver and passengers injured in an accident in a covered vehicle.
This type of business insurance covers many risks including:
The policies cover many things, such as loss of electronic data, business papers and much more. Speak with your California insurance advisor for more information.
Liability insurance policies all have limits, and when a policy limit is less than a settlement or court awarded payment your umbrella insurance policy kick in and pays up to its limit.
Hazardous Waste Haulers
This important insurance protects against legal liability for damages such as environmental damage related to an incident involving your business. It is usually added as an endorsement to your commercial general liability insurance.
Many other coverages for business are available such as business interruption, Inland Marine, and many more-speak with your California business insurance advisor for help in designing in insurance program that meets all your needs.