Cover Whale is making a huge splash in commercial trucking insurance right now.

So hold up, Is Cover Whale a new insurance company?

No, not exactly, it is a digital MGA, or Managing General Agency, which means they write policies on behalf of several insurance companies that typically don’t sell direct to consumers.

The “digital” part means they have an online platform and automation tech for policy distribution, or…quoting, binding and managing policies. You might think, “isn’t everything digital these days,” but no, unfortunately not.

The insurance world is fairly behind the times, especially when it comes to trucking. So companies like Cover Whale are pretty important and critical to the evolution of insurance and creating a competitive marketplace.

Cover Whale appoints and sells policies through Insurance Agencies only. You cannot call Cover Whale and get a policy like you can with companies like Progressive or Three by Berkshire. You have to find an agency like us, who has access to Cover Whale to get those quotes and purchase policies. That’s pretty simple but might be a little different if you’ve only been working directly with Progressive. Speaking of, Progressive has been selling the majority of new venture trucking policies for years with very little competition until now. I’m talking, on average, 7-9 out of 10 new trucking companies start with Progressive, depending on which state you’re in. That’s nuts.

Cover Whale will write new trucking companies as well but they do have a few limitations around things like CDL experience (you’ll need 2 years of experience if you’re operating CDL equipment) and they are not available in every state just yet but overall they are definitely taking some of that new venture market share which is a great thing for you. See the link below to check out which states they cover and the types of operations in each state. I’ll keep that updated as they add more.

Cover Whale can write policies for Hot Shots, Box Trucks, and Semi’s, but not all operations in every state just yet. They are expanding insanely fast though and they can also cover UIIA / Intermodal requirements if you’re looking to get into hauling containers at the ports and rail yards. That’s something they just added recently which is generally pretty difficult to find. Cover Whale is also a pretty good option for people looking to grow. Steady growth is always a good idea but if you are looking to grow your fleet fairly quickly, as long as you stay under 25 trucks, you won’t have any issues.

Compared to the competition, I see Cover Whale quotes coming in quite a bit lower almost all of the time. Who doesn’t want cheaper truck insurance, right? On top of lower rates, they offer the best down payments and monthly payments for truck insurance. 10% down and 11 monthly payments, which almost no one else offers. Normally you’ll see 16 – 25% down and 9 or 10 monthly payments, so keep that in mind when you are comparing quotes…not all policies have the same payment terms. Don’t forget to check the total annual cost on quotes.

So what’s the catch?

I’m not calling it a “catch” but if you buy a policy anywhere else and your agent doesn’t explain how the Driver Safety Program works, you might think that’s the catch. It’s always better to do your homework and know what to expect, than be caught off guard with surprises. And yes, you would probably be surprised because Cover Whale is doing things no other insurance provider is doing, which is a big reason they are coming in so competitive.

All Cover Whale policies that include auto liability, are required to participate in the Driver Safety Program. This program includes a 360 degree dash cam from Orion Fleet Intelligence that you have to install and use. Along with the dash cam, there is driver coaching as well in case there is any unsafe driving. I know people lean one way or the other on dash cams and sharing driver data, so you could call this the “catch” but if you can save thousands of dollars a year on your trucking insurance, maybe that will make you a fan. I’m not here to convince you that it’s good or bad to use dash cams, but I’ll say this, when you are in an accident and the officer is about to put you at fault on the report but you can show them video footage of what actually happened and all of sudden you aren’t getting blamed, that’s pretty awesome…I’ve seen this happen quite a few times now with our clients and its a life saver. One claim could put you out of business. Truckers get wrongfully blamed way too often and honestly, I don’t see anything else out there helping to lower insurance rates this much.

What is the dash cam looking for?

• The dash cam looks for speeding, hard-braking, hard-cornering and acceleration, and other unsafe behaviors that are known to cause more accidents.

When is the dash cam recording? Is it recording all the time?

• The dash cam is only recording when the ignition is on and the truck is running. At no other times is the dash cam on or recording.

What happens if I don’t install my dash cam?

• Dash cams are required for all Cover Whale auto liability policies. If dash cams are not installed, your policy will be subject to cancellation.

Do you have live access to my dash cam? Who does?

• The equipment provider has live access but only for the purposes of troubleshooting the dash cam technology and assessing proper installation. No other party has live access.

Can I cover my dash cam?

• No, If the dash cam is covered while the ignition is running a camera tampering alert will be triggered. The dash cam does not run when the ignition is off and can be covered at that time.

How big is the camera?

• The dash cam is small, light, and installs in less than 10 minutes.

What dash cam footage gets saved and what gets deleted?

• Only coachable driving events and accidents get saved. All other footage is only stored on the dash cam itself until it is recorded over.

Will the dash cam help save me money?

• Yes, because of the driving information from the dash cam we’re able to provide lower premiums than our competitors.

What do you do with the information from the dash cam?

• Cover Whale uses the information to provide safe driving feedback. Footage is also used to protect and exonerate drivers in the event of an accident or claim.

Does having the dash cam cost me more money?

• There is no cost for the dash cam.

Is it possible to blur distinguishing features on the dash cam footage?

• No, there are no current capabilities to hide identifying features.

How long do you retain dash cam footage and data?

• The dash cam is not recording and is constantly filming over itself unless and until there is an incident, in which case that specific footage is saved until the issue is resolved.

Can I swap dash cams from one vehicle to another?

• Yes, If you’re changing the vehicle(s) on your insurance policy, the dash cam can be moved from one vehicle to another with a simple notification to Cover Whale. However, a new cable may be needed since they’re not universal.

Is the dash cam recording audio along with video?

• No, audio cannot be recorded by the dash cam.

Can I use my own dash cam instead of the one provided?

• Only with an approved exemption from Cover Whale.

Who has access to my camera recordings?

• Only Cover Whale, the dash cam provider, and the policyholder have access to the footage.

Is dash cam footage shared with my employer?

• Footage-saved only from an accident or during aggressive driving behavior-can be shared with your employer and Cover Whale upon request.

Who should I contact if there is an issue with the dash cam?

• You can contact [email protected].