Those who drive trucks will need commercial auto insurance. They’ll also need to insure themselves against the harm they might cause others. While liability coverage comes with most policies, it often won’t cover all types of damage.

For example, pollution caused by trucking accidents may not have coverage. You’ll need to get this protection through separate pollution insurance. What’s this coverage? How can it help you?

Why Truckers Pose Pollution Risks

The goal of a trucker is to transport materials from one place to another. As a result, that vehicle carries items often not found in the standard car. Those products, if exposed to the local environment, could cause harmful damage.

Let’s say that a trucker has a dispatch of soap that they must deliver 100 miles away. During the transport, an accident occurs, causing the truck to tip over. The soap spills onto a highway, and into a creek running beside the road.

The pollution in the water could harm wildlife, vegetation and cause filtration problems. It might even pollute the local water source.

Even if the trucker could not avoid the wreck, they still might have a responsibility for the damage. They damaged something else, so their liability coverage might come into play. The thing is, standard trucking liability insurance often does not cover pollution. Truckers might only be able to get those losses covered if they carry pollution coverage.

Differences in Pollution Liability Coverage

With pollution coverage, truckers can pay for decontamination, debris removal and associated costs. Still, different types of protection exist on many policies. Where an accident occurred might impact the type of pollution protection you turn to.

• Transportation pollution liability coverage applies to pollution occurring during transport. For example, a spill from a highway wreck might have coverage under this protection.
• Contractor’s pollution liability insurance covers damage occurring at job sites. For example, a spill from a dump truck on a construction site might have coverage under this policy.

Depending on how you use your truck, ask your insurance agent if you need both elements of coverage. Often, you’ll be able to get both elements on the same policy, automatically.

Furthermore, ask your insurance agent when coverage will apply. Most pollution liability will apply to both transit, loading and unloading accidents. However, make sure your agent tailors your coverage to the fullest benefit for you. Keep in mind, pollution losses or other cargo coverage generally does not exclude the product’s manufacturer from carrying their own insurance on the items.