I've been having issues since April trying to get my truck insured. I have a '96 Dodge 3500 2WD Diesel Dually Flatbed Single Cab. It is paid off and currently we have no registration or tag on it because of no insurance.

Basically I bought it to use for "pleasure" and put less than 3000 miles on it per year to haul my personal horses to shows and to state parks to go riding 90% of the time. The other 10% is usually going 3 miles up the road to get feed and hay. We don't see driving it more than 4-5 times per month between feed and hauling out.

Commercial policies don't want to write me because I don't do any business with the truck and they classify it as a personal truck. Personal policies won't write me because it's too "big" for their policy. This is true even for the same companies. The companies who are willing to insure reject it as soon as they find out we're hauling horses. The few who are willing are $400+ PER MONTH. Which I find ridiculous since that's double our personal and for only one vehicle which is paid off.

To add to the mix I have a perfect driving record but I'm 22. My husband is 45 and has his CDL C Class but he has 2 fender benders last year where he's at fault and a speeding ticket in '08 that will be falling off the beginning of September. Add to it that neither of us has carried a commercial policy before too.

So any suggestions? Sorry but I just can't afford to basically have a second morgage that would be called insurance. We're looking for $150 per month or so for just the truck if we are able.


Here's the truck and trailer:

 

Mine is insured as a normal vehicle. You either have strange laws where you live, horrible driving and credit record or you're giving the carriers too much information.

Find an independent agent that has been in business for a while and has some common sense. Tell him that you have a xxx truck and want coverage. Don't run on trying to explain anything. Only give what you're asked nothing more. Inquire about the reason of any negative decision. Then you'll know what to do next. Don't give information during your inquiry. A decent agent will be able to know what to expect without submitting applications all over the place and getting declined which goes into a database and is similar to having bad credit.

Ask what carrier writes the farms in your area.

You're young. Hubby has accidents. That will put a load on the rates but coverage should be available. Start shopping next month after the ticket falls off. If you're in TN, I have friends that can write it.

Your hubby's life can't be too bad...young wife that tolerates his trucks & stupid driving. On the road so he can get away when he wants. What a deal!!

 

Are you hauling horses on a regular basis? Does the insurance company think that you are hauling ***** every day or so many times a week that it is or should be a business?

 

Consider joining your local Grange and inquire about their Grange insurance. Their agents are most familiar with rural agriculture and have always offered good insurance rates.

 

I don't offer much information beyond the basic truck. When you pull up the VIN my body style is listed as a cab and chassis so they want pictures to see what type of bed is on it.

I tell them what I do, it gets driven rarely and I never haul more than once a week at best. It'll get less than 5,000 miles per year put on it and probably closer to 3,000 just hauling to shows and reenactments. I have stated that and they try to underwrite it like that but it's the liability factor I think with hauling livestock but I don't want to pay like I'm hauling commercially because then I have to prove profits which I don't have any.

My big concern is that I don't want to get in a wreck, be paying for insurance and because the truck wasn't exactly what they wrote it as, won't cover the damages to the other vehicles or property. I've seen it happen before and Florida really sucks sometimes about being picky.

I'm going to wait until September for his ticket to drop off then re-shop. Might have to just do state minimum for the first policy then build up once you have the "I have held a commercial policy" ********.


@Junk Man

Just to get it straight the truck is all MINE. He puts up with my trucks and horses and trailers.

 

Also, we don't qualify for agriculture, I checked it out. We don't have enough acreage to be considered for a farm and no income producing livestock. Once I get my chickens going next year that might change though, depends on if I want to do it as a legit business or just do the neighborhood farm thing. We'll be raising organic chickens to sell.

I'll look in to the grange, might be worth the shot.

I've went through 3 agents already, one of which I have had since I was 16. Another agent is the one who writes the policies for the company I work for. The other was a more rural insurance person.

I think for now I'm going to look around and see how it looks with his ticket falling off next month. His credit isn't great, but mine is in the 700's. If I was 25, we'd run it off mine but even with bad credit and the fender benders and ticket it's still cheaper to write it in his name even though my record is squeaky clean and credit is good. Go figure.

 

Both my trucks pull livestock every day. One costs me $145 every 6 months and the other costs $154 for 6 months. Just renewed at those amounts for full coverage... $1,000 deductible on collision and comprehensive and liability at $100K/$300K.