Myth
My AL covers premises claims.
Truth
It does not. AL covers motor-vehicle operations; premises / terminal / yard claims are GL. A slip-and-fall at your dispatch office is a GL claim, not AL.
GL General Liability
Premises and operations liability — claims arising from your terminal, yard, or business activities that AL doesn't reach.
The exposure this line addresses.
Third-party bodily injury and property damage arising from your business operations, premises (terminal, yard, office), and completed operations — separate from operating a motor vehicle (which is AL). Standard CGL covers slip-and-fall at your office, claims from yard visitors, contractor injuries during repair operations. Required by most terminal / yard leases, shipper facility-access agreements, and broker contracts as a named-additional-insured line.
Triggers — when this line is required.
- Operating a terminal, yard, or repair facility
- Broker contract requiring CGL with broker named as additional insured
- Lease of any premises (office, yard, warehouse)
- Subcontracting maintenance / repair work where contractor injury exposes you
What this line does NOT cover
- Operation of motor vehicles — that's AL
- Employment-related claims — that's EPLI
- Cargo damage — that's MTC
- Professional services — different line entirely
Limits we recommend by segment.
These are public-facing baselines for typical risk profiles. The intake re-derives line-specific limits based on your actual operation, contract obligations, and loss profile.
Owner-operator
$1M / $2M (occurrence / aggregate) — typically bundled in package
Small fleet (2-10)
$1M / $2M
Mid-fleet (11-50)
$1M / $2M with $1M-$2M XS on the umbrella
Large account (51+)
$1M / $2M with $4M-$9M XS on the umbrella
Day-one carriers writing GL.
From the panel that ranks top-3 per line for your risk profile. Each carrier clears the A.M. Best A- floor; final selection is made in the piece-out matrix at quote time.
Hudson Insurance
Specialty
Markel
Specialty
Great West Casualty
Preferred · Standard
Travelers
Preferred · Standard
The Hartford
Standard
What rookie operators get wrong.
Myth
GL is optional.
Truth
Contractually it's almost never optional — landlords require it, brokers require it (as named additional insured), shippers require it on facility access. The cost is small relative to the access it unlocks.
Myth
If I don't have a terminal, I don't need GL.
Truth
Even owner-operators benefit from GL for non-vehicle exposure: visiting a shipper's dock and damaging a forklift, dropping a tool on a shipper's employee. GL is the line that catches what AL doesn't.
Frequently asked
Is GL part of my AL policy?
Often yes, as a package — many commercial trucking packages bundle AL + GL. But the GL component is typically a sub-line of the package, and standalone GL can be sharper-priced for higher-exposure operations.
Does GL cover product liability?
Standard CGL includes product / completed-operations coverage; for trucking this rarely applies (you're not manufacturing a product) but is included.
Can I add my broker as an additional insured?
Yes — additional insured endorsements are routine and required by most broker contracts. We coordinate the certificate-of-insurance issuance with your carrier.
What's the difference between occurrence and aggregate limits?
Occurrence is the most paid for any single claim ($1M typical). Aggregate is the most paid across all claims during the policy term ($2M typical). Once aggregate exhausts, no more GL claims are paid that term.
Do I need higher GL limits if I operate a yard?
Possibly — yard operations increase visitor / contractor exposure. Higher GL limits, plus an XS / umbrella, are common for yard operators with significant on-site activity.
Ready for a GL quote?
One intake. Per-line submissions to your top 3 carriers. A coordinated binder.