Dollars & Sense

Commercial Insurance Solutions: Just the right size

Is bigger always better? 

In some things yes, but not all.  For the expediter who has had an insurance problem for example, dealing with a large insurance company can be a trying experience.  Many minutes spent on the phone trying to reach the right person or department, unreturned calls and dealing with agents or company employees who work with hundreds of clients are but a few of the frustrations one can experience with a large insurance carrier.

That's when dealing with a more modestly-sized company can be a breath of fresh air.  An agency that will know you by name and not by a policy number and where your questions are answered in a timely manner.  

Founded by Ms. Shelly Benisch around twelve years ago, Commercial Insurance Solutions is a small, independent insurance agency located in the Akron, Ohio area.  She says that insurance filled many of the parameters that she was looking for and she began her career as a Farmers Insurance agent, writing policies for "cars and houses" before moving into the commercial side of the business.

Her core clientele now includes truckers and particularly, expediters.  She has high praise for the emergency freight haulers and says, "They are intelligent, they have business experience and are a high caliber of people.  From an insurance standpoint, this makes them a better risk."

She adds, "There are different niches within trucking and I find that the expediting owner-operators are better-educated, well-spoken people who often don't come from a trucking background.  I get a lot of start-ups who are looking for something new." 

"I'll meet retired people who say that 'my wife doesn't want to buy an RV and I want to see the world, so I'm going to be an expediter'. In my opinion, in five years, a husband/wife team could really sock some money away."

Regarding her agency, Ms. Benisch says, "Our forte is that because we're a small agency, when you call, you will talk to us and not be transferred to fifty other people.  We return our calls the same day and it's truly old-fashioned, hands-on customer service versus trying to reach your agent and being called back three days later."

"We take a personal interest in our clients by following up on their questions and touching base with them.  We try to refer drivers to others who are looking for drivers and try to point them in the right direction for filing, cargo and broker authority.  If we don't do it, we try to help them find someone who does."

Shelly touches on a few of the types of insurance her agency handles:

General liability - "You never know when you're going to be sued over something non-vehicle related - it could be loading/unloading or a slip and fall. It could run from a minimum of $350,000 to $1,000,000 in coverage." 

"Cargo insurance is pretty straightforward, sometimes your carrier will carry it, we'll halp you determine this and get you the best rate.  Cargo coverage will range from $20,000 to $500,000 if you're hauling cars.  For expediting, I'd say you'll need around $100,000."

Life insurance - "You would be surprised how inexpensive it is, especially if you'd like to get a term policy to take care of your kids."

Health Insurance - "If you think you can't afford it, think again.  You might be very happy with a catastrophic loss plan.  It has a high deductible but it's there for you in an emergency.  I know that for myself, I carry a high deductible plan.  It has a $1,200 deductible and once that is reached, it covers just about anything after that." 

"Particularly for those younger people, 25 - 30 years old with no coverage now, it's very affordable.  Now, if you're looking for a full-boat plan that you might have when you're employed with a corporation, say $150 deductible and all drugs paid, you're going to pay for it, but if you're looking for a plan where you won't lose the farm if you're sick, it can be provided easily."

"As for disability, if you're sick or disabled, how will you make your truck payment?  You're more likely to have a short term disability, say three months or so, while you're down.  You've got some money coming in and for our expediting clientele, that's key, that they won't lose their truck."

"We come across many people who are confused about insurance, they just don't understand it," says Ms. Benisch.  "We try to make insurance understandable to our clients.  We keep our information centered on the basics and if a client wants it explained in depth, we're trained for that.  We realize that insurance is not their business and our job is to take care of that for them."

"In a short period of time, people come to trust us for all of their insurance needs.  We do well with the smaller operations because we're a mom and pop like them.  We understand how important it is to review their coverage on a yearly basis and we do that for them."

While Commercial Insurance Solutions writes for 15 different insurance carriers,  the Progressive Group sees expediters as a “niche” market, so they tend to have the best packages.  Drive® is a new name for insurance available from The Progressive Group through independent agencies.

Ms. Benisch says, "They’re easy to work with and have numerous payment options and there’s no extra charge for you to have a personal agent for advice. Plus, Progressive Filings are electronic, which means you can get on the road fast." 

Commercial Insurance Solutions offers these products:  

Commercial Auto Liability General Liability & Cargo Bonding Worker’s Comp or Occupational Accident Life & Health & Disability Coverage Other Personal Insurance

 
For more information, call 866 864-1511 or use the Commercial Insurance Solutions Online contact form.