The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Insurance ??? Who's the best???

I have had my 51 insured through my business fleet coverage. Now I am changing insurers and the new company won't cover me as my truck isn't on their list of vehicles they insure.

Any suggestions?

Thanks Cletis...

Jim,

In addition to the insurance companies at a link shown in the Tech Tip, you might want to check with the insurance company for any other vehicles you have. For example, State Farm will now insure antique vehicles for existing clients. Their rates were as good as, or better than, Hagerty (who provides my insurance).

There are a number of classic auto insurance companies such as Hagerty, JC Taylor, Grundy, American Collectors, Condon Skelly and others. Google "antique auto insurance" for a more complete list. You can get better coverage through a specialty insurer and a lot cheaper.

15 classic auto insurance companies are listed on Insurance Section of the Links Page at the bottom of the Tech Tip link/page that was given by Cletis, above.

4 non-USA insurers are listed there, too.

I Switched from State Farm to Hagerty about a year ago. State Farm would not insure my vehicles for a stated value without getting written appraisals where Hagerty would and Hagerty was substantially less expensive too.
Mike

This is good. I have sent this thread so we can update that Tech Tip.

Maybe you all can give some more feedback to what is already there. ???

We have Haggerty and Gulfway (part of Traveler's) for our old stuff. We read in a Consumer Report a few years ago that you should check all your insurance every few years. It is a hassle but John collects all the data on each of the vehicles and then starts the phone calls. It's amazing that some will do certain trucks and not others.

We have been pleased with both companies. They still came out with the best coverages at reasonable prices. I was surprised at the good follow-up with the companies we called, even when we didn't go with their company.

This is ONE admin job that John does. I hate insurance stuff. He does the farm and house stuff, too. I am pulling my hair out just dealing with the medical insurance claims!

Now one of the good questions we need to add to this discussion - has anyone had a claim for their old truck?? How did THAT go?

Peg

I myself would love to see answers to that.
I think accidents involving stovebolts with modern vehicles would be different however.Back when, I had a 68 international in the big city. One morning during rush hour I got broadsided by some kids in a hurry coming down hill off a side street. Their 70s musclecar was stopped dead,hood up, front end all crushed and fluids running out everywhere.I don't remember where in the side I was hit but the damage was minor.I drove away without having to adjust or fix anything.
Another time,icy roads I saw a small foreign car out of control ahead of me. I stopped,started backing up when he slid right into me head on.Similar results,hood pushed up ,radiator crushed and bleeding. I had a shattered headlight bulb and some paint transfer but no noticeable damage.
In case you're wondering,I think the fact that the truck was painted yellow made it a target.---Jack

The only claim I have had with Hagerty was for a rock damaged windshield in the '56. It was handled over the phone. Check was sent, I bought a new windshield, Mrs. Cletis and I installed it and paid ourselves for the labor.

I have used their road service several times.

Hagerty is the only way to go. Why, because as Big Chevy 3600 states, they pay 100% without trying to knock you down or nickle and dime you.

With my addition of my fifth car, my rates went down. They even insure my 2000 Ford Lightning.

You know the old cliche,
"You don't know how good your insurance is until you have to use it"

This one takes it to a new level.
When I bought my 1954 Chevrolet Panel truck, I was 2,300 miles from home.
It turned out that there was a auto transport company a couple miles from where the truck was located.
Before I left home I made prior arrangements with the auto transport company, that if I decided to buy the truck,
I could park the truck at their facility, until one of their drivers that was passing through picked it up.

It was Friday evening when I arrived to look at the truck. I decided to buy the truck.
But I did not want to buy the truck unless I could insure it.
Otherwise, if something went wrong during transport, I could lose what I invested in the truck.

I was going through a agent the sells Hagerty insurance along with other insurance.
Hagerty's business hours are 8am to 8pm M-F, 8:30am to 4:30pm Saturday, 12pm to 4pm Sunday Eastern Time.
I didn't know that Hagerty would be closed at 5pm Pacific time.
So I had to wait until the next day.
The next day Saturday at 8:35am, I called Hagerty and they told me to have my agent call
them and within a couple minutes I had a insurance rider on the truck.
I think, at the time all Hagerty had was the truck's VSN vehicle serial number.

I called the seller, he picked me up, we did the necessary paper work.
I drove the truck to the auto transport company's facility. Filled out the necessary paper work.
The owner of the auto transport company gave me a ride to my hotel.
At the hotel I took pictures of the truck's title, bill of sale and the transport company documents, emailed them to my Hagerty agent.
The next day Sunday I crossed my fingers and flew home.

The following Thursday night the transport company driver called me and said he was going to drop the truck off Friday morning.
Then he asked me how I was going to get the truck off the multi-car hauler/trailer.
I said 'Drive it off'
He said 'It does not drive'

Friday he shows up and there is something wrong with the truck. Speedometer moves but truck doesn't.
It turns out the transport company farmed out the transport to another transport company.
Somewhere along the line they busted something.
The truck has a enclosed torque tube, so you can't see what is broke.

I called the original transport company and they pretty much blew me off.
I called the seller and he said the truck was working fine.
I agreed, because when I dropped the truck off at the auto transport company there was no hint anything was wrong.

I called Hagerty and told them what was wrong.
Within three days they had a claims adjusters come and take a look at the truck.
He told Hagerty that because of the enclosed torque tube, a mechanic would have to open it up to find what was wrong.

The claims agent at Hagerty let me choose the mechanic that would work on the truck.
The first mechanic I chose, wouldn't let me under the truck to take pictures and they left the key on, which drained the battery.
So I had the truck towed to another shop. Hagerty agreed.
The second mechanic I chose was a real classic car guy.
He understood that this was a insurance claim and pictures needed to be taken and sent to Hagerty.
At this point I did not know if the Hydramatic transmission was damaged (Big Bucks) or something else in the drive train.

Sliding back the ball housing revealed the rear yoke was broken in half. Picture
I had to hunt down all the parts and the mechanic put it back together. It runs like a champ.

I emailed the pictures, towing, parts and labor receipts to Hagerty.
Within a couple days I received a check in the mail that covered all the cost.

In summary, I bought insurance from a company that didn't know me at all, three weeks later
they sent me a check that was four times the amount that I originally paid for the insurance.

I would say that Hagerty is a pretty good insurance company.

That's good to know. Although I believe some of your good fortune was probably the result of the extent to which you handled the whole transaction. The way you explained it, sounds as if you had all the i's dotted and t's crossed. Which should be considered as a good example for the rest of us.

Glad it worked out for you, and thanks for sharing your experience.

John

My only experience with Hagerty, who has insured my Suburban for over 10 years, is after I bought/shipped a 1954 3104 pickup with Hydra-Matic transmission from Oregon to NJ.

The truck was not exactly as described: it had very bad/unsafe brakes and the steering was so loose I could barely keep it going straight. Starting fluid was needed to start the engine (hot or cold engine, I was told).

The engine started and I took off for the 140 mile trip north to my home near Albany, NY (followed by the friend who drove me to NJ). After about 20 miles in 5pm NJ traffic, we stopped for gas. Big Mistake - I should not have turned off the engine, but, NJ law required that it be turned off.

The truck would not start.

I had bought Hagerty Insurance with the Hagerty Plus add-on (now called the High Octane level policy) - up to three free 150 mile road-service transports on a flat-bed truck.

All I needed to get the insurance was to email Hagerty a bill-of-sale and 4 photos of the old, beat-up pickup (to add the pickup to my Suburban's policy).

Hagerty arranged for a flat-bed carrier truck to come to my assistance. I had told Hagerty that my "new" pickup was supposedly hard to start, and that I'd like them to first try to jump start the engine.

The flatbed truck arrived within 30 minutes. The driver was quite willing to try a 12v jump-start on the old 6v 235. After about 4 attempts, the truck started and I drove it 120 miles home in 2 degree temperature.

That road-service coverage covers all vehicles in the household and any driver driving any of the vehicles.

This is why I have not changed to State Farm Insurance - I have had excellent experience with State Farm and they now cover antigue/collector vehicles (non-hot-rod, hopped-up, or significantly modified vehicles). Their pricing is better than Hagerty but State Farm only tows to the nearest service station.

We do not have family AAA membership because Hagerty's road service is more inclusive and more extensive.

Wow, now this is what I was looking for!

Keep 'em coming.

Peg

The Hagerty Plus add-on (now called the High Octane level policy) is a fixed cost for all vehicles in the family - no vehicle limit.

That includes flat-bed transport of my 18' bed 54/55 GMC 2-ton COE.

I do not worry about carrying many tools (or spare parts) when I drive a truck to a show within 125 miles (the distance-limit has changed to 125 miles).

I will have to let John know about this. We may want to add it to our policy, since it covers three trucks that go places!

Peg

Yep, Peggy does the taxes and I do the Insurance ...

I'm going to update that techtip (or write a companion to it). It has good info for those who get their insurance from an agent. If you're like me and act as your own agent, you can save big on your premiums. All it takes is research. And what I call dialing for dollars. But I'll go into all that in the tech tip.

In the meantime, the personal anecdotes are great to get 1st hand accounts of service, etc. But when it comes to premiums and coverages, you have to answer the big question for yourself by making the companies compete for your business.

I'll tell you how in the Tech Tip!

+1 for Hagerty. After my 53 panel was totaled (not my fault), Hagerty sent out an adjuster and sent the check. It was then up to them to wrestle with the other insurance company. Very quick and easy.

What about driving limitations? Being in the Army for 26 years, I have always had USAA insurance. They don't do classic car/truck insurance. Actually, they will/do insure my 58 Suburban but only up to what I assume is the KBB value of about $850. They did refer me to an "affiliate" company that does agreed value coverage. I honestly don't remember the name of the company. When I spoke to them they were more than happy to insure my truck at the $9000 that I've invested in it without even getting an appraisal. Then they asked if it was in a locked garage. I thought that was odd. They then proceeded to tell me that I couldn't drive it to work. Turns out all I could do was either drive it to a repair shop or to "an occasional car show." Seems like the insurance was designed for Jay Leno who has a secure garage full of beautifully restored cars that only get driven once in a blue moon. I decided not to go with them and still only have the basic liability on my truck.

Anyway, does Hagerty have similar limitations? Did I ask for the wrong kind of policy?? I want to be able to drive my truck when I want and where I want. I also want to get more than $850 out of it in case some knucklehead crushes me at some point.

Ok. Like a knucklehead I didn't read the tech tip first. That pretty much answered my question. I'll try calling Hagerty to see what they have to say.

Hagerty requires locked garage storage. They allow driving for your pleasure, but not driving to work and back. You must have an insurance policy on another vehicle for daily driving.

Cletis;

Thanks for the info.

So what do all the daily driver guys out there do for insurance? There has to be someone that will let me drive my truck back and forth to work and still pay more than scrap value for it if its lost or wrecked.

Maybe I'll post a question on the daily driver board and see what comes up.

Larry, I had my vehicles appraised by a State Farm approved appraiser. Then I insure them for the agreed upon value and I drive them anytime anywhere. With all my other discounts like multi-car discount, home, safe driver and a discount for being with them for so many years..... I get about as good a rate with them as I can anywhere else. For over 40 yeara I've been ith State Farm and had several claims...some quite huge, and I've never regretted being with them.

....everyone's experience surely will not be the same but that's my story.

Good info thread.
My 49 is tagged w/antique tags and I went w/Haggerty per the recommendation of my insurance rep. He showed me where it was better coverage and cheaper than I could get w/Travelers which covers my DD's.

Haggertys does require a looked garage and I had to provide pics of the truck.
Dave

Alvin;

Roger. When I get back to the states I'll look into State Farm. Bottom line is I don't want to be restricted on driving my truck. Ethically, I'm not going to take a policy that only allows occasional "trips to the ice cream parlor" driving and drive it every day. Call me old fashioned, but I'm not going to lie to my insurance company about how/where I was driving my truck if I get in an accident. I just need to find the insurance company that is willing to support my needs.

There is a lot of good info above , I like a lot of you have Hagerty,

Here is some info for the MICHIGAN bolters here , I am surprised how many people I talk to at shows and meets that have "regular" insurance in Michigan for their classics.

Michigan is the only "no fault" state left for car/truck insurance purposes so for EACH vehicle you must pay a $189.00 fee into the Catastrophic Insurance Fund each YEAR !... that adds up very quickly if you have a couple of old bolts plus your daily commuters .

However for "classics" it is only $30 each. I also did not see it mentioned above but my Hagerty policy is Stated Value / Full Coverage so you get to dial it in so to speak.

Of course John M. and you guys in Maryland can just throw a K-farm tag on your stuff and keep on getting it !! I had 4 trucks insured and on the road there for what it costs for my "regular " driver in Michigan

Where is that tech tip Larry -58 reference above ..couldn't find it ??
Dan

Dan: go back I to page 1 of this thread. Cletis posted the link near the top of the page.

A word of caution about agreed value. You and the insurance company can come to an agreed value for your vehicle BUT the agreed value only covers the vehicle for a total loss. Smash a fender and even if you have agreed value it won't help any more than conventional insurance.
Up here in BC we can get agreed value from our one and only insurance company (the government) and you pay an extra premium for that albeit not very much. This is over and above what you would normally pay.
For my truck (without agreed value) basic liability, fire and theft, broken glass costs me $550 per year. If the truck was better than mint I could get Collector car insurance for about $250. My truck is not mint, its a driver so they won't even consider Collector Car insurance. Having said that if you have a Model A with fibreglass fenders you can get it and now the specialty vehicle association is lobbying to get brand new builds as collectors - even with glass bodies.

I had Hagerty on my Midget. It was cheap (agreed value of $6000 I think it cost $89/yr). But the "not driving to work" bit was not something I liked.

I DID drive it to work occasionally, and was always super careful because that was hanging over my head.

That is what lead me to this thread - wondering if all "Classic Car" insurance is the same, or if there is a way to get adequate coverage for a daily (or at least weekly, in season) driver.

-dreaming of an AD GMC

Alvin,

When we move to NC in about a year, I'll be switching to State Farm for all the same reasons (and similar history - 49 years for me).

However, I'll leave my lowest value truck with Hagerty for the add-on towing coverage (which covers all vehicles owned by my family - 125 miles to wherever, up to three times per year - "24 hours a day, 7 days a week coverage in U.S. and Canada"). State Farm will only tow up to 50 miles (or to the closest service station).

State Farm will give me agreed-upon full-value replacement policies on my old trucks.

[quote=Achipmunk]Larry, I had my vehicles appraised by a State Farm approved appraiser. Then I insure them for the agreed upon value and I drive them anytime anywhere. With all my other discounts like multi-car discount, home, safe driver and a discount for being with them for so many years..... I get about as good a rate with them as I can anywhere else. For over 40 yeara I've been ith State Farm and had several claims...some quite huge, and I've never regretted being with them.

....everyone's experience surely will not be the same but that's my story.[/quote]

Yes, I did notice that. The thing is, I'd ideally like a Classic-Car-only add-on. We've had our homeowners, auto and all our business insurance (I spend $60-70k/yr on insurance) through a very good local agent for over 20 years and I'd like to keep them for all I can. I guess I should check again, but 10-12 years ago they couldn't do anything for me on collision/comprehensive for a classic.

Thanks,
-d

State Farm started insuring old vehicles for their car insurance customers about 4-5 years ago.