OOIDA stands for Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. They originated in 1973 to fight for the rights of truckers everywhere. OOIDA has more than 150,000 members. Most are Owner-Operators, which means someone who owns their own truck driving business. OOIDA also has insurance, benefit programs, and membership benefits. They are based in Grain Valley, Minnesota. Everyone sitting on the board is or has been a professional trucker.
- Pros and Cons
- Products Offered: 8/10
- Financial Strength: 8/10
- Customer Satisfaction: 7/10
- Digital Experience: 2/10
Pros of getting truck insurance from OOIDA
- OOIDA represents truckers’ rights in Washington and elsewhere
- Up to date news and information regarding trucking
- Wide range of affordable commercial truck insurance
- Many years of experience in the commercial truck insurance industry (since the 1970’s)
Cons of getting truck insurance from OOIDA
- No online quoting
- Must be a member of OOIDA to obtain insurance
What truck insurance coverages does OOIDA offer?
OOIDA prides itself on fighting for truckers’ rights in Washington, D.C. They also offer commercial truck insurance for their members who are owner operators. Here is the best commercial insurance companies for owners operators.
They have a complete range of coverage options. Some of the options include:
Trucking primary liability:
This is the most basic form of insurance, and you’re required to have it as part of your trucking license. It provides coverage for any damages to people or property caused by your truck when you are at fault. You must have this coverage to drive a truck.
General liability truck insurance
Similar to general liability for other small businesses, trucking general liability insurance covers customer injuries, customer property damage, and advertising injury for trucking businesses. Learn more at the best trucking general liability insurance companies.
Trucking physical damage coverage
This covers you for damages done to your own truck. If you have a loan on your truck, you’ll need physical damage coverage because it is required by the lenders. Even if you don’t have a loan, you should still have it. It protects your biggest business asset. The cost of this coverage depends on the value of your truck at the time of purchasing insurance. Learn more at the best trucking physical damage insurance companies.
Motor truck cargo insurance:
A lot can happen when you’re on the road. If you suffer cargo loss or your cargo is damaged, this type of coverage will protect you. This coverage is usually required by the shippers or brokers before they allow you to transport their cargo. Its costs depend on the type of cargo you transport. Learn more at the best motor truck cargo insurance companies.
Passenger accident
This provides accidental death and dismemberment coverage for authorized passengers.
In addition to commercial truck insurance, OOIDA also offers health and life insurance for its members.
Term life insurance
Rates are based on age and health. Amounts up to $250,000.
Accidental death and dismemberment coverage
Membership in OOIDA provides $1,000 in coverage at no extra cost. You can purchase up to $400,000 in additional coverage.
Disability insurance:
Up to 52 weeks per occurrence if you are injured or become ill from working. Pays a flat weekly benefit.
Dental and vision plans
Covers basic care and preventative services. Vision will cover an annual exam and contacts and/or glasses.
To get insurance through OOIDA, you need to be a member, but the costs are very reasonable: $45 a year. They also publish LandLine magazine, which keeps truckers informed on issues facing the trucking industry. They have a podcast as well.
It’s hard to find anything about rates for OOIDA, but a few online forums for truckers said that OOIDA has a list of brokers and shippers they won’t allow you to do business with. We couldn’t confirm this, but it would be worth finding out about. Some people on the forums said OOIDA had great rates, and some said Progressive was way cheaper.
Be sure to shop around with a few companies or work with a broker like Simply Business or commercialinsurance.net to compare several quotes before making your decisions.
Financial strength of OOIDA
It’s difficult to find a rating for OOIDA, but they’ve been in business since 1973 and are considered financially stable.
Customer satisfaction rating for OOIDA
For the most part, members rate OOIDA highly. For example, on Facebook, they score 4.5 stars based on 456 reviews. However, the first couple of reviews seem to be reviewing cryptocurrency traders, which, to be clear, OOIDA does not do. You have to go down quite a few reviews before you get to ones that are legit. Some are positive and some are negative, citing things like difficulty in getting them to pay a claim and canceling insurance with no warning.
Consumer complaints rating for OOIDA
The NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) rates companies on an index to compare a company’s performance to similar companies in the market. A complaint ratio of 1.0 indicated a company has about as many complaints as you would expect. A ratio of 2.0 indicates they have twice as many complaints as you would expect. OOIDA has a ratio of 0.0, which means there have been no complaints at all.
Digital experience rating for OOIDA
Since you have to be member to buy insurance through OOIDA, they don’t offer online quotes. You have to work through an agent. Membership is only $45 a year, and earns you discounts on things like Michelin tires, weigh station stops, and equipment manufacturers. The website is easy to navigate, but it doesn’t tell you anything about rates.
Fighting for truckers’ rights
Most of the value in OOIDA is in its representation of truckers and truckers’ rights. For example, OOIDA fought the Minnesota State Police on their fatigue inspections. Minnesota State Police can issue out-of-service orders based on the fatigue tests. The lawsuit stated that drivers were denied their rights to due process and that the test failed to define exactly what was too fatigued. OOIDA won the case.
Going back to the early 1990s, OOIDA was instrumental in stopping illegal search and seizures of truckers’ cabs. OOIDA filed a lawsuit and uncovered corruption in the Tennessee Public Service Commission. If you donated to the commissioner’s political campaign, you could get away with violating standards and laws, such as inspections and speeding. Anyone who didn’t donate, such as out-of-state truckers, was subject to random searches and fined for the most minor violation. After a long investigation, OOIDA won the case.
Last thoughts
Membership in OOIDA is a very reasonable $45 a year. For that price, you get representation, discounts, and you may be able to save money on insurance. Even if they don’t, they do a good job of keeping truckers up-to-date on news and information that might affect you.
