What Is a “Go-Away Price” in Trucking Insurance?
Updated: 15 hours ago
You get your truck insurance quote back and the price makes absolutely no sense.
Maybe you were paying $18,000 last year and your renewal comes back at $30,000. Or one insurance company quotes you $35,000 while another is nowhere near that.
Sometimes, that's what we call a “go-away price.”
Basically, the insurance company will insure you — but they don't really want the business at a competitive price.
This happens in trucking insurance, and it's one reason you shouldn't judge the entire insurance market based on one quote.
Why Does This Happen?
Every insurance company has certain types of trucking businesses they prefer.
Maybe they like experienced owner-operators but aren't competitive with new ventures. Maybe they prefer local operations over long-haul. Sometimes it's the drivers, losses, DOT history, freight, equipment, radius, or where you operate.
When an account doesn't fit what they're looking for, the carrier may decline it — or they may quote it at a price that just isn't competitive.
That doesn't necessarily mean you're a bad risk. You may just be in the wrong insurance market.
Progressive, GEICO, BHHC and Other Trucking Insurance Companies
Progressive, GEICO, Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies (BHHC), and other commercial insurance companies don't all price trucking risks the same way.
I've seen huge differences between carriers looking at the same trucking operation.
One may decline it. Another may quote it high. Another may come back with a competitive option.
So if someone tells me, “Progressive quoted me $30,000,” that doesn't tell me your insurance should cost $30,000. It tells me Progressive quoted you $30,000.
Now I want to see what other appropriate markets say.
I wrote more about buying truck insurance direct from Progressive or GEICO and where a broker fits.
Got a truck insurance quote that seems way too high? Let me see what other trucking insurance markets may be available for your operation.
What Can Cause a Go-Away Price?
There isn't one specific reason. It could be:
Drivers and CDL experience
Accidents or violations
Loss history
DOT safety history
New authority
Operating radius
States traveled
Freight hauled
Equipment
Prior insurance history
Fleet size or recent growth
Different insurance companies can react very differently to the same issue.
If you’re a new authority, check out my New Authority Truck Insurance Guide for a breakdown of how insurance works when you’re starting a new trucking company.
If you're starting a new trucking authority, the number of available markets and how each carrier views a brand-new operation can make a big difference.
A Go-Away Price Isn't a Decline
A decline means the insurance company isn't offering you a policy.
With a go-away price, you still get a quote. It's just so high that you're probably going somewhere else.
If one carrier quotes $40,000 and another appropriate market quotes $25,000 for comparable coverage, the $40,000 carrier simply wasn't competitive on that account.
One Quote Doesn't Tell You What Your Insurance Costs
This is the important part.
If you get one truck insurance quote for $35,000, don't immediately assume: “My insurance costs $35,000.”
It's one quote.
If we shop the account and get $35,000, $26,000 and $23,000, that gives us a much better picture of the market.
But if several appropriate trucking insurance markets are all coming back around $30,000 to $35,000, now I want to look at the account itself.
There may be a driver, loss, safety issue, operating radius, or another factor pushing the price up.
If that's the case, see High-Risk Trucking Insurance: How to Get Coverage and Improve Your Options.
Sometimes it's the insurance market. Sometimes it's the risk.
One quote isn't the entire market. If your current quote doesn't make sense, I can compare your operation with other trucking insurance markets.
Make Sure the Quote Is Correct
Before assuming you received a go-away price, make sure the information on the application is right.
Wrong radius, commodities, vehicle information, driver information, or other details can affect a quote.
I've seen small application mistakes make an account look very different to an underwriter.
The application should accurately reflect how your trucking company actually operates.
Don't Automatically Take the Cheapest Quote
The cheapest quote isn't automatically the best quote either.
Make sure you're actually comparing similar coverage.
If you want a broader explanation of the coverages you’re comparing between quotes, check out my Commercial Truck Insurance Guide.
For individual coverage details, you can also read about Primary Auto Liability Insurance, Motor Truck Cargo Insurance, and Physical Damage Insurance. Then compare the limits, deductibles, trailer coverage, endorsements, and exclusions on the actual quotes.
This is especially important if you have insurance requirements from a lender, broker, shipper, Amazon Relay, UIIA, or another contract.
A cheaper policy isn't a better deal if it doesn't provide the coverage you need.
Why the Right Insurance Market Matters
This is a big part of what I do as an independent trucking insurance broker.
The goal isn't to send your application everywhere and hope somebody comes back cheap.
It's to figure out which insurance companies actually make sense for your operation.
Sometimes another insurance company is simply a better fit. Other times, there's something specific about the account that's driving the price.
That's what we need to figure out.
How Can Alex Help?
If you got a truck insurance quote that seems way too high, I can review your operation and see what other trucking insurance markets may be available.
I've specialized in commercial trucking insurance since 2020 and have been licensed in insurance since 2013. I work with owner-operators, new authorities and fleets with different types of trucking operations.
If your current quote doesn't make sense, let's see what other options are available.
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