Top 3 Tips for Understanding What Insurance You Need as a Trucker

Nina ConnerTransportation

Posted by AP Transportation Team, AssuredPartners As a trucker, you understand the importance of protecting yourself, your vehicle, and your cargo on the road. While you’re busy buying equipment, signing customer contracts, finding loadboards, and planning routes, don’t overlook the crucial role insurance plays in safeguarding your livelihood and assets. Understanding what kind of trucking insurance is required and how much is enough can be overwhelming due to the various coverage options and regulations involved. To help you make informed decisions, we hope this article will help answer some of your questions about commercial trucking insurance requirements. 1. Know the Basic Insurance Requirements As a trucker, it is essential to understand the basic insurance requirements mandated by law. Compliance with …

Cyber Security Risk in Oil and Gas Operations

Nina ConnerEnergy

Posted by Tara Crisp, AssuredPartners Cybersecurity risks in the oil and gas industry pose a significant threat to infrastructure, operations, and overall stability. With increasing reliance on digital systems, companies are more vulnerable to cyberattacks ranging from financial gain to political motives. One major risk is the potential for cyberattacks to disrupt critical operations. Industrial Control Systems (ICS) can be targeted, leading to operational shutdowns, financial losses, and environmental hazards. Manipulation of control systems could cause explosions at refineries or leaks in pipelines, endangering human life. The theft or compromise of sensitive data is another concern. Oil and gas companies handle valuable information, including exploration data, proprietary technologies, financial records, and government contracts. Breaches can result in financial losses, intellectual …

Navigating the Hazy World of Cannabis Product Liability

Nina ConnerAgribusiness

Posted by Doug Esposito, AssuredPartners The American cannabis industry is facing a complex and constantly evolving regulatory landscape, with an incoherent patchwork of rules and regulations that can be difficult for even the most seasoned minds in compliance to navigate. This has created significant compliance challenges for cannabis companies trying to navigate product liability issues, including the ongoing blight of product recalls. The lack of uniformity in product testing requirements, packaging, and labeling has made it difficult for companies to ensure that their products are safe and accurately labeled. Insurance companies have varying definitions of what is covered, and those with broader definitions often restrict their coverage in other ways. This has created a nightmare for cannabis companies, who must …

Manufacturing and Environmental Sustainability

Nina ConnerManufacturing

Posted by Patti Gander, AssuredPartners The manufacturing sector plays a significant role in overall environmental impacts. The industry consumes natural resources on a global scale, as well as waste generation and greenhouse gas emotions. The manufacturing industry must seek methods to reduce its impact to promote long-term sustainability. Here are some key aspects and strategies related to manufacturing and environmental sustainability: Resource Efficiency: The manufacturing industry has adopted Lean Manufacturing as a business strategy. At its core, Lean focuses on waste elimination throughout the entire system. Resources consumed in manufacturing are not only human resources but include energy, water, and raw materials. Lean methods address process optimization for all resources consumed in the process, including ways to reduce excessive consumption, considered …

Developing Enduring Trust in the Construction Risk and Surety Industry

Nina ConnerBonds, Construction

Posted by David Bradbury, AssuredPartners Throughout history, all enduring progress in our world began with a vision, was refined by a concept, and was created based on a solid foundation, teamwork, and a plan to grow and prosper. Along the way, our industry has learned the valuable lesson that interdependent and interdisciplinary relationships, earned trust, and adherence to solid core values, ethical standards, and consistently adopting innovative construction and risk solutions, become the necessary foundation for sustaining success in the 21st century. To that end, contractors today require much more than traditional insurance, surety, risk management and claims services from their broker. The complexities of the present construction environment demand the engagement and services of a professional business partner/broker who will make …

Employers Require an Acceptable Motor Vehicle Record

Nina ConnerEnergy

By Tara Crisp for AssuredPartners Employers and insurance carriers often require an acceptable Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) for various reasons related to job requirements, liability and insurance purposes, regulatory compliance, company image, and risk mitigation. Job Requirements: Certain positions involve driving company vehicles or require driving as part of the job. Employers want to ensure that employees have a clean driving history and possess the necessary skills to operate vehicles safely. Liability and Insurance Purposes: Employers have a duty to protect the safety of employees, customers, and the public. By reviewing an applicant’s MVR, they can assess driving behavior, accident history, and traffic violations to determine risk profiles and make informed decisions regarding insurance coverage and liability concerns. Regulatory Compliance: Industries like transportation, …

Distraction-Free Driving: Three Steps to Go!

Nina ConnerAgribusiness

By Gina Ekstam for AssuredPartners Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of work-related fatalities in the United States. One of a company’s greatest risks occurs when an employee is driving a company vehicle or using their personal vehicle for business use. There are so many things that our driving employees can’t control while on the road, but distracted driving is not one of these. On average, a distraction-related, non-fatal-worker-injury vehicle accident costs an employer $100,310. There are three common driving distractions that every employee should avoid and control: Visual – Keep your eyes on the road. Avoid reading or sending texts or emails, adjusting temperature controls, changing the radio, and reaching or looking for items. Manual – Keep your hands on …

Increased Adoption of Automation and Robotics in the Manufacturing Industry

Nina ConnerManufacturing

By Patti Gander for AssuredPartners The manufacturing industry has continued incorporating automation and robotics into its manufacturing processes. Although there are several reasons for this transition, some key driving factors are increased productivity, greater efficiencies, and overall improved quality. Additionally, the manufacturing industry, like many other industries, struggles to find people to fill the job vacancies. As robots become more flexible and collaborative, they are being implemented to work cooperatively and safely with operators. Robots are capable of handling complex tasks and can easily be adapted to changes in production requirements. Robots are even being integrated with other technologies, further enhancing their capabilities and enabling real-time data analysis for optimization. Included in the manufacturing industry’s move towards a greater emphasis …

When Construction Counts – Addressing Subcontractor Challenges

Nina ConnerConstruction

By AP Construction and Surety Team for AssuredPartners Construction is a trillion-dollar industry, but construction can’t happen without subcontractors. With specialized skills, such as plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, and roofing, subcontractors allow general contractors to focus on managing the projects while adjusting their workforce to meet project demands. Because subcontractors are a vital part of the construction industry, it’s important to recognize and address their challenges. Macroeconomic challenges, most notably labor shortages and material costs, are having the most significant impact. While the increase in labor costs is significant, finding enough skilled labor is predicted to be the most considerable risk this year. The trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, compounded with the regular flow of projects, means that hundreds of thousands of …

Cultivating Kindness: National Skilled Nursing Care Week

Nina ConnerSenior Living

By AP Senior Living Team for AssuredPartners Each May, the American Health Care Association (AHCA) honors the essential role skilled nursing care centers play in providing quality care to millions of America’s seniors and individuals with disabilities. This year’s National Skilled Nursing Care Week (NSNCW) theme, held May 14-20, 2023, is Cultivating Kindness. Kindness is a fundamental human value that promotes empathy, compassion, understanding, and respect for others. It has a profound impact on our well-being, and when we show kindness to others, it can significantly impact their well-being too. In nursing, kindness holds immense significance. Kindness lies at the heart of patient-centered care by helping alleviate patients’ fears, anxiety, and distress, fostering a positive healing experience. Kindness builds trust, enhancing communication, encouraging …