Topic: Commercial Insurance

If you want to drive for a rideshare company, we’ve got you covered! Passenger Vehicle for Hire coverage is simple and flexible.

Benefits

Key benefits include:

  • Set your schedule and pay accordingly: Drive as much as you want, anytime you want. The cost is based on the number of timebands you select. Tailor your coverage to the time you plan to drive.
  • It’s convenient to set up: Talk to your Autopac agent to purchase or change coverage. You can change your selection of timebands at anytime without transaction fees. Rideshare drivers can operate their vehicle with a regular Class 5 driver’s licence and regular passenger vehicle licence plates. Vehicle for Hire insurance is easy to buy, easy to change and easy to use.
  • You have full coverage: Passenger Vehicle for Hire drivers enjoy the same coverage and benefits available from Basic Autopac and the Personal Injury Protection Plan. It includes a $750 deductible (for policies with an effective date of April 1, 2021, or later) and the option to purchase Autopac Extension products (such as lower deductibles or increased third-party liability). All individual Vehicle for Hire insurance holders are also eligible for applicable Driver Safety Rating discounts!
  • It’s fair and equitable: Our Vehicle for Hire insurance model ensures that everyone is paying their own way — there is no cross-subsidization between Vehicles for Hire and regular passenger vehicles. In addition, the rating model aligns with the compulsory and universal nature of auto insurance in Manitoba.

Timebands

Select from four timebands.

Purchase one, two, three or all four timebands, depending on when you plan to offer rideshare services. Talk to your Autopac agent to determine the premium that will apply to your situation.

Weekdays (Not including rush hour)

Daytime, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. –3 p.m.
Evening, Sunday through Thursday, 7 p.m.–11 p.m.

Rush hour

Morning, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.–10 a.m.
Afternoon, Monday through Friday, 3 p.m.–7 p.m.

Overnight

Nightly, 11 p.m.–7 a.m.

Weekends

Friday 6 p.m.–Sunday 11 p.m.

To become a Passenger Vehicle for Hire operator:

  1. If you plan to operate in Winnipeg, visit the City of Winnipeg website to learn more about the rules and regulations that apply to private vehicles for hire (personal transportation providers), and to find out which ride share service providers are licensed to operate in the City of Winnipeg.
  2. If you plan to operate outside Winnipeg, learn the rules that apply in the local municipality. Driver licensing, insurance and vehicle requirements may vary under local municipal bylaws.
  3. Make contact with the rideshare service provider you are interested in driving for to find out how to become a driver, and what eligibility requirements apply.
  4. Talk to your Autopac agent about changing to Passenger Vehicle for Hire coverage and the timebands that work best for you.
  5. Once you are driving as a Passenger Vehicle for Hire operator, remember it is your responsibility to keep your vehicle correctly insured and offer rideshare services only within the timebands you select. You can change your timebands at any time by visiting any Autopac agent – the changes will take effect immediately.

Passenger Vehicle for Hire provides full coverage that fits your schedule. Talk to your Autopac agent for more details. When it comes to insuring your vehicle to provide private rideshare services in Manitoba – Manitoba Public Insurance has you covered!

Garage policies provide varying levels of coverage for physical damage to owned vehicles, legal liability physical damage for customers’ vehicles, and third-party liability.

These coverages are available to the following types of businesses:

  • Automobile Dealer and Repair Garage: A business primarily engaged in selling and repairing automobiles and motorcycles.
  • Farm Implement or Off-Road Dealer: A business primarily engaged in selling or repairing farm implements or off-road vehicles.
  • Automobile Repair Garage: A business primarily engaged in repairing automobiles and motorcycles.
  • Automobile Service Station: A public gasoline or oil supply station and/or a public service station providing the services of:
    — washing, filling and lubrication, battery, ignition, spring and tire repairs but no engine or body repairs
    — the selling or servicing of incidental automobile parts and accessories, including the calling for and delivery of customers’ automobiles
    — an automatic car wash
  • Automobile Storage Garage: A business primarily engaged in the business of storing, parking, washing and cleaning automobiles.
  • Automobile Open Air Parking Lot: A business primarily engaged in storing, parking, washing, calling for and delivery of customers’ automobiles.

See more information about commercial insurance options, or contact your insurance agent for more information.

Our Special Risk Extension department maintains an extensive Fleet Safety Program, designed to work with you to help raise your company’s level of safety awareness.

An on-site visit from our fleet safety specialists, as part of our Fleet Safety Program, can help you identify ways to improve how you do business. Various aspects of your operation will be thoroughly reviewed, ranging from management to driver selection to maintenance and road-safety programs. Loss trend analysis is also conducted to identify potential areas of concern.

The fleet safety representative will work with you to develop an effective road-safety program designed to:

  • reduce accidents
  • reduce operating costs
  • improve customer retention
  • decrease cargo claims

Vehicle Inspection Trailer

The Vehicle Inspection Unit (VIU) is a mobile state-of-the-art diagnostic unit designed to promote safer vehicles on our roads and highways.

The VIU provides on-site vehicle brake and suspension inspection service for semi-trailer tractor units, trailers, buses, and other large highway vehicles. It collects safety data from a series of tests on the braking system, steering suspension, axle weight, and brake-line air pressures, and provides an analysis of the vehicle’s braking system.

A detailed safety print-out helps fleet owners identify trouble areas before they become dangerous problems.

SRE’s vehicle inspection unit is the only portable inspection trailer currently provided by an insurance company. This service is free to SRE fleet customers, and many clients are making it part of their regular safety program.

The VIU inspects two key areas for safety: brakes and suspension.

A heavy-equipment service representative (certified transport truck mechanic) will assist your driver in maneuvering your tractor or trailer onto the test bed.

The VIU tests braking capacity by driving the tires with a set of rollers. When your brakes are applied, the equipment measures, records and graphs their capability.

Each axle undergoes a variety of tests including diagnostic static and dynamic brake tests, roll resistance, axle weight, and brake-line air pressure. The VIU compiles the data and prints the results.

We also visually inspect the front axle, steering components and suspension systems. Your driver or maintenance manager receives the test results.

The VIU’s diagnostic equipment is fully transportable – we can bring it to you.

Contact us

The VIU can help you improve your bottom line by ensuring that safer trucks and trailers are on the road and by reducing maintenance down time.

To book an appointment, call our heavy-equipment service representative at

1–204–985–1631 (office)

1–204–799–2536 (cell)

Discounts for fleet owners are handled differently than with individual vehicle owners. The Autopac Fleet Program upholds our commitment to a rating structure that rewards safe driving and vehicle maintenance. We encourage you to share in our focus on safety. By doing so, you’ll see the results of your safety efforts through a sliding scale of rebates and surcharges. The lower the losses we pay, the less you’ll have to pay to insure your fleet.

What is a fleet?

To qualify, you must:

  • Have 10 or more vehicles registered (including vehicles under dealer and repairer plates) on the first day of any customer month in your registration period.
  • Meet the required minimum number of insured days.

Contact the Fleet Unit if you’re not sure whether your fleet qualifies:

Exclusions

Excluded vehicles are:

  • vehicles classified as insurance-exempt vehicles
  • vehicles for hire
  • trailers
  • vehicles for which premiums are paid only for Personal Injury Protection Plan coverage
  • off-road vehicles
  • motorcycles
  • mopeds
  • mobility vehicles
  • vehicles under a Lay-up policy
  • vehicles under a Rental Vehicle Insurance policy

Rebates and surcharges

Rebates and surcharges are determined by the loss experience of your fleet. A loss experience is the ratio between all the losses we paid on your behalf and the fleet premiums you paid to us. Claims are included according to the degree of responsibility, except for comprehensive claims, which are fully included in the calculation of the loss ratio. Losses paid and fleet premiums for New and Leased Vehicle Protection coverage are not included in the fleet experience.

For example, if you are held 40 per cent responsible for a claim, then only 40 per cent of the cost of the claim (including all costs for which the fleet driver is responsible) will be charged to your fleet experience.

Currently, the maximum amount used for any one loss is $25,000. Rebates and surcharges will vary, determined by your loss ratio.

Fleets with the lowest ratio of claims to premiums paid are eligible for premium rebates up to 33 per cent.

Rebates

If your loss experience is (%)

your refund will be (%)

If your loss experience is (%)

your refund will be (%)

69

1

52

18

68

2

51

19

67

3

50

20

66

4

49

21

65

5

48

22

64

6

47

23

63

7

46

24

62

8

45

25

61

9

44

26

60

10

43

27

59

11

42

28

58

12

41

29

57

13

40

30

56

14

39

31

55

15

38

32

54

16

37 or less

33

53

17

Surcharges

If your loss experience is (%)

your surcharge will be (%)

If your loss experience is (%)

your surcharge will be (%)

70 – 79

Nil

105

26

80

1

106

27

81

2

107

28

82

3

108

29

83

4

109

30

84

5

110

31

85

6

111

32

86

7

112

33

87

8

113

34

88

9

114

35

89

10

115

36

90

11

116

37

91

12

117

38

92

13

118

39

93

14

119

40

94

15

120

41

95

16

121

42

96

17

122

43

97

18

123

44

98

19

124

45

99

20

125

46

100

21

126

47

101

22

127

48

102

23

128

49

103

24

129 or more

50

104

25

Example

claims incurred

divided by

fleet premiums

equals less ratio

refund/surcharge %

rebate/surcharge amount

$3,750

$10,144

37%

33% of premium

a rebate of $3,348

$5,425

$2,495

217%

50% of premium $2,495

or a surcharge of $1,247

Reports

We’ll help you manage the loss experience of your fleet by providing a quarterly progress package that includes reports on fleet identification, claims incurred, and fleet loss ratio. A final fleet assessment package is sent annually with a statement of account. This will indicate your rebate or surcharge, based on the fleet results for the year.

Appeals

You’re entitled to appeal your surcharge, and can have your surcharge reviewed by the Fleet Unit. If the record is correct and you wish to appeal, you will be advised on how to appeal to the Rates Appeal Board.

Commercial Coverage options are provided through our Special Risk Extension (SRE) program.

SRE designs your total insurance plan with a team approach involving underwriting, fleet safety, claims, and brokers. We offer competitive pricing and a full line of customized coverage options tailored to fit your needs.

Primary coverage

If your vehicle isn’t eligible for all-perils coverage under Basic Autopac, you can choose to purchase this coverage from SRE. Examples of these vehicle types include:

  • large trucks (including truck tractors and tankers) with a gross vehicle weight in excess of 16,330 kg
  • common carrier buses

Vehicles not eligible for third-party liability and all-perils coverage under Basic Autopac can purchase SRE coverage too. These vehicle types include:

  • commercial trucks with a gross vehicle weight in excess of 11,794 kg that operate beyond a 161 km radius outside the borders of Manitoba
  • semi-trailers
  • fire department vehicles

Your commercial insurance needs can vary. Your insurance agent will make certain that you have the right coverage in place, tailored to your specific needs.

Transportation packages

We offer a full range of products to suit your needs, including a variety of deductible, coverage, and liability limit options. Purchasing these coverages also entitles your company, at no additional cost, to the full benefits of our comprehensive fleet safety program.

Third-party liability

Coverage protects you from:

  • Property damage claims others make against you for damaging their property.
  • Public liability claims non-residents of Manitoba make against you for bodily injury. This includes such things as pain and suffering, loss of income and loss of future earnings.

Cargo liability

Cargo liability for truckers protects you, the carrier, in the event of damaged or stolen freight. This coverage is available for owned or non-owned cargo.

General liability

General liability for truckers provides commercial general and property liability coverage for the transportation operations of the Insured, completing your commercial vehicle package. Coverage selection is also available so you can custom design your insurance plan.

We also handle your Canadian and U.S. filing as needed. We file the required papers with jurisdictional authorities on your behalf.

Please seek the professional advice of your insurance agent when purchasing your transportation package.

Camper/hitchhiker policy

For a camper or hitchhiker (recreational vehicle) unit, consider this coverage if:

  • Your camper unit is especially designed for living purposes and is mounted or attached to a light commercial type automobile.
  • Your hitchhiker is designed to be mounted on the trunk of a private passenger automobile.

However, if you use your camper or hitchhiker as a seasonal cottage or guest house, coverage should be added under your homeowner policy.

Coverage provided by this policy includes:

  • All-perils protection for physical damage to the camper/hitchhiker.
  • Third-party liability coverage when the unit is detached from the vehicle. When the camper/hitchhiker is attached to a motor vehicle that has third-party liability coverage, the motor vehicle’s coverage automatically extends to the unit.

Other extensions

Some vehicle classes insured under Basic Autopac can purchase reduced all-perils deductibles, increased maximum insured value and/or increased third-party liability coverage through SRE. Examples of these classes include:

  • ambulance and police vehicles
  • hearse, funeral, and wedding vehicles
  • courier and messenger vehicles
  • common carriers operating within 161 km outside the Manitoba border
  • U-drive cars, motor homes, or trucks
  • other trucks

Please contact your insurance agent for professional assistance in choosing your coverage.

Loss of Use

Life can get a lot more complicated without the use of your vehicle. The good news is you can choose additional coverage that minimizes your inconvenience and expense.

SRE offers its commercial customers a customized Loss of Use Policy, covering your replacement transportation costs when you can’t use your vehicle because of accidental damage or theft.

Under Basic Autopac, Loss of Use coverage only applies when your vehicle is stolen.

Keep in mind this coverage is available only when your physical-damage coverage has been provided by SRE or Autopac. Coverage is also not available for motor vehicles:

  • used for rental purposes
  • used for emergency purposes
  • used for demonstrating or testing purposes
  • held for sale by an automobile dealer
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