Hey guys, Jim here. If you’re like me, your tow truck isn’t just a vehicle — it’s your whole livelihood. And the gear inside it? That’s your toolbox, your office, and your bread and butter all rolled into one.

A lot of tow truck owners assume their insurance automatically covers everything in the truck — winches, dollies, jumper packs, chains, straps, you name it. I used to think the same thing. But when I looked closer, I found out that’s not always true.

Here’s the deal: your commercial auto policy covers the truck itself, not the equipment inside it. So, if your dollies or tools get stolen, or your truck catches fire and everything inside burns up, that’s not automatically covered unless you have the right endorsement.

That’s where inland marine coverage (sometimes called “tools and equipment coverage”) comes in. It protects the stuff you use on the job — not just while it’s in your truck, but even when you take it out to work.

Let me give you a real example. A buddy of mine had his truck broken into in Queens one night. They stole a bunch of recovery straps, jumper cables, and a tool set worth over $4,000. His regular policy didn’t cover it, and he had to eat the loss. After that, he added inland marine coverage, and now if something like that happens again, he’s protected.

The cost for this coverage is usually small compared to what you’d lose replacing all your gear. You can choose how much you want to insure — $5,000, $10,000, or more, depending on how much equipment you carry.

So if you depend on your gear to do your job (and let’s be honest, we all do), take a minute to check if it’s actually covered.

If you’re not sure whether your tools and equipment are protected, call The Sarrica Insurance Group at 516-277-0812. Or fill out this quick form: Get a Business Insurance Quote.

Don’t wait until something gets stolen or damaged to find out you’re not covered — I’ve seen too many good guys learn that the hard way.