Our Obligatory Weather Post, From Insurance People

 

The Storm Is Over. The Transportation Risk Is Not.

The winter storm has officially moved out of most impacted areas. From a road and transportation standpoint, this is the phase that matters most for trucking and insurance.

National reporting shows hundreds of crashes across multiple states, mostly tied to icy and refreezing road conditions. Virginia logged more than 400 crashes during the storm window, many involving commercial traffic moving alongside passenger vehicles.

We’re happy to report there are no catastrophic interstate pileups dominating the headlines. Instead, the storm delivered something more common and more expensive for insurance carriers.

High volume. Low visibility with moderate severity losses.

Why Transportation Losses Spike After the Storm

From an insurance point of view, the day after a storm produces the messiest claims.

Low speed rear end collisions
Slide offs into guardrails
Jackknifes during recovery traffic
Trailer damage in yards and truck stops

These incidents often lack clean documentation. Photos show clear pavement even when ice was present. Police reports are minimal due to overwhelming need for first responders elsewhere. Fault gets murky fast.

Weather related claims do not erase your liability. These claims still hit your loss runs, impact CSA scores and of course your renewal pricing.

*Most single truck crashes related to weather are going to be listed as at fault.  This comes up a lot.  If you slide off the road with no other vehicles involved, you are the only one who could be at fault. We can’t charge the weather for the damage.  If a tree fell on the truck at a truck stop, that would fall under comprehensive coverage.

Reality Today

Some roads are technically open but that doesn’t mean they are safe.

Salt effectiveness drops, especially in areas where the temp will not rise about 25 degrees. Refreeze cycles continue overnight. Recovery traffic creates stop and go conditions that will increase rear end exposure. Drivers are tired from delays and tempted to make up time.

From a risk standpoint, today is still a winter storm driving day.

 

What to Focus On Right Now

Winter Safe Driving, The Insurance Version

Winter driving is more than getting through snow. It is about how you drive when conditions look improved but are still carry risk for the unknown.

Speed creep is the biggest problem we’ll see right now. Drivers feel safe, add a few miles per hour, and lose margin for error. On winter pavement, that margin was already tight.

Following distance matters more than horsepower. Cold tires, cold brakes, and mixed road conditions mean stopping takes longer, even when roads look clear.

Bridges, ramps, shaded areas, and shoulders are still high risk. These spots refreeze first and stay slick longest. Most post storm slide offs happen here.

Yards and truck stops are also a problem zone. Packed snow, rutted ice, and tight turns lead to trailer damage and low speed impacts that still turn into claims.

Truck U Take
Winter losses do not end when the storm does. The carriers that protect their insurance future are the ones who stay disciplined when roads look good but conditions still bite.

Questions about winter claims, close calls, or how post storm incidents affect renewals? Call us at 254-294-7798 or email info@trucku.biz.

 

 

Disclosure
This post is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice, insurance advice, or a substitute for calling your agent. Truck U is good, but we are not psychic. Policies vary, laws change, and courtrooms get weird. Do not make decisions based solely on something you read on the internet unless it is from us, in writing, with your name on it.

All opinions are our own and do not represent the views of any carrier, employer, or underwriting department that occasionally wishes we were quieter on LinkedIn.