Guides

Short, sourced answers to the questions behind the numbers.

The $750,000 FMCSA minimum, explainedWhere the $750,000 liability minimum for truckers comes from, when it becomes $1 million or $5 million, and why brokers ask for more. Business insurance when you have no employeesWhich coverages a sole-proprietor tradesperson still needs, why workers' comp may still come up, and how the checklist changes without staff or vehicles. How to read a certificate of insuranceWhat each line on an ACORD certificate means, what 'additional insured' does and does not do, and which lines a law requires versus a contract. Why two trades with the same payroll pay different premiumsWorkers' comp is payroll times a class rate, and class rates follow injury history. The 2024 BLS record for 37 trades shows a 1.5-to-8.5 spread.