Everything You Need to Know About Rental Insurance 

Authored by Andrew Montanino

One of the most important (and often misunderstood) parts of renting a vehicle is the optional insurance, damage waiver, and liability products sold by the rental company to supplement the customer’s own coverage in the event of an accident or unforeseen circumstance. This article will explain City Rent A Truck’s protection packages in detail, and why they are important to consider for your rental. 

The most common misconception about insurance heard in the rental industry is “my policy covers anything I drive,” or “my credit card will cover accidents in rentals.” While this may be true in some situations, you may not be completely covered when it comes to renting fleet vehicles or vehicles over a certain GVWR, every insurance policy is written differently.  

Unfortunately, many people only find this out when their insurance provider denies their claim, sticking them with a massive bill. Not only can they find themselves responsible for the repair costs of complex commercial vehicles, but also for towing, impound fees and loss of revenue. Not to mention the costs to other party’s property if the renter was at fault.  

City Rent A Truck offers multiple layers of protection from these ugly situations to ease the financial burden to the renter at a reasonable price. Whether you’re a parent renting a box truck to move a child to college, a church group using a passenger van for a group outing, or a fleet manager with dozens of cargo vans on rental for multiple months, City Rent A Truck has you covered! 

Damage Protection  

Covers ONLY the rental vehicle in the event of accidental damage. Excellent for qualified renters who only carry liability insurance or are unsure if their policy covers our vehicles.  

• Renter’s Collision Protection: $29/day $195/week, $780/month

  • Offers damage protection to all rental vehicles under 10,000 lbs. GVWR. (Not applicable for box trucks, flatbeds, dump beds, trailers, and 1-ton pickups.)  
  • $250 deductible, $20,000 limit 

• • Renter and drivers must be 25 or older, there is no charge for additional drivers 

• Loss Damage Waiver: $29/day, $195/week, $780/month 

  • Covers all rental vehicles. This is the only damage waiver for rental vehicles over 10,000lbs GVWR. (Box trucks, flatbeds, dump beds, 1-ton pickups, and trailers) 
  • $1,000 out of pocket maximum, covers up to full loss of the vehicle.  

• Trailer Loss Damage Waiver: $10/day, $70/week, $280/month 

  • Covers all rental trailers (trailers only) 
  • $250 out of pocket maximum, covers up to the full loss of the trailer 

Liability Insurance 

Primary liability coverage protects against claims made by 3rd parties for property damage or bodily harm in the event of an accident. 

• Renter’s Liability Insurance: (MO) $18.57/day, $129.99/week, $519.96/month (KS) $22.28/day, $155.96/week, $623.84/month (KS)

• • Provides coverage up to the state minimum, which in Kansas and Missouri is 25/50/10. ($25k bodily injury per person/$50k max total per accident/10k property damage per accident). 

• Supplemental Liability Insurance: $19.95/day, $139.65/week, $558.60/month

• • Provides the insured additional liability protection between the underlying insurance, and up to $1,000,000 coverage for combined bodily injury and property damage.  

Frequently Asked Policy Questions 

• Is there a grace period on these insurance policies when you are returning the vehicle? 

  • Yes there is a grace period but it can be a little bit confusing. Because we go through a 3rd party for insurance, they set the grace period, not us. So although City Rent a Truck allows for a 3 hour grace period on our vehicles, the insurance companies only allow a 59 minute grace period. This could mean in certain scenarios you would get charged for 2 days of insurance, but only one day of rental. Make sure you are aware of this distinction before leaving the lot, and ask a rental representative for any clarification on this rule. 

• Will my Credit Card cover your vehicles? 

  • No. This is a very common misconception, and it can cost you a lot of money and headache if you find this out after the fact. There are no credit card policies that will transfer over to our vehicles, so if this is the only insurance you have, you will need to purchase ours. 

• How do I know if my policy will cover your rental vehicles? 

  • This is a great question, and the answer is that it varies. Everybody’s policy is different, and many policies have very specific stipulations on what they will and won’t cover. It is always a good idea to call your insurance agent prior to your rental. Make sure you detail what type of vehicle you are planning to rent, and verify if your policy will cover it or not. Again, the worst thing that can happen is to find out after the fact, and be stuck with a huge bill that you could have easily avoided. 

• Can I still purchase your insurance if I have my own full coverage? 

  • Yes, absolutely! In fact, this is what many of our customers opt to do. Even if you are fully covered through your own policy, there is often a high deductible. Plus, in the event of an accident you have to go through the long process of filling out a claim, and your premium will undoubtedly increase. If you purchase our insurance, and do end up in an accident, we just take the truck back and you walk away. City Rent a Truck takes care of the rest for you, and you don’t have to worry about your premium on your own policy going through the roof! 

Contact a Rep 

This blog should give you a great start, but if you still have additional insurance questions, reach out to a Rental Representative at any of our stores. They would be happy to help you out! 

To learn more about our rental options, download our FREE Leasing vs Buying PDF, or get a custom commercial or personal quote today!