If you exhibit your truck in beauty shows, participate in parades, make school visits or engage in truck image programs such as the No-Zone, you ought to look into a general liability policy specifically to cover yourself while engaged in these activities.

The standard operating policies truckers carry don’t cover things that are not in the usual course of business, such as special events and exhibits, according to the Institute for Insurance Information.

Organizers of such events – in trucking and other industries – rarely cover participants who are not employees or otherwise under their control and direction. Basically, they can cover only themselves and their employees; they may be able to add other specific people or companies they employ to help with the event or may not, depending on their insurance carrier’s rules. Vendors at trade shows are urged to take out special vendor insurance against accidents in their booths; events companies typically don’t cover the vendors.

Why should you think about this? It’s a suing society and, believe it or not, a lot of folks see big truck and think big pockets. And accidents can happen – somebody could be standing on your steps looking into the rig and fall off, or whack their head on a something, or just trip and fall. Has that ever happened to you on a truck you knew like the back of your hand? Or, God forbid, something could go seriously wrong with your rig, like a tire blowing or a brake drum shattering, and you could injure a pedestrian or hit another vehicle.

Even with the proper insurance, you could be looking at a long and messy experience. Without it, you may be looking at losing your livelihood, and more.

In researching this for Road King, the Insurance Information Institute asked several insurers how big a liability policy you need. “A million dollars, at least,” they said. You may also have to search to find a company that will write a policy for this. So if you want to parade or show your rig, first ask your agent if you’re covered. If not, find out what you need to do. If you’re a company driver who takes a company truck to such events, ask your employer if you personally are covered, as well as the vehicle.

You can also find some spirited discussions about this and related topics at the truck.net insurance forum.