# Tag & Insurance Costs for a Farm Truck



## NewBerlinBaler

For us part-time famers on Hay Talk. I wonder how the rest of you are dealing with this.

I use an F-350 and a tag-along trailer (20-foot bed, 12,000-pound GVWR) to take hay to auction. We have other, more economical, vehicles for daily driving so the truck only gets used when something needs to be towed or hauled. For the last several years, I've been averaging only about 1,000 miles/year on this truck.

Because the rig is used for business and especially because I deliver hay to customer sites, my insurance agent said I needed a commercial policy. Premium now runs $800/year for the truck & trailer. Also, to be legal in PA, I had to register the truck for 17,000 pounds combination weight. Annual fee is now $336. Total is $1,136 for a vehicle I only drive 1,000 per year. Works out to more than a dollar per mile just for tags & insurance!

Policy renews on Jan first so this week I contacted a few other insurance companies. Each one said they couldn't do any better then $800/year. On Friday, I put the renewal check in the mail.

I assume everyone reading this blog has their farm vehicles properly registered & insured. Depending on the size of your operation, these costs can be a significant portion of your budget.

Gary


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## haybaler101

3/4 ton pickups run about $350 per year for liability only and I think my semi is less than $500 per year for liability with two trailers. I carry 1 million liability plus another million umbrella. Only carry full coverage on vehicles less than 5 years old. Tags on 98 pick up are about $40, '08 pickup are about $125, gooseneck 20+5'is ~$60'and semi trailers are $13/year. Semi tractor is the killer at $1030 for 78,000+ farm tags.


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## Lewis Ranch

Semi and trailer which is farm played runs $1800 a year and one ton runs around $2200 a year. I carry million dollar no limits policy. All have full coverage.


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## Teslan

For tags it kinda depends on your state. Our gmc top kick is insured for part time use. Since it is tagged farm it can be insured as farm use. Just like our old Chevy C50. Now a hay customer of mine bought a Ford F650. He doesn't farm so he had to pay commercial insurance of about $100 month.


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## somedevildawg

Thinking of gettin shed of my semi for that reason......1800 per year insurance, put less than 500 miles on it last year. Replace with f550.... Part of the problem may be that I don't carry a CDL, idk....


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## 8350HiTech

NBB, are those numbers with farm plates or regular plates?


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## endrow

NewBerlinBaler said:


> For us part-time famers on Hay Talk. I wonder how the rest of you are dealing with this.
> 
> I use an F-350 and a tag-along trailer (20-foot bed, 12,000-pound GVWR) to take hay to auction. We have other, more economical, vehicles for daily driving so the truck only gets used when something needs to be towed or hauled. For the last several years, I've been averaging only about 1,000 miles/year on this truck.
> 
> Because the rig is used for business and especially because I deliver hay to customer sites, my insurance agent said I needed a commercial policy. Premium now runs $800/year for the truck & trailer. Also, to be legal in PA, I had to register the truck for 17,000 pounds combination weight. Annual fee is now $336. Total is $1,136 for a vehicle I only drive 1,000 per year. Works out to more than a dollar per mile just for tags & insurance!
> 
> Policy renews on Jan first so this week I contacted a few other insurance companies. Each one said they couldn't do any better then $800/year. On Friday, I put the renewal check in the mail.
> 
> I assume everyone reading this blog has their farm vehicles properly registered & insured. Depending on the size of your operation, these costs can be a significant portion of your budget.
> 
> Gary


Do you haul hay for others if you are only hauling YOUR hay you would not need a commercial policy you could put farm tags on the trucks and probably purchase insurance for less money .I see some yellow exemption stickers on truck doors at Lancaster Countyhay sales. All our insurance is purchased from an agent that specializes in agricultural insurance.


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## JD3430

You could try farm plates-cuts registration costs down by a lot in PA.
I have an apportioned non-farm plate on my 550 registered at 36,000 GCWR. My insurance is about $650 through Nationwide Agribusiness.

Thinking outside the box for a second: I did what you did years ago. Had 550 for hauling and a lighter truck for everyday driving and construction tasks. Found it was cheaper to sell lighter truck and keep the 550 and just use it for all driving.
Could you sell your "car" and just use the 350? Then you can drop insurance, registration and repairs on the car. Plus the car sale proceeds could be used for truck repairs, farm equip., etc.


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## gearhartfarms82

Like said above look into farm tags. If ur hauling ur own hay its one set of rules. If ur hauling others hay that puts u into commercial. 800$ insurance is cheap or at least id like it that cheap but were carring 2 mill on liability ect. 
One thing about trucking is that they dont pay sitting still. Got to keep them moving.


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## endrow

$50 per year for the tag & $175 per year insurance


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## JD3430

Soon as I get onto my farm, thats what I'm doing.


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## 8350HiTech

JD3430 said:


> Soon as I get onto my farm, thats what I'm doing.


Why wait?


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## BWfarms

North Carolina has a few restrictions for farm use vehicles. I don't personally run farm tags because both trucks are also used to pull boats, campers, etc. I have weighted tags for both but at a minimum.

The link below is out ag use spelled out:
http://www.ncstrawberry.com/docs/haulingagtransportationmanual.pdf

Insurance is not terrible for me even with commercial tags. I've got 1 million farm liability, 1 million umbrella, 500,000 medical, and full comprehensive coverage for all equipment except a few that have no real value other than they still work. Under $400 a year I don't know exact pennies. Full coverage for 2 trucks and 1 car, 1 car liability are about $700 a year. All policies discount together when combine to house but I don't follow that number because it's in mortgage but it's low.

Mind you my driving record is unblemished and impeccable credit history. Yes, bad credit will hurt you. Also having multiple checking and savings accounts help with lower premiums. No DUI's as well.


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## slowzuki

I'm in the middle of going through this, in the US, most insurance companies have the standard Personal Auto Policy and it lists farming and ranching as one of the permitted activities on a personal policy, covers trailers and farm implements for liability. Many agents don't even know this is in their own policy so ask to read it.

This exemption doesn't exist in my province for a variety of reasons. I was told I need a commercial policy for similar use. Truck is a 2012 dodge diesel dually mega cab. The rate went up to 2200$ per year at one company and no personal use was permitted. No trailers covered they are extra. 3000 miles per year max. The lowest was 1200$ per year but even more restrictions. I did not qualify for their farm discount as I also work off farm.

I finally located a farm friendly company called Cooperators, 580$ per year full coverage, up to 6000 miles per year, covers any trailer attached. Can still use for towing boat or camper. 450$ or so of that is the 1 million liability. Quotes on our cars were competitive to existing policy.

Tags have been going up here, on farm plates last year was 190$ish on the F350, the Dodge 3500 didn't have a farm plate so was 400$ and change.


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## JD3430

8350HiTech said:


> Why wait?


According to DOT guy I know and local auto tags place, I have to own a farm to get farm plates. I bet its BS, but I havent looked into it enough.


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## 8350HiTech

JD3430 said:


> According to DOT guy I know and local auto tags place, I have to own a farm to get farm plates. I bet its BS, but I havent looked into it enough.


You have to file a Schedule F. That counts as a ownership of a farm. You don't have to physically own farmland.


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## deadmoose

JD3430 said:


> According to DOT guy I know and local auto tags place, I have to own a farm to get farm plates. I bet its BS, but I havent looked into it enough.


Google....

Owned or operated is what I see. I only skimmed though...
http://www.dmv.pa.gov/VEHICLE-SERVICES/Farm-Vehicles/Pages/Titling-Registration-and-Exemption.aspx


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## JD3430

I cant honestly say the truck will be used 100% "EXCLUSIVELY" for farming, until I'm located on a farm.


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## endrow

What I picture there is not a truck with farm plates. That truck has no registration plates attached to it. That sticker on the door certifies that this truck is exempt from needing to purchase a registration in the state of Pa. . It must be used on our farms or within a 50 mile radius of the farms it can be used for transferring or delivering commodities produced on our farms or picking up supplies needed by the farms.


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## endrow

JD3430 said:


> I cant honestly say the truck will be used 100% "EXCLUSIVELY" for farming, until I'm located on a farm.


 there is tons of trucks around here with farm tags or exemption stickers. The law enforcement in this county knows what's going on with farm trucks and they will call you out immediately if you abuse it. We always keep a couple trucks tagged commercial the consequences of using Farm exempt trucks for personal use are pretty serious, but then again in the same note being able to have some trucks that are exempt and qualify for very low insurance it saves us a bundle if we can use it properly


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## JD3430

endrow said:


> there is tons of trucks around here with farm tags or exemption stickers. The law enforcement in this county knows what's going on with farm trucks and they will call you out immediately if you abuse it. We always keep a couple trucks tagged commercial the consequences of using Farm exempt trucks for personal use are pretty serious, but then again in the same note being able to have some trucks that are exempt and qualify for very low insurance it saves us a bundle if we can use it properly


Yep, that's why I'm going to wait until I have another truck I can tag commercially or move onto a farm. 
Buddy of mine is a local cop and he said they never bother to question anyone with farm plates as to why they're in a non farm situation with their truck, but that's only one local borough.


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## PaCustomBaler

8350HiTech said:


> You have to file a Schedule F. That counts as a ownership of a farm. You don't have to physically own farmland.


Exactly what Nathan said. Show them your schedule F and you are eligible for a farm plate (not sticker) vehicle. Did that do get a PA combo 8 class farm plate...only $157 vs. $472. Farm plates get you paying only 1/3 costs as commercial...can't beat it.

I go to Harrisburg for mine. Straight from their mouth, no limit on hauling as long as it's your commodity. "From your farm to the commodity's place of sale".

No idea what insurance costs is for farm vs. commercial, we have a farm umbrella.


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## JD3430

I'd like to but cant honestly say my truck is 100% farm use. So I'm out unless I want to break the laws.


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## RockmartGA

For some time, I was wanting "something that dumped." Found several older, single axle flatbeds with dump beds, but quickly figured out that the annual cost of insurance made it not feasible for my purposes. Not to mention the maintenance costs of something with a motor that gets run sporadically. Wound up buying a dump trailer

I don't think Georgia has the bureaucratic red tape on the lighter trucks and trailers that our friends to the north have - or maybe I'm a naive dumbass who hasn't been caught yet.... I do know that our town has a rock quarry nearby and the GaDOT enforcement boys are very enthusiastic about pulling tandem and semi dumps over to weigh them.


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## JD3430

Gotta love a dump trailer. Back into a muddy jobsite. Truck stays on pavement, trailer goes on the mud and you dont get stuck.


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## mlappin

JD3430 said:


> According to DOT guy I know and local auto tags place, I have to own a farm to get farm plates. I bet its BS, but I havent looked into it enough.


I don't even bother with farm plates for our pickups anymore, plates aren't much cheaper and the restrictions are a hindrance.

We do however plate out heavy farm trucks at the empty weight, little known rule that a lady at the BMV told us about, saves a buttload of money on heavy farm plates. didn't believe her at first so she actually looked it up and printed a copy out to go with each registration in case of an eager beaver state trooper or DOT turd.


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## slowzuki

I remember reading though there a few gotchas with that at least in a few states.

We have similar rule here for passenger vehicles, I can plate my F350 as a passenger vehicle at curb weight because its under 10,000 lb empty weight and it lets me travel on roads closed to truck traffic and bypass scales and skip some license restrictions but gets complicated to stay legal with non recreational trailers and semi-trailers.



mlappin said:


> I don't even bother with farm plates for our pickups anymore, plates aren't much cheaper and the restrictions are a hindrance.
> 
> We do however plate out heavy farm trucks at the empty weight, little known rule that a lady at the BMV told us about, saves a buttload of money on heavy farm plates. didn't believe her at first so she actually looked it up and printed a copy out to go with each registration in case of an eager beaver state trooper or DOT turd.


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## endrow

mlappin said:


> I don't even bother with farm plates for our pickups anymore, plates aren't much cheaper and the restrictions are a hindrance.
> We do however plate out heavy farm trucks at the empty weight, little known rule that a lady at the BMV told us about, saves a buttload of money on heavy farm plates. didn't believe her at first so she actually looked it up and printed a copy out to go with each registration in case of an eager beaver state trooper or DOT turd.


 NOT sure I understand in our state you could register trucks for the light weight also ,,but then you can haul anything unless you upgrade the weight on the tag?


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## endrow

SORRY typo , CANNOT haul anything unless you upgrade the weight on the tag.


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## mlappin

endrow said:


> SORRY typo , CANNOT haul anything unless you upgrade the weight on the tag.


Nope, still can haul just don't exceed the trucks actual GVWR.


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