In determining eligibility for insurance coverage, Northbridge Insurance™ (consisting of Commonwealth Insurance Company, Markel Insurance Company of Canada, Lombard General Insurance Company of Canada, and Lombard Insurance Company) evaluates a combination of each driver’s experience and training, as well as other qualifying factors. For more details, refer to our Insurance Eligibility Requirements for Professional Transport Drivers publication.

Carriers who invest in high quality training for new entrant drivers will find that Northbridge Insurance offers generous premium incentives, often offsetting the training cost investment.

Northbridge Insurance is committed to supporting you in recruiting and retaining both experienced and new entrant drivers in the anticipated (post-recession) driver shortage.

Northbridge Insurance is active in working with all levels of government, trucking associations and driver training facilities in establishing cost effective best practices in new entrant driver training. Our goal is to help policyholders select and train drivers with the best possible impact on keeping their insurance costs low, while understanding the demand they face for new drivers.

Qualifying through practical experience

To qualify for insurance coverage based on practical experience, a driver being hired to haul most types of general freight must declare and be able to confirm a minimum of ONE year of experience driving vehicles of similar configuration (including tractor/trailer, straight truck, and international experience).

In certain high hazard driving scenarios, Northbridge Insurance requires a minimum of ONE year of practical experience driving vehicles of the same configuration and load types, over an equal or greater radius of operation.

Qualifying through accredited training

In most instances, Northbridge Insurance will insure a driver hired to operate a tractor/trailer, straight truck (with or without trailer hitch configuration), or light commercial vehicle, when the driver has at least ONE year of experience driving any automobile with an acceptable conviction/citation record (among other requirements).