Feature Spotlight: First Notice of Loss (FNOL)

Category

Trucking Technology

Author

Rule 1 Admin

Picture this: It's 6:47 a.m. on a busy interstate highway. A Class A commercial truck is involved in a collision. Traditionally, what happens next is an all-too-familiar story in the trucking industry. 

The fleet's incident report takes weeks to reach their insurance company. By then, attorneys representing the other party have already built their case. What might have been a straightforward claims process escalates into a protracted and expensive legal battle, often resulting in a nuclear verdict: a million-dollar payout.

But this isn't that story. This is what happens with TruckerCloud.

Within minutes of impact, the insurance company receives a comprehensive alert containing precise location data, G-force readings, speed data, and video footage of the incident. Their response team is mobilized before most law firms even hear about the crash. 

What’s changed? 

This insurance company uses TruckerCloud's comprehensive telematics solution. In this scenario, they benefit from our First Notice of Loss feature, leveraging real-time truck tracking and telematics-based insurance claims to expedite the process and reduce liability risks.

A man holds a paper with insurance information.

The Auto Insurance Industry’s Reporting Challenge

The traditional claims process is reactive, fragmented, and expensive. 

After an incident, built-in camera systems might alert the fleet owner, who then decides when—or if—to pass the information to their insurance provider. By the time insurers are aware of the event, crucial evidence may be lost, and the opportunity for early resolution is gone. 

The average claim for a Class A vehicle is around $390,000, and delays in reporting give further room for legal escalation, significantly driving up costs. The inflated costs drive up premiums, becoming a financial vulnerability for fleets, insurance providers, and reinsurers.

Unfortunately, delayed reporting is common. 

Before using TruckerCloud’s First Notice of Loss telematics solutions, one insurer reported the average time between a high G-force impact and claim reporting was over 8 days. Even though that’s quicker than many others, it’s still more than enough time for a straightforward incident to transform into a complex legal battle.

This outdated model benefits no one aside from plaintiff attorneys; however, TruckerCloud’s First Notice of Loss solution is turning the tides of this flawed system. It uses real-time truck tracking to expedite the claims process and ensure the necessary telematics-based insurance claims data is delivered immediately.

How TruckerCloud Solves Accident Reporting Delays

TruckerCloud's First Notice of Loss solution is a huge leap forward in accident reporting and auto claims management. 

This system creates a direct line of communication between vehicles and insurers instead of relying on a fleet's human-led reporting chains. TruckerCloud's technology integrates in-cab camera and Electronic Logging Device (ELD) data to detect crash events in real time. When an incident occurs, the system automatically triggers an alert.

Within 15 minutes of a crash event, insurance companies receive comprehensive data that includes the following:

  • Precise location coordinates
  • Detailed driver information
  • G-force event data
  • Speed data from before and after the impact
  • Video footage of the incident

Graphic that breaks down the FNOL process.

This near-instant notification gives insurance companies the time needed to act quickly, investigate the incident, and mitigate the severity of the claim. Insurers can mobilize rapid response teams, contact fleet managers, and even deploy third-party administrators to the crash site. 

These proactive measures ensure that claims are handled efficiently. TruckerCloud's clients have reduced their claims costs by 10% or more, with an average savings of $90,000 per claim. 

Additionally, TruckerCloud’s telematics-based insurance claims solution maintains a complete archive of all incident details. Every data point is verified, stored, and easy to navigate. This level of contextualization changes the dynamic of claims processing. When all parties have access to objective data about what actually happened, the path to resolution becomes much simpler.

Adopting TruckerCloud’s solution is easy, requiring zero additional effort from your IT department. The First Notice of Loss system adapts to existing claims management structures, freeing you from making complex operational or administrative changes.

Client Success Stories

TruckerCloud's First Notice of Loss solution is a dynamic product. Insurers and trucking companies can tailor its implementation to their specific needs and workflows. 

Here are the different ways our clients are benefitting.

Integration With Lost Control Representatives for Faster Claims Processing

Some insurers integrated TruckerCloud's First Notice of Loss alerts into their loss control representatives’ network, directly routing crash notifications to them. This approach leverages the established relationships between representatives and insureds. 

The comprehensive data package—including video footage, location data, and impact details—helps lost control representatives offer informed support and guidance to their clients. This personalized attention strengthens the relationship between the insurer and the insured.

The information helps representatives check in with their clients, gauge the on-ground situation, and filter out false positives. 

One loss control representative reviewed a crash report and immediately recognized its significance: 

"This is awesome. This could easily develop into a claim, and I think the video should help us exonerate the driver." 

Thanks to the early access to video evidence, they could act quickly. It proved particularly valuable in demonstrating that the trucking company was not at fault.

Quick Strike Team Integration With Real-Time Truck Tracking

Another insurer integrated TruckerCloud's First Notice of Loss alerts directly into their rapid response protocol. By setting up a webhook connection, their team receives immediate system notifications when an event occurs. These alerts trigger their TPA Quick Strike team to immediately contact fleet owners or safety managers to discuss potential crash details.

The results speak for themselves. 

"We always felt like we were two steps behind plaintiff attorneys," shares one insurance company executive. "Now that we're sending TruckerCloud FNOLs to our TPA Quick Strike team, we're settling something like one crash per week pre-claim." 

This proactive approach often allows them to deploy on-site assistance to the crash location before any third parties become involved.

Broader, Strategic Implementation With Telematics-Based Insurance Claims

Risk Placement Services (RPS), a leading wholesale insurance broker, considers TruckerCloud’s telematics data solution a strategic advantage in a challenging market. 

"Insuring transportation risks is difficult enough without any unique or targeted tools that separate you from your competitors," explains Jeffrey Marks, Transportation Program Manager at RPS. "Working with TruckerCloud gives us an edge by allowing us to focus on what is important to our appetite and underwriting methodology."

Among TruckerCloud’s features, RPS highlighted the value of the First Notice of Loss system, especially since it supports a broad range of ELD date and camera vendors.

"The fact that we have benefited greatly from their seamless FNOL alerts only adds to the reasons we value our partnership with TruckerCloud."

For RPS, the First Notice of Loss solution is a strategic tool that enhances their underwriting process, expands their data pool, and improves overall efficiency.

A dash camera on the inside of a truck, below the rearview mirror.

First Notice of Loss’s Impact on Fleet Risk Management

The success of TruckerCloud's First Notice of Loss telematics solution reveals something crucial about the trucking industry: When fleet owners and insurance companies align their technology and processes, both parties win. 

Their shared challenge has found a powerful solution in immediate, telematics-based insurance claims and real-time truck tracking. Insurance companies can manage risks more effectively through real-time insights, and fleet owners benefit from fair underwriting based on accurate ELD data and incident reports.

A graphic defining the ways that TruckerCloud is redefining fleet risk management.

The impact is measurable and significant. Insurers slash loss-to-report times from weeks to minutes and save hundreds of thousands of dollars, with one settled claim even generating positive ROI.

In an industry where minutes can mean millions, TruckerCloud's First Notice of Loss solution is redefining fleet risk management. Request a demo today to see how real-time insights can transform your claims process.

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