Winter 2009
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Improved Security
1st Guard Corporation Safeguards Customers by Eliminating Storage of Credit Card Information
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1st Guard Mobile.
Access 1st Guard from any mobile device.
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Protect Yourself.
Save Trees. Save Money. Protect Your Identity.
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Being Social.
Follow
1st Guard Corporation on Facebook & Twitter
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We Did it Again.
Once again First Guard Insurance Company was rated "A" for excellent by the A.M. Best Company.
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South Dakota here we come.
1st Guard is now licensed to write business in South Dakota
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Faster than a.....
First Guard Insurance Company Closes Claims 34% Faster
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Note from the Chairman
A difficult year in trucking ended on a somber note with the sudden shutdown of Arrow Trucking around Christmas. Whether this event represents a tipping point that ushers in further insolvencies or a turning point that sets the stage for recovery remains to be seen. Likely the answer will emerge in 2010. After two years of recession you get a sense that something has to give. Some signs in the economy point to recovery. Let's hope that truckers catch a well deserved break.
Happy New Year!
Ed
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Truck Insurance in the Palm of Your Hand
We’re always on the cutting edge at 1st Guard®. So it’s no wonder we developed our own
iPhone app for truckers. In late October, the Apple App Store began offering TRUCKER1
(our customized iPhone app) for FREE. Currently, we have over 400 TRUCKER1 users.
Anyone can download TRUCKER1 and use the free tools for transmitting route and location
details to the e-mail and Facebook accounts of friends and family members. However, TRUCKER1
has added functionality for 1st Guard® customers.
As a 1st Guard® insured, TRUCKER1 will enable
you to:
- Access coverage information instantly
- Email insurance documents
- View current claims
- Submit a new claim for processing by attaching
photos, locations and recordings
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As an added bonus, beginning January 1, 2010, all qualifying users will receive a 10%
insurance discount for downloading TRUCKER1. To learn more about TRUCKER1, please visit
our website at www.1stguard.com and
click on Trucker Apps. Or, visit us on the iTunes Store
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Slam Dunk! Two iPhone Apps for 1st Guard®
Another iPhone app for 1st Guard®? That’s right, not only do we offer TRUCKER1, an owner operator specific
iPhone app, but now also have a simpler, non-user specific app called AheadofMe. With this application, a
user can determine their future destination by using their current location, speed and direction of travel.
Additional features include:
- High and low temperature of current location
- Latitude & longitude of current location and travel
- Course of direction
These features give the user a full view of their environment. AheadofMe is a FREE iPhone application
and can be found at the Apple App Store. Please visit our website at www.1stguard.com to learn more
about this application.
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2009…Expect the Unexpected
Expect the unexpected – that would be a good phrase to coin the year of 2009.
The economy was definitely not in the favor of the trucking industry this year. We had to deal with shortage of freight, decline in owner operator fleets, shutting down of trucking companies, bankruptcies and acquisitions – just to name a few. The all too familiar phrases of go with the flow, hunker down and roll with the punches were echoed across the trucking community. And in some fashion those phrases resonated here as well. We did not invest greatly in marketing this year. In fact, we took a more reserved approach and focused on internal grassroots efforts instead. But we were not alone in our strategic plan for 2009. Many companies, large and small, operated on the same notion.
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The year is coming to an end (deep sigh) and hopes for a better 2010 lie ahead.
Of course, with no crystal ball we all anxiously await the unfolding of the New Year.
One thing is for certain -1st Guard® cannot stay silent for too long. For truckers and fleets
looking to save money on truck insurance – we’re here to help you out!
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Trucker’s Insurance Policy for Lease Operators…aka TIPFLO
In 2003, First Guard Insurance Company began writing physical damage insurance as a direct writing
insurance company. Within a year’s time, we were able to achieve a solid, stable rating of “A” by AM Best.
From 2003 to 2009, we concentrated on being a direct writer for physical damage insurance only and farmed
out the non-trucking liability insurance to another insurance company. However, it soon became apparent
(and made logical sense) that First Guard Insurance Company should be a direct writer for both physical
damage and non-liability insurance. That’s where TIPFLO comes in.
TIPFLO, an acronym for Trucker’s Insurance
Policy for Lease Operators, is a unique policy for truckers underwritten by First Guard Insurance Company.
We will no longer farm out the non-trucking liability insurance (with the exception of those states where we
are not licensed). Rather we will be the direct-writing insurance company for both physical damage and non-trucking
liability. No agents, no brokers, no commissions or fees. TIPLFO is a comprehensive trucker’s policy that has many
bells and whistles to fit the needs of lease operators and trucking companies with fleet programs. To get an instant
quote on truck insurance, call our office at 800-995-4827 or visit us on the web at www.1stguard.com .
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Out with the Old...In with the New
The adage "Out with the Old, In with the New" defines 1st Guard's direction for 2010 and beyond.
If you notice at the top of our newsletter, there is a new logo and a new friend, Diesel - the 1st
Guard bull mastiff. While the rolling "G" logo has been with us for decades, it was time to modernize
our look, feel and approach in the trucking community.
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Remember to check out
www.1stguard.com
for the latest news and happenings. And don’t’ forget to check out the….
1st Guard blog
Truck Insurance Extremist blog
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