Notebook
May 4th, 2013 by Jonette

small__5329194799The food catering business is a hardy one, thriving and bustling even in this time of an economic downturn. For as long as there are events with a lot of people who need to be fed, there will always be a catering business who will be there to answer that need. In conventions, conferences, meetings, business launches, and even more personal events like birthday parties, weddings, anniversaries, or even funerals, the catering business will continue to go strong.

Catering businesses also need vans and other service vehicles to go from place to place. Catering vans also contain food – while this seems obvious, there’s also the risk of the food getting overheated, contaminated, or jostled, or spoiled. For this, their service vans and vehicles will definitely need automobile insurance. This protects the business owners from significant losses, and in turn protects the business’s clients and customers from losses of a different sort.

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March 28th, 2013 by Jonette

medium_762982928So, despite the fact that your professional race car will more likely than not go through flame bursts, collisions, and the random road flip, you have pretty much decided you’re going to insure your baby, no matter what it takes. Okay then, here are some things you must be aware of before heading in that direction.

Bear in mind that with the higher risks your car will most likely be subjected to, the insurance for your race car will definitely be more expensive than that of a regular car, so be ready to shell out more than your regular driving buddies will on theirs.

Money is not the only requirement here. The insurance company will need a greater amount of information from you. These companies will also probably want you to take a drug test and a sanity test, and will scrutinize your driving history. With all these requirements, it’s better to either memorize your information, or just have them at hand at all times.

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March 25th, 2013 by Marie

Have you ever imagine being stock up on the road because your car breakdown? And  too bad you are in a vacation and in a foreign land! Being a serial traveler I’ve already experience the highs and lows of traveling and I can tell you, it is the worst experience to be stranded in a foreign land without any help you can get. It is also hear to communicate due to language barrier. I cant still remember when I was stuck on the road in Thailand, boy learning Thai and other languages is a very serious knowledge you can get.

But still to warn you in traveling. Following is a group of roads where injuries, kidnapping and even death are recognized.

Road of Death, Bolivia
One of the most evil and most dangerous roads can found at Bolivia- the North Yugas. In fact, this road is recognized as the worst road in the whole world in 1995 by the Inter- American Development Bank and is most referred as “Road of Death”. This is because every year, the road kills an estimated number of 200 to 300 travelers, with a deadly accident taking place approximately every two weeks.
The road stretches some 70kilometer (about 43 miles) from the capital of La Paz to Coroico. It has a poor bad shape and winds along the mountains. It is also 3, 600m high above ground level, there is no blockase between you and the kilometre-long drop to the bottom.
While there is a newly, modern and fully paved bypass, North Yugas is still seen with a good amount of traffic, most especially by thrill seekers travelling by bikes and some top gear hosts.

Siberian road to Yakutsk, Russia
A road that connects Moscow and Yakutsk name Lena Highway aka the Highway from the Hell. This road is typically covered by snow and ice; however when summer months come up, this snow and ice melts, adding rain to the unpaved roads mean hip-deep mud.
Well, no one really can get killed in the mud. But imagine how many trucks and vehicles get stuck in the middle of nowhere, trying to get out from the traffic jams. Really a mess!

Sichuan-Tibet Highway, China
Another worst road recognized around the world is the Sichuan-Tibet highway found in China, a single-track road linking Chengdu and Tibet.
Stretching more than 2,400km, the highway goes over 14 mountains, crosses wide rivers and passes through some of the world’s most hostile terrain. You would surely would not like to suffer from a car break down here, or else, be stranded for few days.

Leh-Manali Highway, India
Another well-known worst road in the world is the Leh-Manali Highway. It crosses some of the highest mountains passes in the world including Tanglang La, Lachulung La, Baralacha La and Rohtang La. The road can only be used when the snow is cleared, between June and mid- September. For traveler, a journey can take you 2 days depending on the road conditions and traffic jams, so, it is advisable that you make an overnight stops at tented camps such as Sarchu so you can get a rest. Also, if you are renting a car, 4WD vehicles are a smart choice as the road can be flooded by mud during summer.

Skippers Road, New Zealand
You would certainly wish to have a car breakdown in a wrong time and in a wrong place rather than breaking down on the Skippers Road, New Zealand. The unpaved road to get to the canyon is only 22-km long, but it’s carved straight out of the natural schist rock.
Most rental car companies have forbidden using their vehicles in this road because of the danger it may cause. However, there are still few numbers of rafting and boat tours that use the road, but local knowledge is essential to navigating it safely.
How would you like to be caught in a mess and tragic like this? Awful! Make sure you get your car and yourself well-prepared before driving on these places.

January 26th, 2013 by Jonette

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Let me give you a scenario. Let’s pretend that for some reason, your car got involved in a nasty pile-up, and is now going through a lot of repairs. I do mean, a lot – we’re talking an engine replacement, massive hood reconstruction, and don’t even get me started on the car’s underbelly. Somehow, your car is now back to its old, beautiful self, and you decide to sell this car. What are some auto insurance concerns that could come with this unique scenario?

There are two thoughts on this matter – diminished value and betterment. Let’s pretend that someone else did buy your car, and soon realized that it had gone through lots of repairs. This is something that your buyer could actually take to his or her auto insurance company and press for this claim. This is how Diminished Value works.

On the other hand, should the auto insurance discover the car was pre-loved and repaired, they may also argue that an increase in your buyer’s dues is in order, as the car actually got better and increased in value. This is now what we call Betterment.

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December 25th, 2012 by Jonette

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So, you’re well aware of the car thefts that happen in your area. You know for a fact that more than a third of cars are stolen in people’s homes, and that thieves sure make no fuss about robbing you in broad daylight. It’s enough to get you skittish and all jumpy. You start eyeing your neighbor’s cars, and assess just how much more attractive they’d be to an unscrupulous thief’s eye.Your next-door neighbor’ Coupe? That’ll do nicely. The Ferrari parked one more door over? Ha, that robber’d hit the jackpot with that one! What about the Camaro a block over? That one’s not bad, either. Surely those thieves would go for those beauties rather than your old jalopy of a 1970 Volkswagen, right?

Sorry, friend, but that doesn’t leave out out of the danger zone. For robbers, they’re just as likely to steal old cars as they will new, luxury-status ones. Why? Two words: Old parts. Old parts are really tough to come by, and people are willing to part with their hard-earned money if they can find someone to sell them authentic car parts for a much lower price compared to the authorized dealerships. Tisk tisk.

For times like these, it’s best to make sure your auto insurance covers car thefts. It’s best to make sure you and your care are protected.

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