Data analytics key to solving the puzzle of commercial auto insurance

Commercial Auto is a highly troubled line of business for property & casualty insurers, suffering from historically poor performance, especially in trucking. This deters many insurers from writing certain business in the line entirely, eliminating a potential revenue stream, and plaguing those who are trying to create a profitable commercial auto portfolio.

Thomas F. Motamed, retiring chairman and CEO of CNA Financial, recently referred to the entire line as a “black eye” for the industry in the company’s third-quarter earnings call, citing an increase in distracted driving that leads to more highway accidents and deaths. Similarly, Fitch reported earlier this year that Commercial Auto is a “chronically underperforming product segment” due to overly aggressive pricing and heightened claim severity.