TORONTO (May 6, 2005) – Markel Insurance says its new Markel EZCert is the first online insurance certificate issuance service for the Canadian trucking industry.

Markel EZCert enables policyholders and insurance brokers to immediately obtain a certificate of insurance online. Users can gain access to the service at www.markel.ca from anywhere they have Internet access: their office, a shipper’s office, or even a truck stop. Certificates can be emailed to an address of the customer’s choice or printed on the spot.

Policyholders can also provide special access to their shippers so they can verify insurance before the truck even arrives, providing Markel clients with another competitive advantage in a challenging market.

“Certificates of insurance are critical documents for carriers, and if you don’t have them when you need them, it can literally bring your business to a halt,” he said in a press release,” says Mark Ram, president and CEO of Markel.

“Before Markel EZCert, carriers and insurance brokers had to request a certificate of insurance by phone or in writing, and then wait for hours or days to receive it,” continues Ram. “Now, carriers can accept a new load and know that it won’t get held up because both driver and shipper were waiting for a proof of insurance.”

Markel EZCert is a free, value-added service, available exclusively to Markel policyholders and their insurance brokers. Markel continues to offer 24/7 access to certificates of insurance through its toll-free number: 1/888-MARKEL1 when access to the Internet is not available.