I’ve been bitching up a storm lately about this and that.

I now want to say something good — are you ready? — about an insurance company and an auto-body repair shop.

My wife and I pay a hefty sum each month for motor vehicle insurance. This week I learned that it’s a good thing to have, even if we grit our teeth while paying the monthly premium.

On March 27, someone sideswiped our big ol’ 2011 Dodge Ram pickup as it was parked. It got scuffed on the right side. I filed a claim with my State Farm Insurance agent immediately.

What happened next is quite stunning.

The agency filed my claim as an “uninsured motorist” claim, given that I didn’t have the name of the person who dinged my truck; that category of claim knocked my deductible down to $250. I took the truck to the adjuster four days later. The adjuster looked it over and settled on an estimate of $1,444 to repair the damage.

We got a check two days after that.

Meanwhile, I called a local body shop, then took the truck in for the guy to examine it. He said it would take “maybe a week” to get the truck repaired. I had the money in hand.

The insurance company then arranged for a car for my wife and me to drive while the truck was being repaired. The company paid for the rental.

We delivered the truck this past Wednesday to the body shop. Tuesday, my cell phone rang and Jason at Soncy Road Body Shop told me the truck was ready to be picked up.

We got the truck, paid for the repair with the insurance check and drove it home.

Oh, and as a courtesy, the body shop washed the truck and detailed the interior to such a degree I am now afraid to take it anywhere for fear of getting it dirty all over again.

We complain about insurance companies. Sometimes they deserve it. This time, a particular agency in Amarillo — along with a local auto-repair shop — deserve pats on the back.