There is a lot you can add to or take away from Commercial auto insurance, also sometimes referred to as business auto insurance, truck insurance, commercial vehicle insurance, commercial car insurance, or fleet insurance, really depends on the types of vehicles you need to insure for your business.

Commercial auto insurance basically protects your company from financial liability in case of an accident involving injury or damage to people or property. It also protects you from losses due to theft, vandalism, weather, and collisions. It is highly imperative that the right policy is picked and it’s a lot more complicated than personal auto insurance because of the risks involved on a daily basis.

Commercial auto insurance does a lot more than just protect you and your assets. It protects your employees and any other contracted drivers you might have hired for your business.

It is mandatory in a majority of states to have commercial auto insurance to even function, which we will get into further down the article. 

commercial auto insurance when buying a policy. It all really depends on what you are looking for and what your situation calls for. Here are a few so you can understand better;

• Any auto liability insurance
  • This insurance will increase to any number of cars you are planning to add to your fleet, rented or owned
• Individual named insurance
  • If you’re driving vehicles that you do not own, this is what will cover you
• Single deductible options
  • By paying a deductible one time, you will secure your trailer and any expensive equipment you might be hauling around all the time
• Hired and non-owned auto insurance
  • If your employee uses their vehicle, or you rent it for your business, this clause will actually cover it all
• Trailer interchange insurance
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• Rental reimbursement insurance
  • This is to cover expenses in case your commercial vehicle breaks down and you need to To discuss your situation and the best policy in detail with our experts on commercial auto insurance, rent while your own is being fixed or you buy a new one.
  • you can call us or fill out our form to get a free, no-obligation quote, based on your specific needs for your consideration.

Who is commercial auto insurance for?

If your construction company uses any kind of vehicle for transport or hauling equipment or material to and from the site, you should get commercial auto insurance. As mentioned before, it is even obligatory in some states.

You have to make sure that you have all the named insured and have permissive users added. The best coverage would include all the vehicles you need for your business, owned or rented. 

One more thing you need to be sure of is that most commercial auto insurance policies do not cover employees who were in an accident while driving their own vehicle, even if it is for work.

Why do you need it ?

Personal auto insurance does not cover commercial claims mostly. This means that in case of an accident, while you are working, you will not be protected by your safety net.

Consider this, you have to take some material out to a site and you are using your personal truck which has your personal auto insurance on it. On your way there, you get in an accident and damage the truck as well as some of the material you were carrying. Your personal auto insurance will not cover any claims in regards to the material damaged and any repairs required due to the accident.

This means that everything will be out of your own pocket.

by state

Each state has its own set of laws, defined either by state or federal laws. When you are purchasing a commercial auto insurance policy you have to be mindful of those laws so that the amount of insurance you purchase is as per the law.

These are defined by both, the type of vehicle and the job it is going to be used for. You will have to meet certain federation requirements regarding the coverage limit. Although, small business owners who do not have riskier businesses, might have the permission to only have personal auto insurance.

You can read about them defined by states here.

What is covered ?

A commercial auto insurance policy functions like most other policies, where most of the basic things will be covered by the policy with options for other things specific to your scenario. However, you can always have additions made to your policy so that it fits your specific needs and requirements. It will affect the premium you pay, however, it will be better suited to your specific needs.

The basics covered by commercial auto insurance

• Property and bodily injury liability
  • In case of third-party property damages or bodily injury in an accident that was your or your employees’ fault, commercial auto insurance kicks in to protect you. Your policy will pay out not only bills for repairs and medical expenses, but also lost wages, legal fees, and even funerals in case of a fatality.
• Medical payments
  • A commercial auto insurance policy will cover you for any medical payments in case of an accident, no matter whose fault it was. Not only you. Your passengers and driver as well. It is a requirement in many states.
• Collisions coverage
  • This provides complete coverage in both, accidents with other vehicles and with objects like trees or walls.
• Gap insurance
  • This is in case you are leasing a vehicle, and in an unfortunate accident it gets totally damaged beyond repair, you will be covered for the amount you still owe.

Common endorsements in a commercial auto insurance policy

• Comprehensive
  • It provides you protection from any damage not due  a collision, but more like vandalism, fire, weather, or theft.
• Uninsured motorist
  • In case the third party is uninsured, you will still get coverage from your commercial auto insurance
• Hired and not owned
  • This will protect you when you drive hired vehicles and your business relies heavily on this. You can add this to cover damages, injuries, or medical bills.
• Roadside assistance
  • This can be added to your commercial auto insurance and can provide 24/7 coverage for any assistance including but not limited to tow, flat tire, or even your car battery jump-started

Types of vehicles covered by commercial auto insurance

It includes, but not limited to the following;

• Passenger cars
• Vans
• Pickups
• SUVs
• Cement mixers
• Delivery vans
• Tractor-trailers
• Flatbeds
• Cranes

If there are other vehicles that need to be added like trucks, you can obtain commercial truck insurance, which covers higher risk profiles.

What is not covered by the commercial auto insurance

Some of the main exclusions are:

• Contractual liability
• Employers’ liability
• Expected or unexpected injuries
• Fellow employee injuries
• Handling of property
• Movements of property
• Operation of mobile equipment
• Pollution

What does commercial auto insurance cost?

The cost of commercial auto insurance mainly depends on the number of endorsements you add to it. However, this is not the only thing that defines the premium of a commercial auto policy. Here are some of the factors that affect the cost of a commercial auto insurance policy;

• Vehicle value
• Vehicle type
• Mileage
• Fleet size
• Cargo
• Driving records
• Claims history
• Coverage limits

To discuss your situation and the best policy in detail with our experts on commercial auto insurance, you can call us or fill out our form to get a free, no-obligation quote, based on your specific needs for your consideration.