Learn about commercial auto insurance with more frequently asked questions about our coverage. If you don’t find find the answers you’re looking for, our licensed insurance advisors are standing by to help.
How do I know if I need Commercial Auto insurance?
If you have vehicles that are titled to your business that you or your employees drive, you’ll need commercial auto insurance. This is required by law in almost every state.
Even if you drive a car for work that’s not titled to your business, you’ll still need to get commercial auto coverage. This is because your personal auto insurance usually won’t provide coverage if you drive your own vehicle for business reasons.
Let’s say you’re a house cleaner and you drive your personal vehicle to all the homes you clean. You might think that the regular car insurance you got when you bought the care is enough, but if you got into an accident on the way to a job you might not be covered.
You might also want to consider commercial auto insurance if you use your vehicle to:
- Tow a trailer carrying your work equipment
- Transport goods
- Help your employees get to job sites
Small businesses might sometimes ask employees to drive their own cars for a job or rent vehicles.Hired and non-owned auto insuranceis a form of commercial auto coverage that helps pay for accident damages in these instances.
I use my personal vehicle for my business. Can I insure it with this policy?
Yes! If you use your personal vehicle for business purposes, we can insure it under our commercial auto policy.
For example, if you own a van that you use for personal travel, as well as your job as a painter, it would be covered under our policy when it’s used for work purposes.
It’s important to note that we’re unable to provide coverage for certain high-end vehicles and vehicles larger than standard trucks or SUVs.
Does Commercial Auto insurance cover personal use for my own vehicle?
Yes, if your vehicle is covered by our commercial auto insurance it will be protected when driven for personal or work use.
For example, if you use that vehicle for your registered business to get to job sites and you sometimes use it on the weekends to haul your fishing gear, commercial car insurance would cover your fishing trips.
Are the items that I transport with my insured vehicle covered by this policy?
A commercial auto policy will cover the vehicle used to transport items, but not the items themselves.
For example, if you have a pickup truck that you use to transport ladders and power tools, the policy would cover the truck but not the equipment.
If you’re concerned about your gear going missing you should consider purchasingtools and equipment insurance. If you regularly transport your tools in your vehicle, this coverage will help replace or repair any damaged or stolen equipment.
Can I buy Commercial Auto insurance by itself?
Yes. You can buy commercial auto by itself, but we recommend buying liability insurance along with your commercial auto insurance.General liability insurancecan protect your business from certain costs including medical expenses, legal costs and more. When you buy both policies together, you also get a discount on them.
Is Commercial Auto insurance cheaper than personal car insurance?
No, commercial auto insurance is almost always more expensive thanpersonal car insurance. Policies that cover just your own car, or your family’s couple of cars, typically offer protection against collisions, personal injuries and medical payments but they don’t take into consideration the much riskier situations dealt with by commercial auto insurance.
When you’re transporting people or goods or providing a service with your vehicle, you’re at risk for claims to be brought against you for property damage or injured parties. Commercial auto by necessity has higher liability limits, which ends up costing you more every month than you pay for your own personal vehicle.
Do you offer personal auto insurance?
No, we are solely focused on business insurance. It’s important to know that a commercial auto policy can be used to insure your personal vehicle if that vehicle is used for your registered business.
For example, if you own a truck that you use for personal travel, as well as your job as a landscaper, it would be covered under our policy when it’s used for work purposes.
What does liability coverage for an auto insurance policy mean?
Most states require that your business-owned vehicles are insured for certain types of accidents with auto liability coverage. If you’re driving and are at fault in a car accident — and are liable for the incident — liability coverage helps pay for the other person's expenses.
Auto liability coverage covers two types of incidents: bodily injury and property damage. Liability insurance under a commercial auto policy could therefore cover medical expenses that result from an at-fault accident, as well as any damage to property that got damaged in that accident.
How we can help you with Commercial Auto insurance
If you have more questions, our licensed, U.S.-based insurance advisors are ready to help.
When you’re ready to explore coverage options for your business, you canget an instant quote online and purchase business insurance within a few minutes.
