Quick answer
Commercial auto insurance covers vehicles your business owns, leases or relies on, from one work truck to a fleet: liability, collision and comprehensive, and often cargo and tools. A personal auto policy can deny a claim if the vehicle was being used for business. Hired and non-owned auto coverage protects the business when employees drive their own or rented cars for work.
Coverage Overview
The moment a vehicle is used for business - even occasionally - a personal auto policy's business-use exclusion can leave a claim entirely uncovered.
What commercial auto coverage typically includes
- Liability coverage for injury or property damage caused while driving for work
- Collision and comprehensive coverage for vehicles your business owns
- Cargo coverage for goods or equipment being transported
- Hired and non-owned auto coverage, which covers liability when an employee drives their own car or a rented vehicle for business purposes
Carriers we compare
We place commercial auto coverage through Next Insurance, built specifically for small businesses and contractors rather than a personal-auto rate applied to a work vehicle.
Commercial Auto Insurance FAQ
Why won't my personal auto policy cover my work truck?
Personal auto policies exclude vehicles used primarily for business, and many insurers will deny a claim entirely if they determine the vehicle was being used commercially at the time of the accident - regardless of how the policy was originally sold.
What is hired and non-owned auto coverage?
It covers your business's liability when an employee uses their own car, or you rent a vehicle, for company business. Without it, a claim from that kind of trip could fall entirely outside your commercial policy.
Do I need a separate policy for one work vehicle vs. a fleet?
The coverage works the same way at any size - the difference is mainly in how it's priced and scheduled. A single work truck and a ten-vehicle fleet are both written as commercial auto policies, just scaled to what you actually operate.
What it usually doesn't cover
- Tools and equipment carried in the vehicle, unless added (often as inland marine).
- Injuries to your employees while driving for work. Workers' compensation →
- Hauling for hire across state lines, which needs a trucking policy and federal filings. Trucking insurance →
Every policy is different. Your declarations page and policy form decide what's covered.
Have this ready before you ask for a quote
- VIN, year, make and model of each vehicle
- Who drives: names, license numbers, dates of birth
- How the vehicles are used, and how far they usually travel
- Where vehicles are parked overnight
- Prior claims for the last three to five years
Don't have everything? Send what you have; an agent will ask for the rest. Coverage can't be bound or changed through this website.