Business cars & service vans
Sales visits, professional services, repairs and trips between job sites. Include personal use, attached equipment and any vehicles registered to an owner rather than the business.
For the work ahead
Commercial auto
insurance.
From the first service van to a working fleet.
Commercial auto coverage
Start with the work
What happens on the road?
Your vehicle type is only part of the picture. Describe the work it does, who drives it and where it is kept. These are examples of operations you can bring to a review, not a promise of eligibility.
Delivery & courier
Tell us whether you deliver your own products or goods for others. Describe platforms, packages, food, delivery areas and who provides the vehicles.
Trucking & hauling
Owner-operators, private hauling and fleets have different operating arrangements. Describe commodities, routes, trailers, authority and any lease to another motor carrier.
Passenger transportation
Specify taxi, shuttle, school, charter or another service. Include maximum seating with the driver, whether passengers pay, and any trips across state lines.
Towing & specialty vehicles
Describe recovery work, vehicles in your custody, special machinery and modifications.
Rented & employee vehicles
A business without an owned fleet can still have driving exposure. Include short-term rentals and employees using their personal cars for work.
Understand the distinctions
Different losses. Different coverage questions.
Auto liability
Addresses covered claims for injury or damage to others arising from the use of insured vehicles. It is a separate question from repairing your own vehicle. Limits, covered autos and exclusions need review.
Vehicle physical damage
Collision and comprehensive address different types of damage to the vehicle itself. Discuss deductibles, vehicle value, financing and permanent equipment instead of relying on the phrase “full coverage.”
Hired & non-owned liability
Business rentals and employees’ personal cars may require specific liability coverage. Ask separately about damage to a hired vehicle; liability and physical damage are different protections.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist, medical payments and personal injury protection also need consideration. The available options and applicable requirements vary by state and policy. Describe where vehicles are garaged and used. The initial intake does not select or reject these coverages; any required elections are handled separately.
A closer look at hauling
Your truck. Whose authority?
Owning or financing a truck is different from operating under another motor carrier’s authority. If you are leased on, identify the motor carrier, who supplies primary liability, and what your lease asks you to arrange.
Truck physical damage, motor truck cargo, non-trucking liability and trailer interchange answer different needs. A lease or another company’s insurance is not proof that every activity is covered.
Describe what travels with you
For freight, explain the goods, approximate load values, refrigerated loads, household goods and any hazardous materials. Include customer contracts or required filings for follow-up.
For trades and service businesses, tell us about tools and equipment too. Property carried in a van should not be assumed covered by the vehicle’s physical damage insurance; contractors’ equipment is a separate coverage discussion.
What semi-truck insurance costs for a new authority →Get commercial auto coverage.
Built around your business
What you’ll need.
Business, vehicle and driver details.
The intake includes business history, employees, payroll, revenue and applicable insurance disclosures. For commercial auto, add vehicle and driver details or explain when a deferred roster will be available.
What commercial auto costs, and how to lower it →Common questions
Before you get started.
What affects commercial auto insurance cost?
Premiums depend on the business and vehicle types, driving history, garaging locations, and the coverages and limits requested. When reviewing options, compare the covered vehicles and uses, limits, deductibles, exclusions and other policy terms alongside the premium. A price alone does not show whether two options provide comparable protection.
Can I start if my business does not own vehicles?
Yes. Describe business rentals and employee-owned vehicles used for work. Hired and non-owned auto liability may be relevant even without an owned fleet. The policy terms and the actual driving arrangements need review.
Will personal auto insurance cover business driving?
Do not assume it will cover every business use. Personal policies can have limitations, particularly for activities such as delivery or carrying passengers. Explain exactly how the vehicle is used and ask for a review of the existing policy.
Do I need every VIN before getting started?
No. Provide the vehicle details you know and identify unknown VINs for follow-up.
Does every truck need the same cargo insurance?
No single answer fits every operation. FMCSA identifies cargo insurance requirements for household-goods carriers and household-goods freight forwarders. Other operations can have different contractual and coverage needs. Describe your loads and share the requirements you have received.
What is different about passenger transportation?
The type of service, whether passengers pay, seating capacity and interstate operations all matter. FMCSA’s guidance for interstate for-hire passenger carriers distinguishes requirements by vehicle capacity and describes exceptions. Give the full operating details rather than choosing a limit from another business’s policy.
Does submitting the form start coverage?
No. Any coverage and start date must be separately confirmed.
Keep reading
Practical guides for the road ahead.
How much does commercial auto insurance cost, and how can I lower it?
Small businesses often pay a few hundred dollars per vehicle per month; trucking costs far more. See averages by business type and state, and ways to save.
How much does semi-truck insurance cost for a new authority?
Your own MC authority means primary liability at federal minimums, plus cargo and physical damage. See costs, required limits and how new carriers save.
Does personal auto insurance cover business use?
Commuting and errands are usually covered. Deliveries, hauling tools, client visits and paid passengers often are not. Here is where the line sits.