Commercial auto insurance is needed to cover the cars, trucks, and vans used in conducting your business. Large fleets and small businesses alike should be properly covered by a commercial auto insurance policy.

What Is Commercial Vehicle Insurance?

Commercial auto insurance policies offer physical and liability coverage for a broad range of situations and amounts not covered by personal auto policies. Seems obvious, but knowing the difference in coverage plans is important business.

You may also have heard of this coverage referred to as commercial auto insurance, commercial car insurance, truck insurance, or fleet insurance.

Why Do You Need Commercial Auto Insurance?

Personal auto policies are not meant for business, and so certain vehicle types may be excluded, and policies are written and rated differently. More importantly, if you’re a business owner or manager, your company will often need specific policies and coverage found only in commercial auto insurance.

Determining whether your vehicle requires commercial or personal coverage can still be confusing. But if a vehicle is used to complete tasks related to the operator’s occupation, profession, or business (other than commuting), commercial policies are necessary. Tasks of this nature may include:

• If the operator is using the vehicle to transport goods or people for a fee, or to conduct a service;
• If you require higher limits of liability due to the nature of your work;
• Hauling considerable weight in tools or equipment, or towing a trailer used to conduct business; or
• If employees operate the vehicle, or if ownership is in the name of a corporation or partnership.

What Does Commercial Auto Insurance Cover?

Commercial auto insurance, like a personal auto policy, provides similar coverage including liability, collision, comprehensive medical payments (or personal injury protection), and uninsured motorist coverage.

However, there are also differences between a commercial auto insurance policy and your personal auto policy that may include eligibility, definitions, exclusions, and limits.

What Are the Coverages?

• Bodily injury liability coverage – Pays for bodily injury or death resulting from an accident for which you are at fault and in most cases provides you with a legal defense.
• Property damage liability coverage – Provides you with protection if your vehicle accidentally damages another person's property and in most cases provides you with a legal defense.
• Combined single limit (CSL) – Liability policies typically offer separate limits that apply to bodily injury claims for property damage. A combined single limits policy has the same dollar amount of coverage per covered occurrence regardless of number of people and body injury or property damage.
• Medical payments, no-fault or personal injury coverage – Usually pays for the medical expenses of the driver and passengers in your vehicle incurred because of a covered accident, regardless of fault.
• Uninsured motorist coverage – Pays for your injuries and, in some circumstances, certain property damage caused by an uninsured or a hit-and-run driver. In some cases, underinsured motorist coverage is also included. This is for cases in which the at-fault driver has insufficient insurance.
• Comprehensive physical damage coverage – Pays for damage to your vehicle from theft, vandalism, flood, fire, and other covered perils.
• Collision coverage – Pays for damage to your vehicle when it hits or is hit by another object.
• Rental Reimbursement - This coverage will reimburse you in the event that your vehicle was damaged in an accident and requires repairs.
• Roadside assistance - reimburses for any roadside assistance expenses, including towing or vehicle lock out.