Commercial Car Insurance
Protect your Business Vehicles with a Commercial Car Insurance
// AUSTIN FLEET PROTECTION
get peace of mind.
Your business is thriving. You might be an HVAC contractor splurging on a top-of-the-line pickup. Perhaps your Pest Control business achieved its goal of an all-electric fleet of service vans. Maybe social media raves for your Auto Detailing created enough demand for a second service truck.
Commercial auto insurance is sometimes called business auto insurance or commercial vehicle insurance, but these terms refer to the same type of coverage—car insurance for business vehicles.
Commercial vehicle insurance helps cover the costs of an accident involving you or an employee using a company-owned car for business. This policy can help pay for property damage and medical expenses – even in a fatal misfortune.
How Does Commercial Auto Insurance Work?
Your commercial auto insurance policy is tailored for the unique needs of your business. Whether you have one work truck or a fleet of vehicles, it can provide coverage up to limit value with just what you need. Before purchasing a policy, we will work with the business on its coverage options and to what extent.
Damage to Your Vehicle(s)
Driver Injury
Injury to Someone Else
Damage to Someone Else's Property
a Commercial vehicles policie tends to have higher limits than personal policies because business vehicles need more protection in accidents.
What type of vehicles are covered by commercial auto insurance?
Perhaps you already have a personal auto insurance policy. Nice. But it probably won’t cover accidents that happen while you are driving for your business. We provide coverage for the following commercial vehicles,
Cars
Vans
Pickup Trucks
Box Trucks
Service Utility Trucks
Food Trucks
When you purchase a new policy through us, you can upgrade it to include hired and non-owned auto insurance. This coverage provides extra protection when you or an employee use rented vehicles or if an employee sometimes uses a personal vehicle for work.
Purchase a commercial car insurance policy by visiting
What Does Commercial Auto Insurance Cover?
Although coverage availability and requirements vary by state, Texas common commercial auto coverages are available to business owners to cover injuries and damages resulting from work-related car accidents.
Bodily Injury Liability
Bodily injury liability coverage is an essential component of commercial auto insurance. It covers costs associated with bodily injury to others in an incident when an employee (or another covered driver) is at fault. The covered costs could include:
- Medical bills and rehab.
- Lost wages.
- Legal expenses.
- Even funeral costs.
Personal Injury Protection
Personal injury refers to you and your employees. If you, an employee, or other occupants in your vehicle are injured, your commercial auto policy can cover the related expenses up to your policy limit. While medical payments coverage will only cover medical bills, PIP coverage will cover medical bills and lost wages for the insured and passengers after an accident. Whether the misfortune was the fault of the insured or a third party, PIP Coverage will cover personal injury expenses under PIP coverage.
Collision
Covers the cost of damages to your commercial vehicles due to a collision with another vehicle.
Comprehensive Coverage
Covers the cost of damages from anything other than a collision, including theft, fire, weather, or vandalism.
Medical Payments
Can help pay for medical expenses for your employees and their passengers in an accident, such as medical treatments and rehabilitation, dental care, or funerals.
Property Damage Liability
If your business vehicle damages someone’s personal property, your insurance can pay for repairs or a replacement up to your policy limit. Coverage includes legal fees and some other expenses you never saw coming. Damaged property could consist of buildings, vehicles, fences, mailboxes, landscaping, or other items.
Because both property damage and bodily injury liability coverage are required in Austin, they are often grouped to form one vehicle liability insurance bundle.
Uninsured Motorist / Underinsured Motorist
Uninsured Motorist / Underinsured Motorist helps pay for your or your employees’ medical bills or fix your car. If the at-fault driver isn’t insured, this coverage will pay for the damages and medical costs.
Rental reimbursement: Your car is in the shop after an accident, and you have to rent a car to get around. Your commercial auto insurance covers your rental for up to $100 per day for up to 30 days.
Towing and labor reimbursement: While on the way to a worksite, your vehicle overheats and needs to be towed to a shop, Your commercial auto policy will reimburse towing expenses up to $200.
What Doesn’t Business Auto Insurance Cover?
Regardless of where you purchase it, every insurance policy has exclusions — that’s insurance talk for incidents that won’t be covered. You don’t want to be surprised by what your commercial vehicle insurance doesn’t cover. Review the particulars of your coverage options before a mishap happens to make sure you have the right insurance for your needs.
Intentional Damages
Suppose someone covered on the policy uses a vehicle covered with insurance to intentionally harm another person or damage property. In that case, the insurance company is not liable for damages and expenses.
Property of Others
If a covered person is driving a car belonging to someone who isn’t on the policy, it will not be covered. The same is true for any equipment, tool, or personal items belonging to others.
Employee-Owned Vehicles
A situation not covered by commercial auto insurance is a mishap when an employee uses their vehicle for business. This isn’t precisely an exclusion because privately owned vehicles are not the responsibility of commercial auto insurance. As mentioned above, extending commercial auto coverage with hired and non-owned auto is possible, but that won’t be included unless requested by the buyer.
Damages Exceeding Policy Limits
Commercial auto insurance policies all have maximum limits, which specify the absolute maximum amount of money that the insurer will pay out toward claims on the policy. Any damages accrued that exceed the coverage limit will not be covered.
Choose Risk for Commercial Car Insurance? Service, Experience, and Discounts
Unique, Customized Coverages
We know that all business owners face unique risks. That’s why we can work with you to customize your insurance policies so they meet the specific needs of your company and its employees! Suppose a covered loss causes damage or interruption in one’s vehicle services.
Bundled Policy Discount
Many business insurance providers incentivize small businesses to purchase more insurance policies by offering a discount for “bundling” multiple insurance policies. Sometimes these are referred to as multi-line discounts.
Superior Commercial Auto Insurance Claims
We only team up with experienced claims specialists that are ready to help expedite a claim. They’re dedicated to getting you back on the road – and back to business – as fast as possible.
Clean Driving Record Discount
Some insurance providers will offer a discount to experienced commercial drivers. Typically, insurers will lower the base cost of the policy for a clean driving record. Still, they may also offer discounts for hitting certain milestones, like “no accidents for three years. Safe driving habits,
In that case, our various commercial auto coverages will protect like no other provider does—from lost income during downtime due to an injury caused by accident up until repairs are finished (and even beyond). Our Rental and towing Reimbursement coverage helps cover expenses incurred when renting commercial vehicles.
// faq
Get the answers you’re looking for in your Commercial Auto Insurance faqs.
What does commercial vehicle insurance cover?
Commercial insurance includes similar coverages to those on a personal auto policy, but there are some differences. Selecting commercial vehicle insurance coverage that meets your specific needs is vital to protecting your small business and income.
what's included in my business insurance
A commercial auto insurance quote typically includes rates for the following: Liability, Physical Damage, Medical Payments, Comprehensive, Collision, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist, Hired Auto Non-Owned, Types of Vehicles, and all vehicles with a gross vehicle weight are Covered by Commercial Vehicle Insurance company.
Are tools and materials in my vehicle covered?
Unattached tools and materials transported in your vehicle are not covered by commercial insurance but could be covered as part of business owners or general liability policy.
How much does Commercial Auto insurance cost?
Auto insurance can range from $750 to $3,000 per year, depending on your insurance history, the number of vehicles you own, vehicle type, and usage. The best way to find out how much a policy will cost your business is to get a free commercial auto insurance quote online.
Who is covered to drive my vehicles?
Your commercial auto policy can cover a variety of drivers and vehicles: policyholders and anyone else listed on the policy as an employee.
Does commercial auto insurance cover personal use?
Yes. While personal auto insurance doesn’t cover a vehicle used for business purposes, commercial auto insurance covers your vehicle for both commercial and personal use.
What if I need certain liability limits for a contract?
We can help with your insurance policy limits questions and documentation needs. Like no two small businesses are the same, no two fleets of work vehicles require the same commercial vehicle insurance coverage.
How do I know if I need Commercial Auto insurance?
If you have vehicles titled to your business that you or your employees drive, you’ll need commercial auto insurance. It is required by law in almost every state.
Let’s say you’re a house cleaner, and you drive your vehicle to all the homes you clean. You might think that the regular car insurance you got when you bought the car is enough, but if you got into an accident on the way to a job, you might not be covered.
I use my vehicle for my business. Can I insure it with commercial auto insurance?
Yes! If you use your vehicle for business purposes like visiting clients or job sites, we can ensure it is under our commercial auto policy. For example, if you own a van that you use for personal travel and your job as a painter, it would be covered under our approach when it’s used for work purposes.
Is commercial vehicle insurance just for semi-trucks?
No. While semi-trucks, box trucks, company vans, and other such business vehicles should have commercial vehicle insurance coverage, commercial insurance is not limited to the type of vehicle used.
Will my premium change or commercial policy be canceled if I file a claim?
No, we won’t alter your premium during the term of an active policy or cancel your commercial policy due to a claim. We understand that filing a claim is stressful enough without worrying about affecting your premium. At the end of your policy period, however, we will review the details of your business and vehicle activity. If either has changed since you first applied, we’ll adjust the premium up or down accordingly when you renew.
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 insurance can protect your business from certain costs, including medical expenses, legal fees, and more. When you buy both policies together, you also get a discount on them.
Can I drive out of the state where my vehicle is registered?
Yes, you certainly can! This policy will cover you if you need to drive out of state for your business operations.
What do medical payment and personal injury protection cover?
Medical payments (MedPay) reimburse you for your doctor’s visit if you get hurt in car-related accidents. Personal injury protection (PIP) is similar and can also cover lost wages and other expenses, such as the cost of an ambulance, which vary by state.
Commercial insurance is produced by Direct Auto Insurance agents and underwritten by member companies of National General Insurance or other carriers not affiliated with the Direct General Group.