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Commercial Auto Insurance for Businesses
Commercial auto for work trucks, vans, fleets, and for-hire vehicles.
Whether you run a plumbing or HVAC service van, pool-cleaning routes, general-freight trucks, or a growing expediter fleet, an agent needs your vehicle use, drivers, garaging, and operations. Start with a short fleet request; detailed schedules can follow.
At a Glance
- Vehicles
- 1 to 100+
- Typical limits
- $1M CSL
- Hired/Non-owned
- Review options
- Trucking?
- See Trucking Hub
Quick answer
Ellie Insurance Group reviews commercial auto for business-owned trucks and vans, service fleets, delivery vehicles, and for-hire transport. Liability, physical damage, and hired/non-owned vehicle use depend on the covered autos, endorsements, and issued policy. Tell an agent about your drivers, vehicles, garaging, radius, and operations to request available options.
Who needs this
Who needs commercial auto in Florida
Contractors and trades
Work trucks, vans, trailers, and dump trucks used for job sites, materials, and tools across Florida.
Service businesses
Plumbers, HVAC technicians, pool-service crews, pest control, and cleaners with vehicles driven to customer locations.
Restaurants and retail with delivery
Catering vans, restaurant delivery vehicles, and local retail delivery often need a vehicle policy that contemplates delivery use.
Small fleets and growing businesses
Operations with 5+ vehicles often shift to fleet-rated programs that handle vehicle additions and changes throughout the year.
Trucking and for-hire transport
DOT-regulated tractors, trailers, motor truck cargo, MCS-90 filings, hazmat exposure, and authority status drive carrier appetite.
Companies with employee drivers
Even without company-owned vehicles, hired and non-owned auto matters when employees drive personal or rented cars for business work.
What it covers
What Commercial Auto actually covers
- Auto Liability (BI/PD)
Bodily injury and property damage you cause to others while operating a covered auto.
- Physical Damage — Collision
Damage to your vehicle from a collision regardless of fault.
- Physical Damage — Comprehensive
Theft, vandalism, fire, hail, flood, falling objects, and animal strikes.
- Medical Payments / PIP
Medical bills for you and your passengers regardless of fault (state-dependent).
- Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist
Coverage when the other driver has no or insufficient insurance.
- Hired & Non-Owned Auto (HNOA)
Liability when employees drive vehicles not owned by the business.
- Rental Reimbursement
Optional payment toward a rental while an eligible covered vehicle is repaired after a covered loss, subject to terms.
- Trailer Interchange
Separate trucking coverage to review when responsible for a non-owned trailer under an interchange agreement.
What it doesn't cover
What Commercial Auto won't cover
- Tools, equipment, and materials inside a vehicle generally need a separate property/inland-marine review
- Wear, tear, mechanical breakdown
- Intentional damage
- Undisclosed vehicle uses or territories can create underwriting and coverage questions
- Drivers excluded by name on the policy
- Racing or use in prearranged speed contests
- Liability arising from operation of mobile equipment when classified separately
Cost drivers
What drives Commercial Auto pricing
Vehicle type & use class
Service, retail, commercial, or for-hire — each has its own rating table.
Radius of operation
Local, regional, and long-haul use can be classified differently; actual rates depend on the carrier and operation.
Driver MVRs
Major violations within 3–5 years and recent at-fault accidents are the biggest individual-rate drivers.
Garaging address
Premium varies meaningfully by zip code based on theft, claim frequency, and litigation environment.
Loss history
Available loss runs help underwriters evaluate the frequency and severity of prior claims.
Limits & deductibles
$1M combined single limit is the most common contract requirement; deductibles typically run $500–$2,500.
Quote checklist
What we'll need to quote commercial auto
- Year / make / model / VIN for each vehicle
- Garaging address for each vehicle
- Cost new or current ACV value
- List of all drivers (full name, DOB, license #, state)
- Use class and radius of operation
- Loss runs for prior 3–5 years
- Current declarations page if any
- MCS-90 / DOT info if applicable (see Trucking)
Need a review of your business vehicles?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- Commercial auto can include liability for bodily injury and property damage caused by a business vehicle, physical damage to the vehicle, medical payments, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, and certain endorsements such as hired or non-owned auto. Trucking accounts may also need motor truck cargo, MCS-90, trailer interchange, and additional endorsements depending on operations.
- Commercial auto applies to vehicles used in business. A contractor service truck, plumbing or HVAC van, restaurant delivery vehicle, real estate agent vehicle used for showings, transport truck, dealer plate vehicle, and any company-owned fleet typically need commercial auto. Personal auto policies often do not respond when a vehicle is used for business work.
- Commercial auto usually does not cover personal use that is not contemplated by the policy, certain off-road or job site equipment exposures, employee injuries (workers' compensation handles those), or property of others in the care, custody, or control of the business in some situations. Cargo, garagekeepers, and other endorsements are separate decisions.
- Pricing depends on vehicle type and value, garaging location, radius of operation, drivers and their motor vehicle records, business operations, prior claims, and how the vehicle is used. Trucking accounts also consider commodities hauled, weight class, filings, and authority status. Carriers may decline accounts that fall outside their appetite.
- Most submissions include the legal business name, operations description, address, vehicle list with VINs, drivers with license details, garaging addresses, radius of operation, vehicle use, prior policy details, and claims history. Trucking accounts should also share commodities, authority, filings, and unit weight class.
- Yes. Ellie Insurance Group works with access to 100+ carrier markets, which can be useful when an account has new ventures, mixed driver records, or specialized exposures. Some carriers focus on small service vehicle fleets while others focus on long-haul trucking, so broader access helps the agent find a carrier that may consider the operation.
- Yes. Ellie Insurance Group handles commercial accounts across the country. Tell us the garaging state and operating states so an agent can confirm available markets, policy requirements, and suitability for your operation.
Keep reading
Explore related coverage
Pool-service trucks and fleets
Route pickups, service vans, drivers, and trailers.
General-freight fleets
Power units, authority status, cargo, and operating lanes.
Plumbing service vans
Commercial auto for service trucks and work crews.
HVAC service vehicles
On-call, take-home, and installation fleets.
Hot-shot and expedite
Pickup-and-trailer and expedited cargo operations.
Trucking Insurance Hub
DOT-regulated trucking and motor carriers.
Contractor Insurance
Multi-vehicle contractor auto programs.
Inland Marine
Tools and equipment in transit on your vehicles.
Hired & Non-Owned Auto
Liability for rented vehicles and employees' personal cars used for work.
Umbrella Liability
Add $1M–$10M+ over your auto limits.
Add a Vehicle
Endorse a new vehicle onto an active policy.
Commercial vs Personal Auto
When personal auto won't respond.
Commercial Auto Cost Guide
What does commercial auto cost? Rates, vehicle types, and savings tips.
Sources
Authoritative references
Coverage descriptions and regulatory figures on this page are general summaries reviewed against the references above and are not a statement of coverage, legal advice, or a guarantee of eligibility or price. Last reviewed . Requirements and policy terms change — always confirm current rules with the relevant agency and verify coverage against the actual policy and a licensed agent.
Related articles
Deeper reading on this coverage
Cost benchmarks
Commercial Auto Insurance Cost: Vehicles, Drivers, and Operations
From service vans to Class 8 fleets — what commercial auto costs and how driver records, vehicles, and radius really drive the rate.
Coverage explainers
Commercial Auto vs. Personal Auto: When You Have to Switch
Personal auto routinely denies business-use claims. Here's when to switch — and how hired/non-owned auto fills the gap.
Coverage guidance
Hired & Non-Owned Auto Liability (HNOA): What It Is, Who Needs It
How HNOA fills the gap when employees drive personal or rented vehicles for company business — including delivery, errands, and client visits.
Cost benchmarks
Trucking Insurance Cost: 2026 Benchmarks for Owner-Operators and Fleets
Real per-class benchmarks for trucking insurance, what drives the price, and the underwriting clean-up tactics that lower it most.
Carrier access
Access to 100+ A-rated commercial markets
As an independent agency we shop 100+ admitted and surplus-lines carrier markets — so the carrier competes for your business, not the other way around.
+75 more
Next step
Get a commercial auto review from a real agent
Start with the same short Instant Quote form used across Ellie, then complete your vehicle and driver details in our quote portal. Options and coverage depend on underwriting.