Commercial Auto Insurance for Businesses That Run on Their Vehicles.
From a single work truck to a full fleet, Saint Moore Insurance Agency builds commercial auto programs for contractors, service companies, delivery operations, and every business in between. We find the right coverage for how your vehicles actually work.
What Is Commercial Auto Insurance?
Commercial auto insurance is a business insurance policy that covers vehicles used for work purposes — company-owned cars, trucks, vans, fleets, and specialty vehicles. It provides liability coverage, physical damage protection, and additional coverages that a standard personal auto insurance policy is not designed to provide for business use.
Here’s the gap most business owners don’t discover until it’s too late: personal auto policies typically exclude or significantly limit coverage when a vehicle is used for business purposes, titled to a business entity, or driven by employees. One at-fault accident in a work vehicle on a personal policy can result in a denied claim — leaving your business on the hook for the full cost.
What Commercial Auto Insurance Typically Covers
- Liability Coverage — Pays for bodily injury and property damage your business vehicle causes to others in an at-fault accident. Commercial policies carry higher limits than personal policies because business driving carries greater risk.
- Collision Coverage — Generally designed to cover damage to your business vehicle from accidents with other vehicles or objects, regardless of fault.
- Comprehensive Coverage — Covers non-collision damage to your vehicle — theft, fire, vandalism, weather events, and more.
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist — Protects your business and your drivers if they’re hit by a driver with no insurance or insufficient coverage.
- Medical Payments — Helps cover medical costs for your driver and passengers after a covered accident, regardless of fault.
What About Employees Driving Their Own Cars?
If your employees regularly use their personal vehicles for work — deliveries, client visits, errands — your business has liability exposure even though you don’t own those vehicles. Hired and Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) insurance fills this gap. It’s typically available as an add-on endorsement and covers your business’s liability when an employee’s personal policy falls short during a work-related trip. It’s one of the most commonly overlooked coverages for small businesses.
What Commercial Auto Does Not Cover
Commercial auto generally does not cover personal use of a business vehicle by non-employees, cargo or freight being transported (that’s inland marine or cargo insurance), or employee injuries from an accident — those are covered under Workers’ Compensation Insurance.
Who Needs Commercial Auto Insurance?
Any business that owns, leases, or regularly uses vehicles for work needs a commercial auto policy. If the vehicle is titled to your business, used to transport goods or equipment, or driven by employees on the job — a personal policy almost certainly won’t cover it. Here’s who should prioritize it:
- Contractors and construction businesses — Trucks and vans hauling tools, materials, and equipment to job sites every day
- Landscaping and tree service companies — Work trucks, trailers, and equipment rigs on the road constantly
- Delivery and courier services — Any vehicle used to transport goods for compensation needs commercial coverage
- Food trucks and mobile service businesses — The vehicle is the business — it needs to be covered as one
- Plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians — Service vans loaded with tools and parts are a significant asset and liability exposure
- Cleaning and home service companies — Employees driving to client locations creates business auto exposure
- Sales teams and field reps — Company cars or reimbursed personal vehicles used for client visits need the right coverage structure
- Any business with a fleet — Five or more vehicles can typically be bundled under a single fleet policy for simpler management and better rates
Covers bodily injury and property damage your business vehicle causes to others in an at-fault accident. Commercial policies carry higher liability limits than personal auto policies — because the exposure is higher when vehicles are on the road for work every day.
Collision and comprehensive coverage for your business vehicles — generally designed to cover damage from accidents, theft, fire, vandalism, and weather. Protects the vehicles your business depends on to operate.
Covers your business’s liability when employees use their personal vehicles for work or when your business rents a vehicle. One of the most overlooked gaps in small business coverage — and one of the most important to close.
How to Get Commercial Auto Insurance with Saint Moore
Getting covered is simple. Here’s how to get your policy started with Saint Moore in four easy steps.
Getting the right coverage for your business vehicles starts with understanding how they’re used, who drives them, and what your business would lose if one was out of commission. Here’s how Saint Moore Insurance Agency approaches it.
Step 1: Tell Us About Your Vehicles and Operations
Make, model, year, how each vehicle is used, who drives it, and whether it’s titled to your business or personally. These details shape your coverage needs and your premium. We ask the right questions so nothing gets missed.
Step 2: We Review Your Driver Roster
Commercial auto premiums are heavily influenced by your drivers’ records. We review your driver list carefully and help you understand how each driver’s history affects your policy — and what you can do to keep rates competitive.
Step 3: We Shop Multiple Carriers
Saint Moore Insurance Agency compares commercial auto options across top carriers to find the right fit for your vehicle types, usage, and budget. Fleet policies, single-vehicle policies, and HNOA endorsements — we find the right structure for your business.
Step 4: Get Covered and Keep Moving
Once your policy is bound, your vehicles are covered and your drivers are protected. We stay accessible throughout the policy year — when you add a vehicle, hire a new driver, or need to file a claim, we’re one call away.
Local roots. Nationwide reach.
St. Moore is headquartered in Redlands, CA, and deeply rooted in the Inland Empire but our carrier network covers all 50 states. Whether you're a local homeowner, a regional business, or have assets across multiple states, we have the market access to protect them.
Let’s Make Sure Your Business Vehicles Are Actually Covered.
Call Saint Moore Insurance Agency at (909) 793-2151, visit our Redlands office at 1150 Brookside Ave Suite Q, or request a quote online. Tell us about your vehicles and we’ll build the right commercial auto program for your business.
The key difference is how the vehicle is used and who owns it. A personal auto insurance policy is designed for personal use, such as commuting, errands, and family trips. Most personal policies exclude or severely limit coverage when a vehicle is used for business purposes, especially if it’s owned by a business, used to transport goods for compensation, or driven by employees.
Commercial auto insurance is specifically designed for business use. It covers higher liability limits, multiple drivers, a wider range of vehicle types, and the kinds of risks that come with putting vehicles to work. If your vehicle is titled to a business, used to haul tools or equipment, or driven by employees on the job, you almost certainly need a commercial policy.
Commercial auto insurance can cover a wide range of business vehicles, including:
- Company-owned cars and SUVs
- Pickup trucks used for business purposes
- Cargo vans and delivery vans
- Box trucks and flatbed trucks
- Dump trucks and service vehicles
- Food trucks and mobile service units
- Tow trucks
- Mixed fleets with multiple vehicle types
Fleet policies can cover five or more vehicles under a single policy, simplifying administration and often reducing overall cost. Coverage terms and eligible vehicle types vary by carrier, so it’s worth speaking with a Saint Moore Insurance Agency agent to make sure your specific vehicles are properly covered.
Hired and Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) insurance covers your business’s liability when employees use their personal vehicles for work, whether making a delivery, driving to a client meeting, or running a work errand, or when your business rents or borrows a vehicle.
Here’s the problem it solves: if an employee gets into an accident while driving their own car on company business, their personal auto policy may deny the claim because it was business use. Your business could then be held liable. HNOA fills that gap by providing liability coverage over and above the employee’s personal policy.
HNOA is typically available as an endorsement added to a commercial auto policy or a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP). It’s one of the most overlooked, and most important, coverages for small businesses whose employees use personal vehicles for work.
Yes. If your employees regularly use their personal vehicles for business purposes, your business still has liability exposure. If an employee causes an accident while running a work errand in their own car and their personal insurance denies or limits the claim, the injured party may pursue your business directly.
The right solution is Hired and Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) coverage, which is generally available as an add-on to your commercial auto or BOP policy. It provides liability protection for your business in those situations without requiring you to insure the employee’s personal vehicle itself. A Saint Moore Insurance Agency agent can help you determine the right coverage structure for your team.
