What is Commercial Auto Insurance?
Commercial auto insurance covers the vehicles your business owns, leases, or uses for work — protecting you when a crash on the job leads to injuries, property damage, or a damaged vehicle.
Who needs it
- Contractors, trades & small businesses
- Owners needing a COI today to win a job
- Growing companies adding crews or trucks
What commercial auto insurance really is
If your business owns a truck, van, or car — or your team drives to job sites, makes deliveries, or hauls tools and materials — a personal auto policy usually won't respond to a claim that happens "for work." Commercial auto insurance is built for exactly that. It protects the vehicles your business uses and the people driving them, and it's assembled from several coverages we mix to match how you actually operate.
Liability (Bodily Injury & Property Damage)
The core of the policy and what most states require to put a work vehicle on the road. It pays for injuries and property damage you cause to others in an at-fault accident, plus the legal defense that can come with it.
Physical Damage (Comprehensive & Collision)
Pays to repair or replace your vehicle. Collision covers impacts; comprehensive covers the rest — theft, fire, vandalism, hail, and hitting an animal. If the vehicle is financed or leased, your lender will almost always require this.
Medical Payments & Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist
Medical payments help with injury costs for you and your passengers regardless of fault. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage protects you when the other driver has no insurance or not enough to cover the damage they caused.
Hired & Non-Owned Auto
Covers vehicles your business rents or borrows, and personal vehicles employees use for work errands. This is an easy gap to miss until an employee has an accident running a company errand in their own car.
Who needs it
- Contractors, plumbers, electricians & HVAC techs with work trucks
- Landscapers, cleaners & service businesses on the road
- Delivery, courier & pickup operations
- Realtors & sales teams driving to appointments
- Any business with a vehicle titled to the company
- Employers whose staff run errands or drive for work
What affects your premium
- Driving records of everyone behind the wheel
- Vehicle types, values & how they're used
- How far and how often you drive (radius & mileage)
- Coverage limits & deductibles you choose
- Where the vehicles are garaged
- Your claims and loss history
- Number of vehicles and drivers on the policy
Why an independent agent for commercial auto
Carrier appetite for work vehicles varies wildly — one company loves contractor trucks, another shies away from delivery use or younger drivers, and the big online quoters tend to auto-decline anything outside a narrow box. As an independent agency, BNW Services isn't tied to one company. Billy Whited shops your risk across many appointed standard and specialty markets, so you get a policy matched to how your business actually runs — not whatever a single carrier happens to sell. Call 573-594-5148 and we'll compare real options and get you a certificate quickly.
Commercial Auto Insurance FAQ
Can't I just use my personal auto policy for my work truck?
Usually not. Personal auto policies often exclude or limit business use, so a claim on the job can be denied. If the vehicle is titled to your company or used regularly for work, a commercial auto policy is the right fit.
Does commercial auto cover employees driving their own cars for work?
Not automatically. That's what hired and non-owned auto coverage is for — it responds when an employee uses a personal or rented vehicle for company business. We can add it to your policy.
Do I need commercial auto if I only have one van?
If that van is owned by or used for the business, yes — one vehicle is enough to need coverage. We can quote a single-vehicle policy just as easily as a fleet.
What's the difference between comprehensive and collision?
Collision pays when your vehicle hits something or flips. Comprehensive covers almost everything else — theft, fire, vandalism, hail, falling objects, and animal strikes.
Will my policy cover tools and equipment in the vehicle?
Commercial auto covers the vehicle itself, not usually the tools inside it. Tools and equipment are typically covered under inland marine or a general liability/property policy — ask us and we'll make sure that gap is closed.
How fast can I get a certificate of insurance?
Often the same day once you're bound. Many general contractors and clients require a COI before you start — call 573-594-5148 and we'll turn it around quickly.
Do you cover businesses in more than one state?
Yes. We're licensed and write commercial auto across Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Colorado.
I've had an accident or ticket — can you still find coverage?
Often, yes. Because we're independent, we can take your risk to carriers with a broader appetite instead of being stuck with one company's rules.
Get Commercial Auto Insurance today
Quote, buy, or book a quick consult — whatever's easiest for you.