Commercial auto insurance in Dallas
If your business owns, leases or drives vehicles for work, commercial auto is a policy to ask about. That can mean one pickup for job sites or a group of vans that run across Dallas every day.
Why work driving is its own question
The Texas Department of Insurance describes commercial auto as liability and property damage protection for cars, trucks and vans you use for business. It can also cover food trucks, service utility trucks and trailers.
How your personal auto policy treats business use is worth asking about. So is the case where workers drive their own cars on errands for you. Treat both as topics to raise with a licensed agent.
Source: Texas Department of Insurance: Commercial property insurance guide
Topics to discuss
- Liability if your driver hurts someone or damages their property.
- Damage to your own work vehicles, if you add that coverage.
- Pickups, vans, box trucks, trailers and food trucks.
- Cars your business does not own, such as a worker’s car used for errands.
What sits under other policies
- Tools and equipment you carry may need inland marine coverage.
- Cargo you haul for others is a trucking question.
- Injuries to your own workers are a workers’ compensation question.
- Claims above your auto limit may be an umbrella question.
Source: Texas Department of Insurance: Commercial property insurance guide
What to gather before you ask
- Year, make, model and VIN for each vehicle.
- Who drives, with their license details.
- Where vehicles are parked overnight.
- How far vehicles travel and what they carry.
- Recent claims and tickets for your drivers.
Questions about commercial auto
Does my personal auto policy cover driving for work?
It depends on the policy and the kind of driving. Read the business use terms in your personal policy and ask a licensed agent before you rely on it.
Do I need commercial auto if I only have one truck?
Many single vehicle businesses ask about it, especially when the truck is titled to the business. The answer depends on ownership, use and any contract terms.
Is trucking insurance the same thing?
Trucking adds its own topics, such as cargo and the filings some carriers must make. See the trucking page for those questions.
Policy terms, exclusions and eligibility control what is covered. Talk through your needs with a licensed agent before you rely on any policy.