Home / Texas Insurance Services / Commercial Auto Insurance
Commercial Auto Insurance in Texas
A contractor’s pickup, a florist’s delivery van, a hotshot rig, a landscaping crew’s truck and trailer: if a vehicle earns money, a personal auto policy may not cover it the way you expect. Commercial auto insurance is built for vehicles used in a business. This page covers when Texas businesses need it, how the policy is put together, which filings heavier trucks may need, and what to have ready for a quote.
When a Texas business needs commercial auto
Personal auto policies are priced for commuting and errands. Most of them exclude or restrict vehicles used to carry people or goods for a fee, and many carriers will not write a personal policy on a vehicle titled to a company. You likely need a commercial policy when any of these is true:
- The vehicle is titled or leased in the name of an LLC, corporation, or partnership.
- You haul tools, equipment, or materials to job sites, or tow a work trailer.
- You deliver goods or carry passengers for pay outside a rideshare app’s coverage.
- Employees drive your vehicles, or drive their own cars on your errands.
- The truck is heavy, has signage or racks, or a client contract asks for a certificate of insurance.
Rideshare and app delivery have their own rules; our Texas rideshare insurance guide explains those. For everyday family vehicles, start with the Texas auto insurance guide.
What a commercial auto policy covers
The Insurance Information Institute points out that a businessowners policy excludes vehicles, so business driving needs its own auto policy. A Texas business auto policy is assembled from familiar pieces:
Injuries and property damage you cause to others, usually written as one combined single limit.
Collision and comprehensive for your own trucks and vans, with deductibles per vehicle.
Protection when the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little.
Medical bills for your driver and passengers regardless of fault.
Liability for rented vehicles and employees’ cars used on company business.
Rental reimbursement, towing, equipment and tool coverage, and loss payee wording for financed units.
Texas’s minimum auto liability of 30/60/25, explained in our 30/60/25 guide, is only the legal floor. A single crash involving a work truck can easily exceed it, and many general contractors, municipalities, and shippers require $1 million combined single limit before you can work for them. Our bodily injury liability guide explains why injury limits deserve the most attention.
Covered auto symbols, in plain English
Commercial auto declarations pages use numbered symbols to say which vehicles each coverage applies to. They matter more than most owners realize:
- Symbol 1, any auto: the broadest liability, including newly acquired, hired, and non-owned vehicles.
- Symbol 2, owned autos only: every vehicle the business owns, including new ones you add.
- Symbol 7, specifically described autos: only vehicles listed on the schedule. A truck you forgot to add may not be covered.
- Symbols 8 and 9, hired and non-owned: rentals and employees’ personal vehicles used for work.
Our blog article on Texas commercial auto and hired and non-owned auto goes deeper on symbols and on businesses that do not own any vehicles but still need hired and non-owned coverage.
Texas and federal filings for heavier trucks
Some operations need proof of insurance filed with a regulator before the truck can legally run. The thresholds depend on vehicle weight, what you haul, and whether you cross state lines:
- Texas intrastate carriers. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles requires many commercial vehicles that operate only in Texas and weigh more than 26,000 pounds to register for a TxDMV certificate number. Its Motor Carrier Handbook lists the minimum liability, generally $500,000 combined single limit for many carriers of property, filed by your insurer electronically.
- Interstate carriers. The FMCSA insurance filing requirements apply to for-hire carriers with operating authority. Under 49 CFR 387.9, the minimum for general freight in vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more is $750,000, with higher amounts for certain hazardous materials.
- USDOT numbers and CDLs. Many commercial vehicles need a USDOT number, and heavier combinations require a commercial driver license from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Driver licensing and records affect which carriers will quote you.
Tell us your vehicle weights, radius of operation, and whether you need filings when you request a quote. An agent can confirm which forms apply before the policy is bound.
Businesses we commonly quote
- Contractors and trades: plumbers, electricians, HVAC, roofers, remodelers, and landscapers.
- Service fleets: cleaning companies, pest control, pool service, and home health.
- Delivery and courier operations, florists, caterers, and food trucks.
- Hotshot and box truck operators hauling within Texas or interstate.
- Farms and ranches with trucks used beyond personal errands; see our farm and ranch insurance page.
- Small businesses with no owned vehicles that need hired and non-owned auto only.
What drives commercial auto pricing
Commercial auto has been one of the tougher lines in the insurance market for several years, with large jury awards and repair costs pushing rates up. Your own price depends on:
- Vehicle type, weight, and value, plus trailers and equipment.
- Driver ages, licenses, and motor vehicle records.
- Radius of operation and the counties where you garage and drive.
- What you haul and whether you need state or federal filings.
- Liability limits, deductibles, and claims history.
- Years in business and safety practices like telematics, dash cameras, and written driver policies.
Keeping a clean list of approved drivers, checking motor vehicle records at hire and at least yearly, and reporting new vehicles promptly all help at renewal.
Common gaps to avoid
- Employees using personal cars. If an employee crashes while running a work errand, your business can be named in the lawsuit. Non-owned auto coverage responds to that.
- Tools and equipment. Physical damage covers the truck, not always the tools inside it. Ask about an inland marine or tool floater.
- Unlisted drivers or vehicles. With scheduled-auto symbols, a vehicle or driver that never got reported can create a coverage fight.
- Thin limits. State minimums rarely match contract requirements or the cost of a serious crash. An umbrella or excess policy can sit on top; see our umbrella insurance guide and business insurance guide.
What we will ask when you request a quote
The commercial auto form on this page takes a few minutes. It asks for the details underwriters need before they will price a policy:
- Company name, type of business, garaging address, and any DOT or MC number.
- Each vehicle’s year, make, model, VIN, and stated value.
- Drivers with dates of birth and years of experience. We never ask for driver license numbers on the web form.
- Farthest regular trip, states driven in, and what the vehicles haul.
- Coverage wanted, current carrier, renewal date, and recent claims.
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s insurance guide is a useful checklist for the other policies a growing business usually needs alongside auto.
How Texas Insurance Resources helps
Texas Insurance Resources works with licensed agents who compare commercial auto markets for one-truck owner-operators through small fleets. We help you sort out symbols, limits, filings, and hired and non-owned coverage, and we line up the certificate of insurance your client needs. Call 800-875-4711 or send the form below to get started.
Get your free Texas commercial auto insurance quote
Fill out the short form below and a licensed Texas agent will compare carriers for you. It takes about two minutes, there is no obligation, and we never sell your information. Prefer the phone? Call 800-875-4711.
What happens next
- A licensed Texas agent reviews your request.
- We compare carriers for your commercial auto coverage.
- You get options by phone or email, usually the same business day.
FAQ: Commercial Auto Insurance in Texas
Can I use my personal auto policy for my business truck?
Sometimes for light business use, but many personal policies exclude delivering goods or people for a fee, and most will not insure a vehicle titled to a company. Ask your agent before relying on it.
What is hired and non-owned auto coverage?
It covers your business’s liability when employees drive their own cars or rented vehicles for work. It does not cover damage to the employee’s car.
How much commercial auto liability should I carry?
Texas requires at least 30/60/25, but many contracts require $1 million combined single limit. Heavier trucks may need state or federal filings at higher minimums.
Do I need a TxDMV or FMCSA filing?
It depends on vehicle weight, cargo, and whether you cross state lines. Many Texas-only vehicles over 26,000 pounds need TxDMV registration, and interstate for-hire carriers file with FMCSA.
Are my tools covered under commercial auto?
Usually not. Tools and equipment are typically insured under an inland marine or tool floater policy.
What do I need to get a commercial auto quote?
Your vehicles, drivers, type of work, radius, cargo, current coverage, and any contract or filing requirements.
Sources
We used these public sources for the facts on this page. Your policy forms and carrier rules always control.
- Insurance Information Institute: Business vehicle insurance
- Texas Department of Motor Vehicles: Motor carriers
- TxDMV Motor Carrier Handbook
- FMCSA: Insurance filing requirements
- eCFR: 49 CFR 387.9, minimum levels of financial responsibility
- Texas Department of Public Safety: Commercial driver license
- U.S. Small Business Administration: Get business insurance
- Insurance Information Institute: Business insurance basics
Get a Texas commercial auto insurance quote
Compare work truck, van, and fleet coverage with Texas Insurance Resources. Call 800-875-4711 or request a quote online.