Commercial auto (business auto) covers liability and physical damage for vehicles a business owns, leases or hires, and can extend liability to employees driving their own cars for work. Triple-I notes that a personal auto policy likely won't respond if a vehicle is used primarily for business, and that a BOP excludes vehicles, so a separate policy is needed. Policies can cover owned autos only, owned plus hired and leased autos, or any auto used for business. Many businesses buy hired and non-owned auto liability even when they own no vehicles. Appetite turns on vehicle type and weight class, radius of operation, the use (service vehicles, delivery, hauling for others), the number of power units and, above all, the drivers. Carriers run motor vehicle reports on every driver and usually set minimum ages and limits on violations and at-fault accidents. Combined single limits of $1 million are common, and contracts often require them. Commercial auto is one of the hardest lines to place. Trucking for hire, long-haul radius, young drivers, poor MVRs, frequent fleet losses and certain vehicle types (tow trucks, dump trucks, passenger transport) push risks to specialty and surplus lines markets. Small fleets of service vehicles can often be quoted on carrier portals or small-commercial quoting platforms. Larger fleets and for-hire trucking usually need a full ACORD 127 and 129 submission to an underwriter.
Carriers with published appetite
From each carrier's own public appetite guide or product pages. Appetite changes: confirm with the carrier before you submit.
Transportation — Acuity insures 'all kinds of motor carriers', naming common carriers, milk haulers, sand and gravel, flatbeds and refrigerated freight, from owner-operators to large fleets. Trucking package adds cargo, trailer interchange, deadhead/bobtail, motor carrier filings and truckers' enhancements (Acuity trucking insurance page, viewed Oct 2026).
Quote it through: Bold Penguin, Semsee, PL Rating, or the carrier portal
Contractors — The same guide marks auto as preferred for most listed artisan contractor classes, including carpentry, drywall, electrical, flooring, HVAC, landscaping, painting and plumbing; household appliance installation and glaziers are eligible. Auto is quoted in ezAuto (AmTrust Small Business Appetite Guide, BOP, MKT6424, May 2025).
Quote it through: Tarmika Bridge, or the carrier portal
Transportation — Motor carrier program covers auto liability, collision and comprehensive on tractors. It adds the Uniform Intermodal Interchange Endorsement, bobtail and deadhead cover, and motor cargo for owned, others' or one-time shipments. A fleet monitoring discount applies when telematics are installed (Motor Carrier page, Oct 2026).
Quote it through: Semsee, or the carrier portal
Transportation — Trucking with 1 to 14 power units and up to 40 trailers, garaged in one state, 3+ years in business, DOT number required. Flatbed, dry van, reefer, grain hopper, non-fuel tankers, straight trucks and for-hire dump trucks. Auto liability up to $1M CSL; cargo up to $250K. Excludes hotshots, couriers, last-mile residential delivery, tow trucks, auto haulers, movers, passenger and fuel haulers. Drivers 23+ with 2 years CDL. Available only through appointed wholesalers (Berkley Small Business transportation page, 2026).
Contractors — Commercial auto is strong appetite for nearly every artisan contractor class listed, including electrical, HVAC and plumbing, landscaping, masonry and painting. Roofing needs underwriter review and excavation is limited or no appetite (GUARD Appetite Overview, APOV101926, Oct 2026).
Quote it through: Bold Penguin, Semsee, or the carrier portal
Contractors — Commercial janitorial, carpentry, HVAC and plumbing, interior painting and electrical, and landscaping contractors are strong for auto and cyber, but qualified (each risk on its merits) for BOP and WC. Umbrella is qualified for carpentry, HVAC, plumbing, painting and electrical. Chubb's auto policy offers PIP and UM/UIM limits up to $1M (2024 Chubb Small Business Appetite Guide; Chubb Small Business flyer, 2024).
Quote it through: Bold Penguin, Semsee, Tarmika Bridge, or the carrier portal
Healthcare — Ambulatory surgery centers, medical offices, outpatient therapy, imaging centers, labs, dental offices, chiropractors and mental health clinics are actively written for BOP, auto, WC and umbrella, up to 25 vehicles per policy. CNA says auto may be written selectively until its expanded 2026 appetite is fully deployed (2026 CNA Small Business Appetite Guide; Eligible Values sheet, Jan 2026).
Quote it through: Bold Penguin, Semsee, Tarmika Bridge, or the carrier portal
Contractors — Business auto is offered for company vehicles from vans to pickups, as an add-on to contractor packages, with fleet safety telematics through Azuga. No fleet size or class limits are published (Frankenmuth commercial auto and construction pages, Oct 2026).
Transportation — Mid-Continent writes business auto, SUVs and RVs used for business, and dry freight, flatbed and utility trailers. Avoid classes: long-haul for-hire trucking, hot shot trucking, fuel hauling, passenger transportation, livery, residential garbage haulers (roll-off is OK), logging, ready-mix trucks, restaurant delivery and emergency vehicles. No stated amount or trailer interchange coverage (Mid-Continent commercial auto page, Oct 2026).
Healthcare — Medical transportation appetite is strongest for for-profit and not-for-profit ambulance services and hospital-owned ambulances, including wheelchair vans and mobile medical units. Recent accounts run from 2 to 17 ambulances at $1M auto limits, often packaged with GL, PL and excess (Markel preferred US and Bermuda retail appetite guide, June 2026).
Quote it through: Tarmika Bridge, or the carrier portal
Transportation — Commercial auto niches: auto daily rental and rental package, chauffeured transportation fleet operators, interim liability and physical damage around leases, lessors' contingent and excess liability, and school bus contractors serving private schools (PHLY Commercial Auto Products overview, Oct 2026).
Contractors — Contractor target: vans, pickups and dump trucks used by light contractors such as painters, plumbers and landscapers (Progressive 2025 Form 10-K).
Transportation — For-hire transportation target: tractors, trailers and straight trucks used by regional general freight, expeditor-type businesses and long-haul operators (2025 Form 10-K).
Retail — Business auto target: autos, vans and pickups used by small businesses, for example in retailing, manufacturing and farming (2025 Form 10-K).
Wholesale — Hanover writes commercial auto for box and straight trucks, cargo, delivery, step and passenger vans, refrigerated trucks and SUVs, designed to sit with its package policies. Availability varies by business type and size (Hanover commercial auto page, viewed Oct 2026).
Quote it through: Semsee, Tarmika Bridge, or the carrier portal
Before you submit
- Vehicle schedule with year, make, model, VIN, stated value and garaging address
- Driver list with names, dates of birth, license numbers and years of experience
- Radius of operation and description of what each vehicle carries
- USDOT number and MC authority, if the business hauls for others
- Three to five years of loss runs
- Hired and non-owned auto exposure, such as employees driving personal vehicles for errands
Sources
- Triple-I: Do I need a commercial auto insurance policy?
- Triple-I: Business vehicle insurance (Insuring your business, small business owner's guide)
- NAIC: Small business insurance
Updated Oct 30, 2026