Commercial Pickup Truck Insurance

Your business relies on pickup trucks for various operations, such as hauling equipment. You might be aware that you need special coverage for your business vehicles, and that a standard auto insurance policy won't protect them while they're being used for work purposes. Commercial pickup truck insurance can protect your company vehicles against numerous threats, from theft and vandalism to accidents and beyond.

Luckily, a local independent insurance agent can help your business get equipped with the right commercial pickup truck insurance. Your agent can shop and compare commercial pickup truck insurance quotes and policy options from a number of different carriers for you. But first, here's an overview of commercial pickup truck insurance, what it covers, and why it's necessary.

What Is Commercial Pickup Truck Insurance?

Commercial pickup truck insurance is designed to protect pickup trucks used for business operations, such as hauling equipment, tools, and materials.

Definition of commercial pickup truck insurance

Commercial pickup truck insurance is a specific type of business insurance and commercial vehicle insurance coverage intended to protect pickup trucks used by a business for work purposes. This coverage differs from personal auto insurance policies because it's designed to cover business-related risks. If you use pickup trucks or other vehicles for your business's deliveries or other work tasks, a personal car insurance policy won't protect them.

Why You Need Commercial Coverage

A standard auto insurance policy is only designed to protect your personal vehicles, or vehicles not used for business purposes. Personal auto policies typically exclude commercial use of the vehicles they cover, which can leave gaps in coverage for any disasters that occur while carrying out business activities. If one of your employees made a delivery for your company and got into an accident on the way, you'd need to go through your commercial vehicle insurance to cover the losses.

Commercial pickup truck insurance protects against legal expenses and liability claims from third parties, such as for personal property damage or bodily injury caused by your work vehicles. This coverage can also reimburse injured parties for medical expenses related to incidents that occur due to business activities.

Who Needs Commercial Pickup Truck Insurance?

Any business owner or worker who uses a pickup truck for commercial purposes needs this coverage. Examples include:

If you use a pickup truck for your business, talk to an independent insurance agent about getting set up with the right commercial pickup truck insurance policy to protect your vehicle.

What Does Commercial Pickup Truck Insurance Cover?

Commercial pickup truck insurance includes several types of important coverage for company vehicles, including liability and physical damage. A complete policy often includes the following protections.

Key coverage types for commercial pickup truck insurance

• Commercial vehicle liability coverage: This covers expenses related to claims of third-party bodily injury and property damage and is often required by law.
• Physical damage coverage: This includes protection for your company's pickup trucks against collision, comprehensive, theft, and vandalism.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: This can provide reimbursement for damage that happens to your company's pickup trucks caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver.
• Cargo and trailer insurance: This optional coverage is offered by some carriers for commercial trailers, such as utility or horse trailers.

An independent insurance agent can help you find a complete commercial pickup truck insurance policy that includes all the types of coverage you need.

Additional Coverage Options and Endorsements

Your business may benefit from adding even more coverage to its commercial pickup truck insurance policy. The following are commonly-added endorsements to commercial pickup truck coverage.

• Gap coverage: This can pay the difference between the current value of your business's pickup truck and the amount still owed on a loan or lease in the event the vehicle is declared a total loss.
• Mechanical breakdown coverage: This can pay for breakdown-related repairs after your company's pickup truck warranty has expired, or it can pay for mechanical failure incidents not covered by the vehicle's warranty.
• Rental reimbursement with downtime coverage: This can pay for the cost of a rental vehicle if your company's pickup truck is damaged and can't be used until repairs are complete. For commercial truck drivers, downtime coverage can reimburse them for a portion of their lost earnings while their vehicle is inoperable.
• Supplemental towing and labor coverage: This can reimburse a business for the cost of towing and other professional services, such as jump starts, if a commercial pickup truck breaks down on the road.

An independent insurance agent can help you complete your commercial pickup truck policy with these coverage enhancements and other add-ons tailored to your business's needs.

How Commercial Insurance Differs from Personal Auto Insurance

Besides being designed to cover business vehicles and not personal vehicles, commercial vehicle insurance also differs from personal auto coverage in a couple of ways.

• Higher coverage limits: The coverage limits in a commercial pickup truck insurance policy are typically higher than those in a personal auto policy due to the increased risk of accidents, damage, etc., when a vehicle is used for business activities.
• Higher policy premiums: The premiums for a commercial pickup truck insurance policy are often higher than those for a personal auto insurance policy to compensate for the additional and necessary protection provided.

Though you might pay quite a bit more for commercial pickup truck insurance than for standard car insurance, the difference in the coverage offered by this type of policy is critical for your business. A personal auto policy won't cover accidents and other incidents involving company vehicles used for business activities.

How Much Does Commercial Truck Insurance Cost?

The cost of commercial pickup truck insurance ranges from $200 to $600 per month, or $2,400 to $7,200 annually. However, the cost of your business's commercial pickup truck insurance policy can vary considerably based on several factors.

Factors affecting insurance costs:

• How the vehicles are used
• Employee driving history
• The make and model of the insured vehicles
• Business size, industry, and location
• The types of coverage selected

Commercial drivers with certain types of licenses or long-standing business experience can sometimes earn commercial pickup truck insurance discounts. An independent insurance agent can help you find any discounts you qualify for on your coverage and get affordable commercial pickup truck insurance near you.

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Benefits of Choosing the Right Commercial Pickup Truck Insurance

The right commercial pickup truck insurance policy can protect not only your company vehicles, but your employees and you as the business owner, too. Some of the main benefits of having the right coverage include:

• Financial protection for your business operations
• Compliance with state and federal insurance requirements
• Access to claims specialists experienced in commercial vehicle claims

Commercial vehicle insurance is actually required in certain locations. Having the right policy can ensure that your business avoids state penalties, such as fines or forced temporary closures for noncompliance. An independent insurance agent can further explain all the benefits of having the right commercial pickup truck coverage.

How to Get a Quote for Commercial Pickup Truck Insurance

When it's time to protect your company's pickup trucks against accidents and many other types of incidents, a local independent insurance agent can assist you. Your agent can help you shop and compare quotes from multiple carriers to find the ideal coverage your business needs. 

Additionally, your agent can help you find discounts for bundling your commercial auto insurance with other types of business insurance to get the biggest savings. Down the road, your agent can also help you file business insurance claims and update your coverage when necessary.