Commercial auto insurance in New York for business vehicles
Commercial auto insurance covers the cars, vans, pickups and trucks your business owns, leases or relies on. For a contractor crossing the bridges every morning, a caterer making Manhattan deliveries or a firm with company cars in Westchester and Long Island, it keeps a bad day on the road from becoming a business problem.
Gordon Companies is an independent, family-owned brokerage in Midtown Manhattan, serving New York businesses since 1968. We shop commercial auto across multiple carriers, and when there is an accident or a new vehicle to add, you deal with a real person, not a call center.
What commercial auto insurance covers
Policies vary, but a New York commercial auto policy is typically built from these parts:
- Liability, for injuries and property damage your drivers cause to others
- No-fault, or personal injury protection, which pays certain medical and lost-wage costs regardless of who caused the accident
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
- Collision, for damage to your own vehicles in an accident
- Comprehensive, for theft, vandalism, fire, flood and falling objects
- Optional extras such as rental reimbursement and towing
New York requires liability, no-fault and uninsured motorist coverage on vehicles registered in the state, and business vehicles are no exception. Many businesses carry limits well above the minimums, especially when a contract or lease spells out what they must have.
Vehicles we commonly insure
- Company cars and SUVs
- Cargo and passenger vans
- Pickup trucks and contractor vehicles
- Box trucks and service trucks
- Delivery vehicles
Heavier rigs and long-haul operations are usually written differently. See our page on commercial trucking insurance for those.
Commercial vs. personal auto for NYC businesses
A personal policy may not respond if a vehicle is used mainly for business, titled to a company or driven by employees as part of their job. Occasional errands may be fine on your personal auto insurance, but regular deliveries, client transport or hauling tools usually call for a commercial policy.
Hired and non-owned auto
If employees drive their own cars or rentals on company business, your business can be pulled into a claim even though it does not own the vehicle. Hired and non-owned auto liability fills that gap. It can often be added to a commercial auto policy or a business owners policy.
For-hire and livery vehicles
Taxis, limousines and other vehicles that carry passengers for hire have their own licensing and insurance rules in New York City. Tell us how the vehicle is used and we will tell you plainly what we can place.
How we shop commercial auto, and what affects cost
Carriers look at the full picture of your vehicles and your drivers. The factors that typically matter most:
- The types, values and number of vehicles you run
- How the vehicles are used and how far they travel
- Where they are garaged overnight
- Driver ages, experience and motor vehicle records
- Your claims history
- The limits, deductibles and optional coverages you choose
We also look at who is listed as a driver, whether you have written driving rules, and whether your liability limit fits the rest of your program. Many businesses add a commercial umbrella so one serious accident does not outrun the auto limit.
Gaps we look for
- Employees driving personal cars on company business with no hired and non-owned coverage in place
- Tools and equipment carried in the vehicle, which often need separate coverage under a contractors insurance program
- New vehicles or new drivers that never made it onto the policy
- Injuries to your own employees while driving for work, which generally fall under workers’ compensation rather than the auto policy
Questions we hear about commercial auto insurance
Do I need commercial auto insurance if I use my own car for work?
It depends on how you use it. Occasional business errands are often fine on a personal policy, but regular business use, a vehicle titled to the business or employees driving for you typically call for commercial coverage. Tell us how you use the car and we will give you a straight answer.
Does commercial auto cover the tools in my van?
Usually not. Equipment permanently attached to a vehicle may be covered, but loose tools and portable equipment typically need inland marine coverage.
What does New York require on a business vehicle?
Every vehicle registered in New York must carry liability, no-fault and uninsured motorist coverage. Whether that coverage belongs on a commercial policy depends on who owns the vehicle and how it is used.
Can a personally owned vehicle be insured for business use?
In many cases, yes. How the vehicle is titled and how it is used determine the best way to write it, and we work that out with the carrier.
Related coverage
Start your commercial auto quote
Send us your vehicle list and drivers and we will compare commercial auto options across carriers. Request a quote online or call Aaron and the team at 212-687-2525, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and talk it through with a real person.
