COMMERCIAL AUTO INSURANCE
Commercial auto insurance covers vehicles your business owns, leases, or uses for work.
Personal auto policies exclude most business use of a vehicle. If you have vehicles in the business name, employees driving on company time, or any regular business driving beyond commuting, you need commercial auto coverage.
What it covers
What commercial auto covers.
What it covers
Liability coverage
Pays for injuries and property damage your business causes to others while operating commercial vehicles. Liability coverage limits are typically much higher than personal auto because business risk is higher.
What it covers
Physical damage
Collision and comprehensive coverage on the vehicles themselves. Includes damage from accidents, theft, vandalism, weather, and falling objects.
What it covers
Hired and non-owned auto
Liability coverage when employees drive personal vehicles for business or when the business rents vehicles. Hired and non-owned auto is often added to a business owners policy for businesses without owned vehicles.
What it covers
Uninsured and underinsured motorist
Pays medical bills and lost wages if your driver is hit by an uninsured driver. Underinsured motorist coverage helps when the at-fault driver does not carry enough. Important when employees are operating company vehicles. Required coverage in most states.
Where policies have edges
What commercial auto does not cover.
Not covered
Personal use exclusions
Some commercial auto policies restrict or exclude personal use of company vehicles. Confirm the policy form allows the personal use you actually have.
Not covered
Cargo and goods in transit
What you are hauling is generally excluded under commercial auto. Inland marine or motor truck cargo coverage is needed for goods, materials, or equipment in transit.
Not covered
Specialized equipment on the vehicle
Cranes, lifts, and similar equipment mounted on a vehicle have special coverage rules. Damage to the equipment itself often needs to be scheduled separately.
Not covered
Driver MVR violations and class restrictions
Drivers with poor records, suspended licenses, or driving classes outside what is filed with the carrier may not be covered. Maintain accurate driver lists and run MVR checks.
Who needs this
Who needs Commercial Auto Insurance.
Any business that owns vehicles, has employees who drive for work, or relies on personal vehicles for business deliveries, client visits, or job sites. If those employees can be hurt on the job, workers compensation is a separate coverage to confirm. State minimum commercial auto liability limits are typically higher than personal auto. Interstate trucking and certain operations also require federal FMCSA filings (MCS-90, MCS-150) on top of state coverage.
What it costs
What you can expect to pay.
Varies widely by state, vehicle types, driver records, radius of operation, and claims history. Most small business commercial auto policies cost between $1,000 and $4,000 per vehicle per year. Trucking and long-radius operations cost significantly more.
In Georgia
How this works in Georgia.
Georgia requires all motor vehicles, commercial or personal, to carry liability coverage under O.C.G.A. Title 33. For commercial vehicles operating for hire intrastate, the Georgia Department of Public Safety sets minimum financial responsibility limits above the personal auto floor of 25/50/25. Vehicles that cross state lines or move freight for hire must also satisfy FMCSA minimum requirements and carry federal filings such as an MCS-90 endorsement, which sits on top of the underlying commercial policy.
Large trucks were involved in 8.2 percent of all vehicle involvements in fatal crashes in Georgia in 2023, according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, which is why carriers underwrite commercial auto more conservatively than personal auto. Metro Atlanta's I-285, I-85, and I-75 corridors are among the highest-exposure territories in the Southeast for commercial auto liability, and carriers reflect that in pricing for fleets based in or regularly traveling through the metro.
Georgia's litigation environment has historically pushed commercial auto liability costs up. The tort reform package signed in April 2025 targets the legal-system costs that drove those increases, and several carriers have already begun adjusting commercial lines pricing in response.
Progressive Commercial, The Hartford, Hanover Commercial, BHHC, CNA, and Travelers Commercial are among the carriers available through Olive Cover for Georgia commercial auto. A coverage review matches vehicle type, driver profile, and radius to the right market.
If You Need to File a Claim
Claims tips
Commercial auto claims happen fast and often involve significant injury and property damage. The basics matter even more because business liability exposure is higher.
- Make sure everyone is safe. Move to a safe location if vehicles are drivable. Call 911 for any injury.
- Always call the police. A police report is critical evidence in any commercial auto claim. Get the report number on scene.
- Photograph everything. All vehicles involved, damage, the scene from multiple angles, license plates, the other driver's insurance card, road and weather conditions, and any visible injuries.
- Have the driver complete an internal incident report. What happened, when, where, what speeds, what conditions. Get it in writing while memory is fresh. The carrier will want this.
- Notify your carrier immediately. Commercial auto policies require prompt notice. Provide the police report number, the incident report, and any photos.
- Do not let the driver give a recorded statement to the other party's insurer. Drivers are often pressured by adjusters to give statements that minimize the other party's fault. Refer all communication to your carrier.
- Pull dashcam, GPS, and telematics data immediately if applicable. Many fleet vehicles have GPS or telematics that can prove speed, location, and behavior at the time of an incident. This data can disappear or be overwritten if not preserved promptly.
OUR CARRIER PANEL
Carriers We Work With
The carriers we compare are licensed and regulated in your state. We shop these markets and present the options that match your situation; a licensed advisor reviews the fit with you in a free coverage review.
Chubb Commercial Insurance
Mid-market and specialty commercial insurance for established businesses above $5M revenue.
Learn moreBerkley Aspire Insurance
Excess and surplus lines commercial insurance for hard-to-place Georgia business risks.
Learn moreHanover Commercial Insurance
Small and mid-market commercial insurance through independent agents.
Learn moreLiberty Mutual Commercial
Multi-line commercial insurance for small to mid-market businesses. business owners policy, workers comp, commercial auto, and cyber from a
Learn moreNext Insurance
Tech-driven small business commercial insurance for tradespeople, independent contractors, and service businesses with fast online underwrit
Learn moreProgressive Commercial Insurance
Dominant Commercial Auto, Limited Beyond That
Learn moreThe Hartford Commercial Insurance
The Hartford's Spectrum business owners policy is one of the broadest small business policies available. An honest review of their commercia
Learn moreTravelers Commercial Insurance
Travelers is one of commercial carriers reviewed by Olive Cover. business owners policy, general liability, workers comp, c
Learn moreGEORGIA · STATE NOTES
Georgia commercial auto: MCS-90 for trucking, Progressive leads pricing
Georgia commercial auto is a meaningful market given the state’s logistics and trucking industry centered on Atlanta (one of the largest US freight hubs). For-hire trucking requires MCS-90 endorsement (federal motor carrier financial responsibility filing) if operating in interstate commerce.
Primary Georgia commercial auto carriers: Progressive Commercial (market leader on pricing for owner-operators and small fleets), Travelers Commercial and Hartford Commercial (multi-line bundling with business owners coverage and workers compensation), Nationwide Commercial (strong on rural/agricultural fleet).
Georgia commercial auto liability limits follow auto minimums (25/50/25) for non-commercial use, but most commercial operations require $1M combined single limit, with higher limits for trucking and interstate operations.
- Georgia CA: fleet exposure, Progressive Commercial leads on pricing
If you have a claim in Georgia
Your insurer must acknowledge a claim within 15 days and decide it within 30 days.
Your rights as a Georgia policyholder during a claimGeorgia is governed by the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act (O.C.G.A. Section 33-6-30 to 37) and rules issued under Ga. Comp. R. and Regs. 120-2-52. These give you specific timelines and rights when you file a property and casualty claim.Acknowledgment. Your insurer must acknowledge receipt of your claim within 15 calendar days. They must also provide proof of loss forms within 15 days of your notification.Decision. For first-party property damage claims, the insurer must affirm or deny coverage within 15 days of receiving a completed proof of loss, or within 30 days of the claim being reported if proof of loss is not required. If they need more time, they must tell you within 5 business days and give a reason.Written denial. A denial must be in writing and must explain the specific policy provisions the carrier is relying on.Bad faith remedy. Under O.C.G.A. Section 33-4-6, if the carrier refuses to pay a covered claim, you may make a written demand for payment. If they fail to pay within 60 days and a court later finds the refusal was in bad faith, the carrier owes a penalty of up to 50 percent of the claim plus reasonable attorney’s fees.How to escalate. If you cannot resolve a dispute with your insurer, file a complaint with the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire. Filing is free. They investigate and can require corrective action against the carrier. A complaint is regulatory and does not directly compensate you, but it creates a record and applies pressure.What an independent agent adds. Olive Cover reads your policy with you, helps you document the loss, follows up on stalled timelines, and pushes back when the carrier’s position does not match the policy. We are not your lawyer or the public adjuster, and we will tell you when one of those is the right next step.
Georgia Department of Insurance: (800) 656-2298 · File a complaint
Common Questions
Commercial Auto Insurance: frequently asked questions
What is hired and non-owned auto coverage?
Hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) covers liability when employees drive their personal vehicles or rental vehicles for business purposes.
Why can’t I use my personal auto policy for business driving?
Personal auto policies exclude regular business use. Occasional commuting is fine, but using your vehicle for client visits requires commercial coverage.
Does commercial auto cover cargo I am hauling for a client?
No. The goods you are transporting are not covered under commercial auto.
What are Georgia’s commercial auto insurance minimums?
Georgia commercial auto minimums are 25/50/25, the same as personal auto.
What is hired and non-owned auto and does my Georgia business need it?
Hired auto covers liability when you or your employees rent or borrow a vehicle for business use.