Coverage for work vans, trucks and employee drivers, compared across 15+ carriers licensed in Michigan.
Commercial auto insurance in Livonia, MI covers vehicles used for business: liability for injuries and damage you cause and, with the right options, damage to your own vehicles. A personal auto policy may not respond to business use. We compare carriers and build your commercial auto insurance policy around how your vehicles are used.
Samantha Lewis Agency is an independent insurance agency at 39293 Plymouth Rd STE 139, Livonia, MI 48150, offering commercial auto insurance, also called commercial vehicle insurance, alongside our other business insurance in Livonia. We shop coverage across 15+ carriers licensed in Michigan for businesses in Livonia, Plymouth, Canton, Farmington Hills, Westland, Northville, Novi and surrounding Wayne & Oakland County.
You may need commercial auto insurance if a vehicle is titled to your business, used mainly for business work or driven by employees on the job. Contractors, delivery services and companies whose vans carry tools, equipment or signage are common examples. A personally owned vehicle may also need commercial coverage if business use is regular. The insurer decides how each vehicle is classified.
Businesses that often need a commercial policy include:
A commercial auto policy is built from several coverages. The main ones are below; options and definitions vary by carrier.
| Coverage | What it does |
|---|---|
| Liability (bodily injury and property damage) | Pays for injuries to other people and damage to their property when you or a covered driver causes a crash in a business vehicle, including legal defense costs for covered claims. |
| Physical damage (collision and comprehensive) | Collision helps repair or replace your own business vehicle after a crash. Comprehensive helps with theft, vandalism, fire, hail, flooding and hitting a deer, subject to your deductible. |
| Hired and non-owned auto | Protects your business when employees use rented, leased or borrowed vehicles, or their own personal cars, for business tasks such as client visits, bank runs or picking up supplies. |
| Uninsured / underinsured motorist | Helps cover injuries to you or your drivers when the at-fault driver has no insurance, has too little insurance or cannot be identified, depending on the options you choose. |
Michigan’s no-fault rules apply to commercial vehicles too, so a Michigan commercial auto policy also includes no-fault coverages such as Personal Injury Protection (PIP). How PIP works for business vehicles and employee drivers can differ from a household policy, and we explain the choices for your situation. For background, see our guide to Michigan no-fault auto reform or the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS).
What commercial auto usually does not cover: tools, materials and cargo carried in the vehicle, which often need separate coverage; normal wear and mechanical breakdown; and injuries to your own employees, which often fall under workers’ compensation.
Your liability limit is the most the policy will pay for a covered claim. Business vehicles often carry higher limits than personal cars because a serious crash involving a work truck can lead to larger claims. A deductible is the share you pay on a physical damage claim; a higher deductible usually lowers the premium but means more out of pocket after a loss.
Personal auto insurance is built for commuting, errands and family driving, while commercial auto insurance is built for vehicles used to do business work. Commercial policies can cover employee drivers and business-titled vehicles and often carry higher liability limits. If you rely on a personal policy for regular business driving, a claim may be limited or denied, so it is worth checking how your vehicle is used.
| Personal auto policy | Commercial auto policy | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | Commuting, errands, family driving | Business tasks, deliveries, job sites |
| Who owns the vehicle | An individual or household | Often the business, though a personally titled vehicle may qualify |
| Who can be covered | Household drivers | Named drivers, including employees |
| Liability limits | Set for personal exposure | Often set higher for business exposure |
| Rented and employee cars | Limited business protection | Hired and non-owned auto can be added |
Insuring only personal cars? Our auto insurance in Livonia page covers household policies and Michigan PIP choices.
A vehicle is often treated as commercial when it is titled or leased to a business, used mainly for business purposes, is a heavier or specialized type such as a box truck or work van, or carries goods or people for a fee. There is no single test. Each insurer applies its own rules, so the insurer decides how your vehicle is classified for commercial vehicle insurance.
Common examples include cargo vans, pickups with ladder racks or tool boxes, box trucks and other contractor vehicles. If your vehicle is titled in your own name but used mostly for work, some carriers allow a business-use option on a personal policy, while others require a commercial policy. We check before you buy so a claim is not a surprise.
Commercial vehicle liability insurance pays for injuries to other people and damage to their property after a crash involving your business vehicle, plus legal defense for covered claims. It does not pay for your own vehicle; that is physical damage coverage. Limits can be written as a combined single limit, one amount for all injury and property damage from an accident, or as split limits, with separate amounts per person, per accident and for property damage. Clients, landlords and some public contracts may require specific limits and a certificate of insurance before you start work, so share those requirements with us early.
| Situation | Policy that usually responds |
|---|---|
| An employee crashes the company truck | Commercial auto liability, plus physical damage for your truck if you carry it |
| An employee crashes their own car while running a work errand | The employee’s personal auto policy usually responds first; hired and non-owned auto may help protect your business |
| You rent a van for a job and are in an accident | Hired auto coverage, if it is on your policy |
| A customer is injured at your shop | General liability, part of your business insurance |
The insurer decides each claim based on your policy wording, so treat this table as a general guide.
The cost of commercial auto insurance depends on your vehicles, your drivers and how the vehicles are used. Insurers look at vehicle type and value, driving records, how far and where you drive, where the vehicles are garaged, your claims history and the limits and deductibles you choose. Each carrier weighs these differently, which is why comparing carriers often helps.
Having these details ready helps us compare carriers quickly and accurately:
Prefer to talk it through? Our team in Livonia is happy to walk you through each step. Meet our Livonia insurance agency.
Yes. The two terms are used interchangeably and usually describe the same type of policy. Commercial vehicle insurance is simply another name for a commercial auto policy that covers vehicles used for business, from a single work van to a small fleet.
Sometimes, but not always. Personal policies may cover occasional business errands yet limit or exclude coverage for deliveries, hauling tools, carrying clients or regular work driving. Some carriers offer a business-use option on a personal policy, while others require a commercial policy. We check how your vehicle is used and what your carrier allows.
Employees listed as drivers on your commercial auto policy are usually covered when driving company vehicles. When employees use their own cars for work tasks, their personal policy usually responds first, and hired and non-owned auto coverage may help protect your business. Driver eligibility rules vary by insurer.
Usually not. Commercial auto physical damage covers the vehicle and permanently attached equipment, but tools, materials and cargo carried inside are often excluded. They may need separate coverage, such as an inland marine or cargo policy. We can review what your carrier includes and help close the gap.
Usually not. General liability policies typically exclude claims arising from vehicles you own, rent or use for business. Crashes involving your work vehicles are normally handled by commercial auto insurance, so most businesses that drive for work need both policies rather than one or the other.
It depends on your vehicles, how much you drive, what you carry, the value of your business and what your contracts require. Larger vehicles and frequent driving can mean larger potential claims. We walk through these factors with you and can pair your auto limits with a commercial umbrella if higher protection makes sense.
Once your commercial auto policy is in place, we can usually help issue a certificate of insurance promptly, though timing depends on the carrier. If a client or job site needs specific wording or additional insured status, tell us early so we can check what the carrier allows.
Ready to review your business vehicles? Get a commercial auto quote or call (734) 525-9450. There is no obligation, just a friendly conversation about how your vehicles are used.
Book a no-obligation call with Samantha or call us directly.
