Types of Commercial Auto Insurance in Florida

There's a huge number of different types of commercial auto insurance in Florida. Learn all about different policies, plans and categories, and how they apply to your business in the state of Florida.

Commercial auto insurance is a huge field. It's actually much larger and more diverse than most people realize. For example, it includes a lot more than simply big 18 wheeler trucks, although that's one specific type which is certainly included here.

If you're a business owner, it's very important you know all about your options, the state of the industry, and all of the different types of commercial auto insurance in Florida.

In this guide, we'll do our best to break those down for you and offer some information, different types and categories, explanations and insight on a few big trends, and more.

Types of Coverage

There are of course many different types of coverage which may be applicable within different plans and policies. For instance:

• Injury Liability: Covers expenses for injury and death when you are at fault in an accident.
• Damage Liability: Covers expenses for property damage caused by your vehicle in an accident.
• Collision Coverage - Covers your vehicle's damage expenses in an accident.
• Comprehensive Coverage: Covers damage to your vehicle from theft, weather and certain other events.
• Medical Coverage: Medical, no-fault and personal injury covers the medical expenses for the driver and passengers of your vehicle.
• Uninsured Motorist Coverage: Uninsured and/or underinsured covers your injury expenses.

Food Truck & Ride-Sharing Insurance

If you're like most people, then you likely answered that you have done at least one of those two things in the past few months, buying food from a food truck, or getting a ride from a ride-sharing service. Both of these are incredibly popular right now, and they're only going to continue increasing in the months and years ahead.

Here as well, there are specific types of commercial insurance coverage and plans which apply. Take for instance, the case of food trucks. Here, these owners and/or operators deal not only with the risks of the road, but also the risks of cooking up food, fires, cooking equipment, serving food to customers, and more. Ride-sharing services have been in a difficult position with commercial insurance. Is it up to the company, the individual driver who's not employed by the organization but merely utilizing it, or both?

For all of these reasons and more, it's crucial to find a very specific insurance plan for a very specific type of business. There's no such thing as one size fits all, or trying to fit a square peg into a round hole when it comes to protecting yourself and your business. Plus, states all have different regulations in place.

You must find a tailor-made solution which has been designed for you, the type of business you're in, the state you're located, and the type of vehicle you use for it. Here, you'll be protected against the common risks, you won't pay for extra types of coverage which actually don't apply, you'll meet all the local regulations and requirements, and you'll hopefully by working with a provider who understands your unique challenges in order to better serve you.

Different Business Types & Vehicles

There are many different types of coverage, of course. But there are also many different types of business operations and setups. The way your business is set up will often dictate what type of commercial auto insurance policy you need. For example:

• Owner/Operator Insurance: OOIDA truck insurance for owner operators.
• Contractors: Any type of contracting work, residential or commercial. For example, landscapers, home contractors, roofers, electricians, construction, etc., whether a van, pickup or regular car is being used.
• Commercial Van Service: Delivery, cargo, company vans, shuttles.
• Commercial Trucking: Specific coverage utilized by for-hire truckers, general freight, long distance hauling, home moving, or anything else.

Specialty Trucks & Vehicles

There's a massive range of specialty trucks and vehicles on the roads today. A very short list includes:

• Log haulers
• Gravel, coal or dirt trucks
• Waste haulers
• Refrigerated trucks or vans
• Tow trucks
• Dump trucks
• Wreckers
• Auto haulers
• Limousines
• Charter buses
• Non-emergency medical transport
• Box trucks, pickups, flat beds, 18 wheelers, long haulers and more.

How Else Does Commercial Auto Insurance Apply?

You might be thinking, wait a minute, I don't drive a truck or transport anything like in the above examples. So how does commercial auto insurance apply to me?

Really, it applies to any situation in which a business owner or employee is utilizing a vehicle on the job, for any reason. This means it applies to you if:

• You provide shuttle rides or other transportation services to your clients, or to members of an organize, such as a church, or nonprofit.
• You're a realtor showing potential homeowners different properties
• You provide local delivery, whether it's food-service related, flowers, newspapers, or anything else.

These are just a few examples of the ways that commercial auto insurance might apply to you in ways you wouldn't first think about. 

More Information

Are you looking for more information and resources on commercial auto insurance in Florida? Here are a few official outlets we recommend utilizing.

• Florida DBPR: The Florida Department of Businesses & Professional Regulation website has a list of services which require DBPR licenses. They also offer all of the information for license applications and updates, and other regulations which may apply.
• Florida OIR: The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation provides information on mandated types of insurance coverage for many different personal and professional areas, in the latter case, including issues such as professional liability & workers compensation.
• Florida HSMV: The Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles department provides information on issues such as commercial vehicle licenses and regulations which may be applicable for you.

Have any questions about finding commercial auto insurance in Florida? Feel free to join the conversation below with any comments or insight! We'll do our best to respond and answer any questions.