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10+ years writing on personal finance topics
Host of the Mental Health and Wealth podcast
Melanie is a blogger, author, and speaker specializing in personal finance and debt management. She’s also the author of the blog and book “Dear Debt.”
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Becky Helzer is an editor at Insurify. She loves helping writers express their ideas clearly and authentically. With a diverse background in editing everything from curriculum and books to magazine articles and blog posts, she’s worked on topics ranging from home finance, insurance, and cloud computing to the best tools for home improvement.
A proud graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in technical journalism, Becky lives in Fort Collins, CO, with her husband and their two spoiled rescue dogs.
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If you live in the Sunshine State and own a business with vehicles, you may need commercial car insurance in Florida. Personal auto insurance may cover you in certain situations, but it won’t protect you if your company owns the vehicle and an accident happens during work.
To ensure you’re covered, you’ll need a commercial auto policy. Here’s what you need to know about getting the best commercial auto insurance in Florida.
GEICO, Liberty Mutual, and Progressive offer some of the best commercial car insurance in Florida.
Vehicles registered in Florida need at least $10,000 in personal injury protection and property damage liability coverage, but requirements vary based on weight and use.
Car insurance costs are often higher in Florida due to weather risks and population density.
Commercial car insurance requirements in Florida
Many business types need commercial car insurance in Florida. This includes food trucks, ridesharing vehicles, fleets, vans used by landscaping companies, trucks from construction companies, and even your personal vehicle if you do gig work providing delivery services.
In fact, anyone using a personal vehicle for business needs commercial car insurance. If you use your car for business purposes, your personal auto insurance likely won’t cover you if you have an accident.[1]
Florida requires the following minimum coverage limits:
$10,000 in personal injury protection
$10,000 in property damage liability
These minimums may not provide adequate coverage. Insurance experts often recommend buying higher liability limits than the state-mandated minimum to protect yourself financially.[2]
In Florida, some types of vehicles have higher liability requirements. For example, taxis, limousines, and other for-hire passenger transportation vehicles must have $125,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person, $250,000 per incident, and $50,000 in property damage liability.[3] Freight trucks also require different coverage levels, depending on what you deliver and the truck’s weight.
Protect Your Business Vehicles
Cover cargo vans, pickups, food trucks, and more
Optional commercial auto insurance coverages
All drivers in Florida must have liability insurance, but the following optional commercial auto insurance provides greater protection.[4]
Collision coverage
Collision insurance pays to repair your vehicle’s damage after an at-fault car accident.
Comprehensive coverage
Comprehensive insurance covers non-collision damage from fires, floods, vandalism, theft, and more.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
Uninsured/underinsured motorist protection helps pay for your damages if an uninsured or underinsured driver hits you.
Hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) coverage
This endorsement protects rented or leased vehicles or employees’ borrowed cars used for business purposes.
Roadside assistance coverage
Roadside assistance helps when you run out of gas or lock yourself out of your car. It also pays for jump-starts, tire changes, and towing.
Rental reimbursement coverage
Rental reimbursement helps pay for a rental car if the car you use to run your business is suddenly out of commission.
Do you need commercial car insurance in Florida?
Whether you need commercial car insurance in Florida depends on how you use your vehicle and how often. For instance, you’ll need small-business commercial auto insurance if you provide courier services between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The same goes if you have a food truck in Jacksonville or a flower delivery service in Tampa.
But if you have a home-based business in Orlando and don’t transport goods, you likely don’t need commercial car insurance. This is also true if you commute to work in your personal vehicle but don’t use it for business activities.[5]
Best commercial car insurance companies in Florida
We reviewed many commercial car insurance companies in Florida. Our research considered coverage, discounts, claims satisfaction, customer reviews, and overall ratings.
While there isn’t a single best car insurance company, the three insurers below are worth considering. Each company offers business coverage, competitive rates, and discounts.
GEICO: Best for competitive rates
competitive rates
GEICO
GEICO is well known for its competitive auto rates, with coverage for vans, food trucks, semitrucks, service utility trucks, and other commercial vehicles. The DriveEasy Pro program offers real-time insights into driver behavior.
GEICO also offers blanket additional insured coverage to streamline adding drivers to your policy. Along with gap coverage, you can add rental reimbursement and roadside assistance to your commercial vehicle policy.
Affordable rates
Many available optional coverages
DriveEasy Pro program can help you save
Low Trustpilot rating of 1.3 out of 5 stars
Reports of poor commercial insurance customer service
Customers mention frustrations with DriveEasy Pro
Liberty Mutual: Best for complete business coverage
complete business coverage
Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual provides coverage for multiple business categories in Florida. The company offers standard commercial auto coverages and tailors your policy depending on your overall usage, location, fleet size, and industry.
Its risk control professionals can advise you on using telematics to track unsafe driving and establish and adhere to safe driving practices. And if you have to file a claim, Liberty Mutual offers virtual appraisals and access to its repair network.
The company also provides specific business coverage options, including umbrella policies, workers’ compensation, general liability, and business owners policies.
Offers various business insurance policies
Works with independent agents
Insures forklifts, trailers, and construction vehicles
Low Trustpilot rating of 1.1 out of 5 stars
Customers report problems with customer service and policy cancellation
Low J.D. Power customer satisfaction rating
Progressive: Best for discounts
discounts
Progressive
Progressive is the top commercial car insurance company in the U.S., according to AM Best. It insures business autos, trucks, and trailers. And it offers some unique add-ons, like pet injury coverage, non-owner car and hired auto specialty coverage, and tailored options for trucks and towing vehicles.
Paying your premium in full typically lowers your costs by 13%. In addition, you can get a multi-product discount if you have more than one policy with Progressive. Lastly, Progressive’s Snapshot ProView program gives you fleet management tools and saves you 5% just for enrolling.
Multiple available discounts
Insures business cars, dump trucks, and tractor trailers
24/7 policy service
Low Trustpilot rating of 1.2 out of 5 stars
Customers report poor communication
Many customer service complaints
Our editorial team analyzed regional and national auto insurance companies that sell commercial policies in Florida to assess which offer the best rates, coverage options, customer service, and savings to drivers. We prioritized competitive rates, 24/7 customer service, and specialty or supplemental coverages.
Average cost of commercial car insurance in Florida
The average cost of commercial car insurance in Florida ranges between $250 and $1,370 per month, based on Insurify data.
Commercial car insurance rates vary depending on employee driving records, vehicle types, business location, industry, deductibles, and policy limits. Weather risks also affect insurance rates in Florida.
What business owners should know about commercial auto insurance in Florida
Commercial car insurance policies are typically more expensive than personal auto insurance policies. They may offer higher liability limits, cover more drivers, and protect against greater risks. Your insurance premiums also depend on your business’s risk factors, such as the number of vehicles on the policy, your fleet size, and your company’s claims history.
The good news is that some or all of your commercial car insurance premiums may be tax-deductible, depending on how you use the vehicle. Be sure to discuss specifics with a tax or financial professional.
Beyond looking for cheap commercial auto insurance, it’s important to list each driver on your policy. Failing to do so can cause your insurance company to deny claims from unlisted drivers.
After your policy is in place and all drivers have coverage, it’s also a good idea to understand the claims process. If you need to file a claim through your commercial car insurance policy, contact your insurance company right away. You’ll need to provide information about the incident and any necessary documentation to start the claim process.
Find a Commercial Auto Insurance Policy
Check rates from a top business insurance company
How to get commercial car insurance in Florida
For information on how to get commercial car insurance in Florida, follow these steps:
1. Determine coverage needs
Review coverage requirements and decide which optional coverages you want. You’ll need at least property damage liability insurance coverage and personal injury protection, and lenders typically require leased or financed vehicles to have collision and comprehensive coverage.
2. Research auto insurance companies
Compare three or more commercial car insurance companies. Look at policy terms, discounts, customer ratings and reviews, and AM Best ratings, if they’re available.
3. Get insurance quotes
After narrowing down your auto policy options, get insurance quotes from several commercial auto insurance companies to compare rates.
4. Gather information and documentation
Once you choose which company to go with, gather the information necessary to apply for coverage. You’ll need to provide details about your business, each driver, and the vehicles you want to cover on your policy.
5. Apply for coverage
You can apply for commercial car insurance in Florida online or through an insurance agency. Make sure you meet Florida’s insurance requirements, then add coverages or endorsements to suit your needs.
Commercial auto insurance in Florida FAQs
Check out the additional information below about shopping for commercial car insurance in Florida.
How much does commercial car insurance cost in Florida?
The cost of commercial car insurance in Florida depends on your unique risk factors. But Insurify data estimates that Florida commercial car insurance costs between $250 and $1,370 per month.
What are the requirements for commercial auto insurance in Florida?
Drivers who need commercial auto insurance in Florida must have at least $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability coverage. Vehicle weight and usage also help determine liability limits, with taxis and passenger vehicles requiring much higher amounts.
What qualifies as a commercial vehicle in Florida?
In Florida, a commercial vehicle is defined as any vehicle that uses diesel or motor fuel while driving on public highways and that either weighs 26,001 pounds or more or has three or more axles. The vehicle owner can’t be a government entity. But any vehicle used for business — even a private vehicle used to deliver goods — can be insured under a commercial car insurance policy.
Why is commercial auto insurance so expensive in Florida?
Commercial car insurance in Florida is expensive because of risk-management factors like the state’s extreme weather, an increased number of claims, higher population density, and more vehicle theft. In addition to these state-specific factors, employee driving records, vehicle and coverage types, your claims history, and more determine your rate.
Sources
- Insurance Information Institute. "Auto insurance basics—understanding your coverage."
- Insurance Information Institute. "How much auto coverage do I need?."
- Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. "Florida Insurance Requirements."
- Insurance Information Institute. "What is covered by a basic auto insurance policy?."
- Insurance Information Institute. "Insuring Your Business: Small Business Owners' Guide to Insurance."
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Melanie Lockert is the founder of the blog and author of the book, "Dear Debt." Through her blog, she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. Her work has appeared on Allure, Business Insider, Credit Karma, Fortune, and more. She is also the co-founder of the Lola Retreat and host of the Mental Health and Wealth show podcast. She lives in Los Angeles and enjoys jazz music, traveling, coffee, and spending time with her two cats and partner.
Melanie has been a contributor at Insurify since November 2022.
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Becky Helzer is an editor at Insurify. She loves helping writers express their ideas clearly and authentically. With a diverse background in editing everything from curriculum and books to magazine articles and blog posts, she’s worked on topics ranging from home finance, insurance, and cloud computing to the best tools for home improvement.
A proud graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in technical journalism, Becky lives in Fort Collins, CO, with her husband and their two spoiled rescue dogs.
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