Kat Tretina is a personal finance writer specializing in debt repayment and insurance.
Previously, she worked in public relations within the pharmaceutical industry before switching to non-profit work. After struggling to repay her own student loan debt and seeing firsthand how complex the financial aid and repayment system is, she began writing to share what she learned so other people could better manage their loans.
For the past seven years, she’s been freelancing for major financial publications, focusing her work on helping people understand their financial options. Kat double-majored in English and Communications at Elizabethtown College, and she went on to earn her master’s at West Chester University. She has also earned certifications in student loan counseling and financial education.
Chris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
15+ years in content creation
7+ years in business and financial services content
Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.
Save up to $1,025† by comparing quotes from the top 120+ insurance companies
Excellent
Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
Advertiser Disclosure
At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
We do receive compensation when a sale or referral occurs from many of the insurance providers and marketing partners on our site. That may impact which products we display and where they appear on our site. But it does not influence our meticulously researched editorial content, what we write about, or any reviews or recommendations we may make. We do not guarantee favorable reviews or any coverage at all in exchange for compensation.
Why you can trust Insurify: Comparing accurate insurance quotes should never put you at risk of spam. We earn an agent commission only if you buy a policy based on our quotes. Our editorial team follows a rigorous set of editorial standards and operates independently from our insurance partners. Learn more.
Pickup trucks are versatile and make it easy to haul equipment and tools to worksites. But they can be expensive, so having the right commercial pickup truck insurance policy in place is essential for your business.
Pickup trucks are usually less expensive to insure than sedans, but commercial auto policies can be more expensive due to their higher coverage limits and the number of employees who may drive the vehicles.
In general, commercial auto insurance for pickup trucks can range anywhere from $200 to $600 per month.[1] But how much you pay depends on your industry, business location, the type of pickup truck you have, your employees’ driving records, and what coverage options you choose.
Quick Facts
Commercial pickup truck insurance can cost anywhere from $2,400 to $7,200 per year.[2]
You’ll need at least a commercial auto liability policy to meet your state’s requirements.
You can save on commercial pickup truck insurance by bundling your policy and using fleet telematics programs.
What’s commercial pickup truck insurance?
Commercial pickup truck insurance is a type of coverage for pickup trucks used for work purposes rather than personal use. Commercial auto policies often have higher liability limits than private passenger auto policies and may provide coverage for all employees with access to your vehicles.
A business auto insurance policy protects your vehicles when you’re on your way to a client’s home, at a worksite, or picking up shipments.
Depending on what types of coverage you purchase, your policy can protect your business from potential lawsuits or liabilities and financial losses from accidents.
Who needs commercial pickup truck insurance?
Whether you’re a solopreneur who makes deliveries in your spare time or you own a fleet of pickup trucks for a landscaping business, you likely need a commercial pickup truck policy.
A personal auto policy doesn’t cover vehicles used for business purposes, so you’ll need a commercial auto policy (or to add a business use rider to an existing personal policy) to cover using your pickup truck for your business.
Here are some common scenarios where a commercial auto policy is necessary:
You use your vehicle to make deliveries as part of a side gig.
You use your pickup truck to move furniture on weekends for extra cash.
You own several pickup trucks as part of your contractor business.
Your employees use your vehicles to bring equipment to clients’ homes or job sites.
You use a pickup truck to haul a food truck trailer.
Save on Your Next Commercial Truck Insurance Policy
Compare rates from the nation’s leading insurance companies
Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
Based on 7,669+ reviews
4.8/5
What commercial pickup truck insurance covers
As a business owner, you’ll likely need several forms of commercial pickup truck insurance. While liability insurance is the only form of coverage most states require, you may need additional coverage, including collision, comprehensive, uninsured/underinsured motorist, towing, and rental reimbursement.
Liability insurance is the core of a commercial auto policy, and it’s likely the most critical for business owners. Nearly every state requires this coverage, which pays for injuries or damages you or your employees cause to another driver or their passengers.
It would come into play in the following scenarios:
An employee falls asleep at the wheel and crashes into a homeowner’s fence. Your policy would pay for repairs to the fence and legal costs.
You rear-end another vehicle at a red light. Liability insurance pays for the other driver’s vehicle damage.
An employee is involved in an accident, and the other driver is injured. The liability policy would cover the other driver’s medical bills and lost wages as well as legal expenses.
Collision and comprehensive insurance are optional forms of coverage, unless you financed your vehicle with a loan or lease. In those cases, your lender will require these forms of coverage.
Collision insurance pays to repair or replace your truck if it gets damaged in an accident. Comprehensive insurance pays for repairs to your truck for damages that occur outside of a collision, such as from vandalism, a fallen tree, or weather-related issues.
Below is a breakdown of common claims and which coverages apply.
Common Claims
Collision
Comprehensive
You hit a deer on the road
✘
✔
Your car is stolen or vandalized
✘
✔
A tree branch crushes the front of the truck
✘
✔
Your truck get hail damage
✘
✔
You hit a guardrail
✔
✘
You’re in an accident with another car
✔
✘
If your commercial pickup truck breaks down or is in a covered accident, towing coverage — an optional add-on — pays to tow it to a local repair shop. You can also use roadside assistance for minor issues, including:
Battery jump-starts
Fuel delivery
Tire replacement
These benefits can help you and your employees get back on the road quickly, minimizing missed appointments and lost income.
If an accident damages your work truck and it’s in the shop for repairs, rental reimbursement will help cover the cost of renting a vehicle in the meantime. When you rely on your work truck to drive to clients or worksites, this benefit helps minimize business interruptions.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist protection comes into play if your pickup is in an accident and the other driver is at fault and has no coverage or has insufficient insurance. Some states require you to carry this coverage.
Your policy would cover:
Bodily injuries to your employees in the vehicle
Property damage to your vehicle
In areas with high percentages of uninsured drivers, this can be a critical type of commercial insurance. For example, 28% of drivers in Mississippi are uninsured, so this type of insurance is essential if you drive in this state.[3]
What commercial pickup truck insurance won’t cover
Although commercial pickup truck insurance can cover your vehicles and employees, your policy won’t cover:
Intentional damage or damage resulting from illegal activity
Damages that occur while using the vehicle for personal use
Unlisted or unauthorized drivers
Damage related to wear and tear or mechanical breakdowns
Insurance companies set these limitations to limit their risk and set parameters for how people can use insured vehicles. Knowing what insurance covers (and what it doesn’t) will help you avoid surprises when you have a claim.
How much commercial pickup truck insurance costs
The cost of commercial pickup truck insurance varies widely, ranging anywhere from $200 to $600 per month per truck. Many factors affect your rates, so it’s wise to shop around and request quotes from several leading insurance companies to get an accurate idea of what commercial coverage will cost in your area.
Compare Commercial Truck Insurance Quotes
Check quotes from top insurance companies
Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
Based on 7,669+ reviews
4.8/5
Factors that determine the cost of commercial pickup truck insurance
As with personal auto insurance policies, the cost of commercial pickup truck insurance can vary by insurance company.
Insurers base your premiums on several factors, including:
Vehicle make and model
The vehicle you’re insuring has a significant effect on the price you pay. More expensive pickup trucks and those that cost more to repair will have higher insurance premiums.
Driver history
With commercial auto insurance, the driving history of anyone who gets behind the wheel can affect your rates. For example, if you have an employee with a DUI on their record, you’ll likely pay much more for coverage.
Location
Working in areas with higher costs of living, crime rates, or congestion will typically lead to you paying higher rates because of the increased risk such areas present.
Coverage
The types of insurance you purchase and your selected coverage limits and deductibles affect your total premium.
Insurance discounts
You may qualify for some discounts, such as commercial multi-policy discounts or paid-in-full discounts.
Where to buy commercial pickup truck insurance
You can purchase commercial pickup insurance through a local insurance agent, with an insurance broker, or by contacting an insurer directly. Many major insurance companies offer commercial auto insurance, including:
Allstate: ThroughAllstate, pickup truck owners can purchase commercial liability, collision, comprehensive, uninsured/underinsured motorist protection, and rental reimbursement coverage.
Direct Auto: A subsidiary of Allstate, Direct Auto sells car insurance policies in 15 states.
GEICO: GEICO’scommercial auto insurance options include truck insurance, cargo coverage, and owner-operator insurance.
Nationwide: People who own multiple vehicles may benefit fromNationwide’s Vantage 360 Fleet program, a telematics program for business fleets. By participating in the program, you could save money.
Progressive: Progressivehas a broad range of coverage options, including specialized coverage, like fire and theft with combined additional coverage for more protection.
State Farm: Besides standard commercial coverage products like collision and comprehensive insurance,State Farmalso sells non-owned and hired car coverage.
The Hartford: The Hartfordsells commercial auto insurance policies for a range of business types. You can purchase liability, comprehensive, collision, personal injury protection, hired and non-owned auto coverage, and rental car reimbursement through the insurer.
Travelers: Through Travelers, you can purchase commercial auto insurance and added protections like auto lease gap coverage and blanket additional insured coverage.
Commercial pickup truck insurance FAQs
Consult the following information as you begin to shop for the right commercial pickup truck coverage for your needs.
Do you need commercial truck insurance to do side jobs?
If you use your pickup truck for side gigs like making deliveries, hauling equipment, or transporting items, you’ll likely need a commercial policy. Personal auto insurance policies typically exclude business use, so you risk not having coverage if you’re in an accident or your vehicle is stolen.
What insurance do you need for a pickup?
You’ll need to at least meet state requirements for liability insurance. But you may also need collision, comprehensive, medical payments, and uninsured/underinsured motorist protection, depending on your unique needs.
Are pickup trucks more expensive to insure?
In general, pickup trucks are slightly less expensive to insure than sedans or cars. On average, insurance for trucks costs $151 per month, while coverage for a sedan averages $174 per month.
What are the cheapest pickup trucks to insure?
For full-coverage policies, the cheapest pickup trucks include the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, and Ford F-150, according to Insurify data.
Sources
Progressive. "How much is commercial auto insurance?."
The Hartford. "How Much Is Commercial Auto Insurance? A Cost Guide."
Kat Tretina is a personal finance writer specializing in debt repayment and insurance.
Previously, she worked in public relations within the pharmaceutical industry before switching to non-profit work. After struggling to repay her own student loan debt and seeing firsthand how complex the financial aid and repayment system is, she began writing to share what she learned so other people could better manage their loans.
For the past seven years, she’s been freelancing for major financial publications, focusing her work on helping people understand their financial options. Kat double-majored in English and Communications at Elizabethtown College, and she went on to earn her master’s at West Chester University. She has also earned certifications in student loan counseling and financial education.
Edited byChris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
Chris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
15+ years in content creation
7+ years in business and financial services content
Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)