Your business vehicles help keep your operation moving. Kemper Auto Commercial coverage offers features designed around the needs of businesses in a wide range of industries.
- Coverage for more than 1,000 occupations: Coverage is available for business vehicles used across a broad range of trades, services and industries.
- Flexible payment plans: Choose from available payment options that may make managing business expenses more convenient.
- 24/7 roadside assistance: Available services include towing, jump-starts, fuel delivery, lockout assistance and tire changes.
- General liability endorsement: Eligible businesses may add coverage for certain liability exposures related to work performed outside the vehicle.
Understanding California commercial auto insurance requirements is an important part of operating vehicles for business. Many light commercial vehicles are subject to the same minimum liability requirements as personal vehicles.
These minimum limits are a legal starting point. For a business, the financial consequences of an accident involving a company vehicle can be significant. Many businesses choose substantially higher liability limits based on their assets, contracts, vehicle use and overall exposure.
Contracts, leases and lienholders may also require liability limits above state minimums. When selecting commercial vehicle insurance, businesses should consider both legal requirements and the potential financial impact of an accident on their operations.
The right business auto insurance may depend on the type of work performed, the vehicles being driven and contractual requirements.
California's minimum liability limits include:
- ="" li="" data-list-item-id="efbe6f5f0b82f0e29810f59a855193edd">$30,000 for bodily injury or death to one person.
- ="" li="" data-list-item-id="e60cf46ffeb5a5983baaa728d7d18c575">$60,000 for bodily injury or death to two or more people in one accident.
Commercial Car Insurance in California: Coverage Options for Work Vehicles
Businesses have different risks on the road, which is why available commercial auto insurance coverage can include several options.
- Liability: Helps pay for covered bodily injury and property damage expenses when an insured driver is legally responsible for an accident.
- Collision: Helps pay for repair to an insured business vehicle resulting from a covered collision loss, subject to policy terms and the applicable deductible.
- Comprehensive: Helps pay for repair to an insured business vehicle for a covered loss from certain non-collision events, subject to policy terms and the applicable deductible.
- Hired and non-owned auto: May provide coverage for certain employee-owned or rented vehicles used for business purposes, depending on the policy and circumstances.
Businesses with additional liability needs may also want to learn more about commercial general liability coverage or a business owners policy from Kemper Auto Commercial.
Penalties For Operating Without Commercial Auto Insurance in California?
Operating a business vehicle without required insurance may lead to consequences such as:
Vehicle registration suspension and reinstatement fees
- Fines and citations
- Loss of operating authority or an out-of-service order for certain for-hire operations
- Breach of insurance requirements established by a contract, lease or lienholder
- Direct out-of-pocket expenses after an at-fault accident involving a company vehicle
Commercial auto coverage may be appropriate for many businesses that depend on vehicles to complete daily work. This can include:
- Contractors and trades, including electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing businesses
- Landscaping companies
- Delivery and courier operations
- Service and repair businesses
- Manufacturers and distributors
- Real estate professionals
- Regional trucking operations
Your business may need commercial auto coverage if it owns or leases vehicles in the business name, has employees driving while working, transports tools or equipment, carries inventory or goods, or hauls property for hire.
Commercial auto policies may cover cars, pickup trucks, cargo vans, service vans, delivery vehicles, utility trucks and commercial trucks, depending on eligibility and policy terms. Also consider how each vehicle is titled, who drives it and how it is used. Vehicles primarily used for business generally have different coverage needs than vehicles used for personal driving.
If you use your vehicle primarily for personal purposes rather than business, learn more about personal auto insurance from Kemper.
From a contractor hauling equipment in a pickup to a service business sending employees to customer locations in cargo vans, businesses rely on many types of work vehicles.
Commercial auto insurance may cover pickup trucks, cargo vans, service vans, utility trucks and other eligible light and medium work vehicles. Coverage needs may vary based on the type of vehicle and how the business uses it.
Factors that may influence your commercial vehicle coverage needs include:
- Vehicle size and weight
- Cargo, tools or equipment being transported
- Specialized upfits and other permanently attached equipment
- Operating radius within California
- Number and driving histories of employee drivers
For example, a contractor transporting tools and equipment may have different coverage needs than a local delivery company making multiple stops each day. A service provider using a cargo van may also have different exposures than a business operating larger commercial trucks.
Businesses looking for commercial truck insurance options in California should consider the type of truck, how it is used, what it carries and where it operates when reviewing available coverage.
The cost of a commercial auto policy can vary from one business to another. Factors that may affect costs include:
- Type, size and value of the vehicles
- How the vehicles are used
- Number of vehicles on the policy
- Driver histories
- Operating radius and annual mileage
- Type of business and occupation
- Cargo, tools or equipment carried
- Coverage selections, limits and deductibles
The price of business auto insurance that California companies purchase can reflect the individual characteristics of the business and its vehicles. An online Kemper estimate can provide a starting point. For a firm price, contact a local agent who can review your business, drivers, vehicles and coverage needs.
The cost of a commercial auto policy can vary from one business to another. Factors that may affect costs include:
- Type, size and value of the vehicles
- How the vehicles are used
- Number of vehicles on the policy
- Driver histories
- Operating radius and annual mileage
- Type of business and occupation
- Cargo, tools or equipment carried
- Coverage selections, limits and deductibles
Getting your information together before starting a quote can make the process easier. California business owners may want to have the following information available:
- Business name and address
- Vehicle year, make and model
- Vehicle identification numbers, or VINs
- Driver names and license numbers
- Estimated annual mileage
- Operating radius
- Current coverage details
CA businesses choose Kemper Auto Commercial for auto coverage designed for a wide range of occupations and business vehicle needs.
- A− (Excellent) financial strength rating from A.M. Best for Kemper Property & Casualty Group
- More than $11 billion in assets
- Coverage for more than 1,000 occupations
- Spanish bilingual service in most areas
