Commercial auto insurance in Washington

What commercial auto insurance covers

Commercial auto insurance is a bundle of coverages for vehicles your business operates, including owned vehicles, hired vehicles (rental, loaner), and non-owned vehicles (employee personal cars used for business). It covers bodily injury and property damage liability, uninsured/underinsured motorist, collision, comprehensive, and medical payments.

• Bodily injury liability. pays for injuries to third parties when you're at fault; much higher limits than personal auto
• Property damage liability. covers damage to other vehicles and property; also much higher than personal auto
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM). covers your vehicles, employees, and business when an uninsured or underinsured driver causes a crash
• Collision and comprehensive. covers damage to your own business vehicles
• Medical payments (MedPay). covers medical costs for your employees injured in a business vehicle, regardless of fault
• Hired and non-owned auto. extends coverage to rental and borrowed vehicles, and employee personal cars used for business

Washington at-fault liability and limits

Washington is an at-fault state, meaning the driver responsible for a crash is financially liable. This makes bodily injury and uninsured-motorist coverage particularly important for commercial operations. Business auto policies typically carry much higher limits than personal auto—often $100,000/$300,000 or $250,000/$500,000 or higher for contractors and delivery businesses.

• $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident (minimum recommended)
• $250,000 per person / $500,000 per accident (common for contractors, service businesses)
• $500,000+ per person / $1,000,000+ per accident (large fleets, high-exposure businesses)

Commercial auto for fleets

If your business operates 5+ commercial vehicles, you may qualify for a fleet policy, which often provides better rates than individual vehicles. Fleet policies also include tracking, analytics, and driver management tools. Maru helps you evaluate fleet programs and manage large commercial auto portfolios.

How to lower your commercial auto premium

• Bundle commercial auto with general liability, commercial property, or BOP for multi-line discounts
• Use GPS and telematics to track fleet safety
• Implement a driver safety program and require safe-driver training
• Maintain clean driving records for all drivers
• Raise deductibles for collision and comprehensive if your business can absorb the cost
• Use hired and non-owned auto coverage instead of adding employee cars to your policy

Hired and non-owned auto coverage

If you occasionally rent a car or an employee uses their personal vehicle for business, hired and non-owned auto coverage on your commercial policy is more efficient than adding every employee car to your policy. This coverage extends your business liability and hired/non-owned physical damage protection.

Why buy commercial auto through Maru

Maru compares commercial auto carriers across our network, accounting for your fleet size, driver profiles, and coverage needs. We manage renewals, monitor rate changes, and help you access fleet programs and telematics tools.

Frequently asked questions

Vadim — Maru Insurance
Licensed independent insurance agent · WA & FL
Written and reviewed by a licensed Maru advisor. Maru Insurance is an independent agency (WA License WAOIC #1365574, FL License #G363233) representing multiple A-rated carriers across Washington and Florida.