Commercial Auto
Insurance

A comprehensive commercial auto policy addresses three categories of vehicle exposure: owned autos, hired autos, and non-owned autos. Understanding each category is essential for businesses operating in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia.

Owned auto coverage applies to vehicles your business owns or leases. This is the core of your commercial auto policy and includes liability coverage, collision coverage, comprehensive coverage (for theft, vandalism, weather damage, and animal strikes), medical payments, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Each vehicle is specifically listed on the policy with its VIN, year, make, and model.

Hired auto coverage protects your business when employees rent or borrow vehicles for business purposes. If an employee rents a car for a business trip and causes an accident, hired auto coverage responds. This coverage is especially important for businesses in the Mid-Atlantic that send employees to conferences, client sites, or job locations where they need temporary transportation. Without hired auto coverage, your business could be liable for damages caused by an employee driving a rented vehicle.

Non-owned auto coverage is often the most overlooked, and one of the most important, components of a commercial auto policy. It covers liability when employees use their personal vehicles for business purposes, such as running errands, making deliveries, or driving to client meetings. If an employee causes an accident while driving their personal car on company business, the employee's personal auto policy responds first, but your business can still be held vicariously liable. Non-owned auto coverage provides an additional layer of protection for the business.

Our carrier partners offer comprehensive packages that include all three categories of coverage. Prominent Insurance Services ensures your commercial auto policy addresses every vehicle exposure your business faces across Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia.

Each state in the Mid-Atlantic has different minimum auto insurance requirements, but these minimums are rarely adequate for commercial operations.

Delaware's 25/50/10 minimums apply to commercial vehicles registered in Delaware, but for-hire and interstate carriers may be subject to higher federal minimums, and most businesses should carry far more. Delaware also requires personal injury protection (PIP) with a minimum of $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident.

Pennsylvania requires minimum liability limits of $15,000/$30,000 for bodily injury and $5,000 for property damage (15/30/5). Pennsylvania is a choice no-fault state, meaning drivers can choose between full tort (unlimited right to sue) and limited tort (restricted right to sue) options.

New Jersey requires on a Standard policy minimum liability limits of $35,000/$70,000 for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage (35/70/25, Standard policy, effective January 1, 2026; Basic policy remains an option). Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is required in New Jersey and pays medical expenses for you and others covered under your policy after an accident, regardless of who is at fault; the Standard policy minimum is $15,000 per person, per accident, with options up to $250,000 or more.

Maryland requires minimum liability limits of $30,000/$60,000 for bodily injury and $15,000 for property damage (30/60/15). Maryland policies must include at least $2,500 of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) unless the named insured waives full PIP in writing; the waiver does not apply to pedestrians or children under 16. Maryland requires uninsured motorist coverage of at least 30/60/15; your insurer must provide UM limits equal to your liability limits unless the first named insured waives the higher amount in writing.

For commercial vehicles, Prominent Insurance Services typically recommends liability limits of at least $1,000,000 combined single limit (CSL), which provides far greater protection than state minimums. Many commercial contracts, lease agreements, and customer requirements mandate $1M CSL or higher. our appointed carriers offer competitive rates for higher-limit commercial auto policies throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

Virginia requires minimum auto liability limits of 50/100/25 ($50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage) for policies effective on or after January 1, 2025.

Businesses that operate multiple vehicles in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia benefit from fleet-rated commercial auto policies that provide volume discounts, simplified administration, and centralized claims management. Fleet policies from our appointed carriers cover all vehicles under a single policy with consistent coverage terms, reducing the administrative burden of managing individual policies for each vehicle.

Fleet discounts typically begin at five or more vehicles, with deeper discounts available for larger fleets with clean loss histories. Some carriers offer scheduled rating credits for businesses that implement telematics (GPS tracking and driver behavior monitoring), formal driver safety programs, vehicle maintenance protocols, and pre-hire motor vehicle record (MVR) checks.

Driver qualification is a critical component of fleet risk management. Employers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia should pull motor vehicle records (MVRs) for all employees who drive company vehicles or use personal vehicles for business purposes. Establishing minimum driving record standards, such as no DUI convictions within five years and no more than two moving violations within three years, helps reduce both claim frequency and insurance costs.

Prominent Insurance Services works with fleet-focused carriers to negotiate competitive rates, implement driver safety programs, and establish claims management protocols that minimize your total cost of risk. Whether you operate a fleet of two service vans or fifty delivery trucks, our team structures a commercial auto program that protects your assets and your bottom line.

Businesses that transport goods need cargo coverage to protect the freight, merchandise, or equipment they carry. Motor cargo insurance covers the value of goods in transit if they are damaged, destroyed, or stolen while being transported by your vehicles. This coverage is essential for delivery companies, contractors hauling tools and materials, distributors, and any business that transports products as part of its operations across Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia.

Rideshare and delivery businesses, including those operating through platforms like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Amazon Flex, face unique insurance challenges. Personal auto policies exclude commercial delivery and rideshare activities, and standard commercial auto policies may not adequately address the gig economy model. Our appointed carriers offer specialized rideshare and delivery endorsements that fill these coverage gaps.

For trucking operations, the MCS-90 endorsement is a federal requirement for motor carriers operating vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,001 pounds or more that transport property in interstate commerce. The MCS-90 endorsement, required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), guarantees minimum financial responsibility of $750,000 for bodily injury and property damage liability. Some carriers require $1,000,000 or higher limits depending on the type of cargo being transported.

Additional trucking endorsements include trailer interchange coverage (for trailers owned by others that you pull under a trailer interchange agreement), pollution liability for hazardous materials haulers, and bobtail/deadhead coverage for owner-operators driving without a trailer attached. Carriers like our carrier partners specialize in trucking insurance and offer comprehensive programs for owner-operators, small fleets, and large motor carriers throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

Prominent Insurance Services understands the complex insurance needs of transportation businesses in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. Our team structures commercial auto and trucking programs that meet federal and state regulatory requirements while keeping your costs competitive.