To get commercial auto insurance in Texas, you tell an insurance company four things. They are your vehicles, your drivers, where the vehicles are kept and the work they do. The company decides from those whether to offer a policy and what to charge. One truck or twelve, the questions are the same.
A contract or a lender wants proof
The problem. Texas requires proof that you can pay for an accident you cause, and most drivers meet it with liability insurance. The minimum is $30,000 of coverage for each injured person, up to $60,000 for one accident, and $25,000 for property damage. A general contractor, a lender or a job site owner can ask for much more. A one million dollar liability limit is a common example. They can also ask for proof before work starts.
The solution. The proof is a certificate of insurance. It shows coverage a policy already holds, so the policy comes first. Send us the page of the contract that lists the insurance, with the date you need it by. Start a commercial auto quote or call (936) 348-2688. How fast it goes depends mostly on how complete your answers are. Once coverage is in place, our office issues certificates on request during business hours.
A job that asks for auto proof may ask for general liability and workers compensation too. Contractor Insurance in Texas covers those.
You use your own truck for work
The problem. The Texas Department of Insurance says a personal auto policy probably will not cover an accident that happens while you are driving for your business.
The solution. Tell us how the truck is used, in a normal week and in a busy one. A licensed team member will sort out which policy fits. A truck titled in your own name still belongs on the list.
You do not know what they will ask
The problem. An insurance company decides whether to sell you a policy and what to charge. The step is called underwriting, and a missing answer holds it up.
The solution. Have these ready before you call or start a quote:
- Each vehicle: year, make, model, VIN, whose name is on the title, and any lender or lease.
- Each driver: name, job and driver license details, including new or young drivers.
- Where they go: where each vehicle is parked at night, how far it usually travels, and any trips out of state.
- What they do: service calls, deliveries, farm work, trips to job sites, sales, errands or commuting.
- Trailers and equipment: each trailer, even a small utility trailer, anything bolted to the truck, the tools on board and what you haul.
- Claims and current coverage: accidents or claims you know of, your current policy and its renewal date.
- What a contract or lender asks for: limits, certificates or filings, and the date coverage should start.
A driver has tickets, or you have had a claim
The problem. Tickets and accidents raise the price, and the Texas Department of Insurance says some companies might refuse to sell a policy. A vehicle that costs more to repair costs more to insure, and rates can change from one ZIP code to the next.
The solution. Tell us about the record up front, with the dates and what happened. A ticket or a claim does not always mean no. As an independent agency we can ask more than one company.
You run several trucks
The problem. A construction or trade business with several vehicles gets the same questions, asked more times. The longer the list, the easier it is to leave a truck or a driver off it.
The solution. Build the list once and keep it current:
- List every truck and trailer, including the ones that rarely leave the yard.
- Name everyone who drives, including a helper or family member who only drives now and then.
- Say where each truck spends the night. A truck a crew member takes home is kept at a different address.
- Tell us when the list changes. The price can change when you add or drop a truck or a driver, and it is better to hear the number then than at renewal.
Your heaviest truck may be over 26,000 pounds
The problem. Above 26,000 pounds, counting a truck and trailer together, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles requires motor carrier registration. Your insurance company files proof of insurance with the state. A dump truck, or a heavy pickup pulling a loaded equipment trailer, can reach that.
The solution. Tell us the weight of your heaviest truck and trailer. If you are close, we will work out which number counts.
Someone drives a vehicle the business does not own
The problem. A rented truck, a borrowed trailer and an employee’s own car all do work for the business, and none of them is on its title. Liability if someone else is hurt and damage to the vehicle itself are two separate questions. One does not answer the other, and neither answers what happens to tools or cargo inside.
The solution. List every vehicle that does work for the business, and ask us about both questions for each.
| Vehicle | What to tell us |
|---|---|
| One the business owns or leases | Whose name is on the title or lease, who drives it and what it does. Include a truck titled in your own name if it is used for work. |
| One you rent or borrow for a job | Who rents or borrows it, how often and for what work. |
| An employee’s own car or truck | What errands, deliveries or job trips they make for you, and how often. |
Insurance paperwork calls the liability part hired and non-owned auto. Hired means rented or borrowed. Non-owned means an employee’s own vehicle. Tools and equipment are their own question, so ask us about those too.
You haul for other people too
The problem. Transporting your own tools to a job is different from hauling someone else’s freight for a fee, even when the same pickup and trailer do both.
The solution. Describe the loads and the customers. If you haul for hire, the Hotshot Trucking Insurance guide covers questions specific to that work.
You are watching the cost
The problem. You want a number, and no page can give a fair one. The price depends on the drivers, the vehicles, how far they go, and the limits and deductibles you choose.
The solution. Ask how the limit your contract needs and the deductible you choose change the price. A licensed team member explains the quote line by line before anything is signed.
The Commercial Auto Insurance page explains the coverage. At renewal, go through the same list with the business renewal checklist and mark any vehicles or drivers added or removed during the year.
Asking for a quote does not start coverage. Confirm the coverage and its start date before you rely on a new or changed policy.
Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Auto insurance guide (written for personal auto policies), last updated December 11, 2025, and What insurance do I need to run a business from home?, last updated December 9, 2025. Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, TxDMV Number, read November 12, 2026.