Commercial fleet insurance, sized to your fleet

Many California trucks need more than insurance to run: a Motor Carrier Permit, a CA or USDOT number and in some cases a CDL or a spot in the CHP's inspection program. Which ones apply generally depends on weight, use and what you haul.

Start with commercial truck insurance requirements, then read the MCP 65 (MC 65 M) insurance filing if your trucks need an MCP.

• A vehicle list: year, make, model, VIN, GVWR and garaging ZIP for each unit.
• A driver list with license numbers and dates of birth (we'll collect these securely, not through a web form).
• Your current declarations page, so we can compare the options against what you carry now.
• Three to five years of loss runs from your current and prior carriers.

Missing something? Send what you have. A broker can often start the market search with the vehicle list alone.

For dump trucks, carrier appetite is usually strongest for single-axle and medium-duty units under 45,000 lbs. Heavier tandems and transfers have options too, often less competitive. See California dump truck insurance and ready mix concrete truck insurance.

Whatever you call it, a commercial auto, business auto, commercial vehicle or fleet insurance quote, the policy underneath is usually a business auto policy with your vehicles on its schedule. We quote it for businesses garaged in any of our 16 California metro areas, from San Diego County to the North State, and the submission looks much the same wherever your yard is.

Pick the road in: a California commercial auto insurance quote organized by trade, commercial truck insurance organized by vehicle or a commercial vehicle insurance quote with your vehicle list in hand.

A fleet policy isn't set once a year and forgotten. Trucks are bought and sold, drivers come and go, and new contracts bring new certificate requests. Each of those can change the policy, and most carriers want to hear about it when it happens rather than at renewal.

• A new vehicle: Send the VIN, the garaging ZIP and its value, so physical damage starts on the right number.
• A sold or retired vehicle: Take it off the schedule and tell us whether a lender or lessor is listed on it.
• A new driver: Carriers usually want a motor vehicle report before a new hire drives; driver vetting and claims defense covers what underwriters look for.
• A new contract: Certificate requests and endorsements such as additional insured or waiver need the carrier's approval, so send the contract language early.

Growing past your current size? Fleet insurance for 11 to 25 trucks and insurance for an established fleet explain how underwriting tends to shift as a fleet grows.

Most of the fleets we quote aren't heavy trucks. They're contractor vehicles: crew-cab pickups towing a trailer, cargo and Sprinter vans with shelving and service body trucks carrying a trade's tools from call to call. They can all ride on one business auto policy, but underwriters tend to look at each kind differently.

See work pickup truck insurance, commercial van insurance in California, utility truck insurance and insurance for contractor vehicles for what each one involves.