- 15840 Ventura Blvd, Suite 203, Encino, CA 91436
- info@goldbridgeins.com
- 888‑590‑2667
Goldbridge Insurance Services
One truck or a full fleet, owned vehicles or employees driving their own cars. We structure commercial auto around how your vehicles are actually used, and we shop it to carriers that want your class of business.
Commercial auto has been one of the toughest lines in insurance for years, and it hasn’t let up. If your renewal went up even though you had no accidents, you’re not alone. A few things are driving it:
You can’t control the market. You can control how your business is presented to underwriters, and that’s where most of the savings are.
If a vehicle is used for your business, the answer is almost always yes. Many personal auto policies limit or exclude coverage for business use, and a personal policy’s limits rarely satisfy a customer contract.
You need commercial auto if your business:
| Coverage | What it pays for | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Liability (bodily injury and property damage) | Injuries and damage you cause to others, plus your legal defense | The most important coverage. Limits need to match your contracts and your real exposure |
| Uninsured / underinsured motorist | Your drivers’ and passengers’ injuries when the at-fault driver has little or no insurance | California requires insurers to offer it. Rejecting it has to be done in writing |
| Medical payments | Medical bills for people in your vehicle, regardless of fault | Usually low limits; a useful first-dollar coverage |
| Comprehensive | Theft, vandalism, fire, glass, hail and falling objects | Deductible choice has a big effect on price |
| Collision | Damage to your vehicle in an accident | Required by lenders and lessors on financed or leased vehicles |
| Hired auto | Vehicles you rent or borrow | Often forgotten until someone rents a truck for a job |
| Non-owned auto | Employees’ personal cars used for your business | One of the most common gaps we find |
| Towing, rental reimbursement, gap | Getting back on the road after a loss | Cheap add-ons that matter when a work truck is down |
Every business auto policy uses numbered “symbols” to define which vehicles are covered. Two policies with the same limits can cover very different things.
| Symbol | What it covers | When it’s used |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Any auto | Broadest liability coverage; owned, hired and non-owned vehicles |
| 2 | Owned autos only | Covers vehicles you own, including newly acquired ones |
| 7 | Specifically described autos | Only vehicles listed on the policy. New vehicles may need to be reported quickly |
| 8 | Hired autos | Rented, leased or borrowed vehicles |
| 9 | Non-owned autos | Employees’ personal vehicles used for your business |
If your liability is written on Symbol 7 with no 8 or 9, a rental truck or an employee’s car may not be covered at all. We check this on every policy we review.
When an employee drives their own car to a job site, the bank or a client meeting and causes a serious accident, the injured party will often sue your business too. The employee’s personal policy responds first, but its limits are usually low. Hired and non-owned auto coverage protects the business when those limits run out, and when someone rents a vehicle for work.
It matters even if you don’t own a single vehicle. Law firms, staffing companies and office-based businesses carry this exposure every day.
California’s minimum limits are built for private drivers, not businesses. Most business owners should start with what their contracts and their exposure require:
| Factor | What they want to know | How we present it |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicles | Year, make, model, VIN, weight class, value and use | A clean vehicle schedule with each unit’s use |
| Drivers | Ages, experience, license class and MVRs | Driver list with MVRs up front and a written hiring standard |
| Radius | Local, intermediate or long haul | Your real operating area, not an overstated guess |
| Operations | What you haul and who rides along | A clear description of your business and each vehicle’s job |
| Garaging | Where vehicles are parked overnight | Accurate garaging addresses (they affect rating) |
| Safety | Written policies, telematics, cameras | Proof of the controls you already have |
| Loss history | Claims over the last 3 to 5 years | Loss runs plus a note explaining any claim and what changed |
Once you’re running five or more vehicles, carriers look at you as a fleet. The right structure keeps coverage stable as you grow:
We write commercial auto for virtually every type of business, from a sole proprietor with one pickup to fleets with dozens of vehicles, and from low-risk office businesses to hard-to-place classes other agencies turn away. If your business puts a vehicle on the road, we can find it a home.
Some of the operations we insure every day:
Don’t see your industry? Call us. It’s almost certainly one we can write.
Often not fully. Many personal policies limit or exclude business use, and their limits rarely meet customer contracts. If a vehicle is used for your business, it should usually be on a commercial auto policy.
Commercial auto covers vehicles your business owns or leases. Hired and non-owned auto covers vehicles you rent and employees’ personal cars used for business. Many businesses need both, and businesses with no vehicles still need hired and non-owned.
It depends on your vehicles, drivers, radius, garaging, industry and loss history. A single pickup for a low-risk business costs far less than a heavy truck in a long-haul operation. The fastest way to a real number is a quick review of your vehicles and drivers.
Start with your contracts. Many require $1 million combined single limit, and larger contracts often require an umbrella on top. If you have significant assets or run heavier vehicles, higher limits are worth considering.
Generally yes, if they’re permitted drivers. Carriers expect you to disclose all regular drivers, and some exclude drivers who don’t meet their standards. Always check before adding a new driver.
Their personal policy usually pays first. If the damages exceed their limits, or the injured party sues your business, hired and non-owned auto coverage protects the company.
Often, yes, though options narrow and pricing rises. We look for carriers that will accept them, or help you decide whether it makes sense to exclude a driver.
Many California businesses operating trucks over 10,000 pounds, or vehicles used for hire, need a DMV Motor Carrier Permit. When one applies, your insurer must file proof of coverage with the DMV. We’ll help you confirm what applies to your vehicles.
Commercial auto rates have risen across the industry because of larger jury verdicts, higher repair costs and more accidents overall. We can’t change the market, but we can make sure your account is classified and presented accurately and shop it to carriers that want it.
Usually the same business day. We set up additional insured and waiver of subrogation endorsements to match your contracts.
Send us your current declarations page, vehicle list and driver list. We’ll show you:
No obligation. If your program is already set up right, we’ll say so.
Or start here. Tell us what you carry now and we will reply the same business day with exactly what we need.
