If you are driving a vehicle for work in Georgia. You know that you must have a commercial auto insurance policy. It is legally required in Georgia. It is more expensive than a personal auto insurance policy, but it will protect you properly when accident happens. The good news is that many companies offer commercial auto insurance coverage in Georgia. Here are our recommendations for the 5 best providers.
- The 5 best commercial auto insurance companies in Georgia
- What is Georgia commercial auto insurance?
- What does commercial auto insurance cover in Georgia?
- Commercial auto insurance coverage requirements in Georgia
- How much does commercial auto insurance cost in Georgia?
- How to find cheap commercial auto insurance in Georgia?
- Who needs commercial auto insurance in Georgia?
- Should delivery drivers carry commercial auto insurance in Georgia?
The 5 best commercial auto insurance companies in Georgia
We research several commercial auto insurance providers in Georgia and here are our recommendations of the top 5.
- CoverWallet: Best for finding the cheapest coverage
- Progressive: Best for a fast online quote
- Nationwide: Best for bundling
- bibERK: Best for low-cost coverage from a reputable carrier
- Smart Financial: Best for niche businesses and if you prefer working with a knowledgeable agent
Simply Business: Best for finding the cheapest coverage
If finding the cheapest quote by comparing several quotes in one place conveniently is important to you, you may want to start with Simply Business. They are a digital broker specializing in all types of small business insurance. They work with several leading insurance companies and are able to pull quotes from their partner companies for you to compare in one place.
Pulling good commercial auto insurance quotes from several providers might be more complicated than you’d think because there are several nuances on how one uses his vehicle for business. You may not have several quotes to compare online. However, you may still want to give them a call to discuss your quote options and select the best and cheapest one for your situation.
Simply Business also offers many other great digital features such as downloading the certificate online, renewing a policy, or filing a claim.
They earn an excellent consumer rating of 4.2 on trustpilot, an independent customer review and rating platform.
Progressive: Best for a fast online quote
Progressive is the largest provider of commercial auto insurance in the U.S. While most of their business insurance is provided through a third party, they do offer commercial auto insurance directly to customers. You can get a quote online, so it’s easy to shop and compare them to others. Progressive reports that the average monthly cost of commercial auto insurance in 2020 was $187, but it depends on how many vehicles you insure, what type of business you do and what kind of vehicles you use.
Nationwide: Best for bundling
You can get a quote online from Nationwide, although to buy a policy you’ll need to call and talk to an agent. To get an accurate quote for commercial auto insurance, you’ll need your vehicle types, VIN numbers, and the names of all your drivers. You can add roadside assistance, rental reimbursement, or loss of use coverage.
If you need other types of business insurance, Nationwide may be a good fit for you. They can bundle and you’ll earn a discount. You can pay your bill and file a claim online.
Below are other business insurance coverages that Nationwide offers and you can choose to bundle with your commercial auto insurance policy to earn a good discount:
- General Liability
- Inland marine
- Commercial property
- Commercial Umbrella
- Workers compensation
- Directors and officers
- Professional liability
biBERK: Best for low-cost coverage from a reputable carrier
biBERK is a direct-to-customer insurance carrier specializing in serving small businesses. They offer an excellent digital experience. You can get quotes and buy a policy online in less than 10 minutes. The whole experience is such a delight: simple, straightforward, and fast.
On top of that, biBERK offers very competitive rates. They claim that they can help their customers save at least 20% on premiums.
Their operation is focused on delivering the ultimate online insurance experience. Because of this, you’re able to purchase a policy, file a claim or get an auto insurance card, any time, 365 days a year. Even though biBERK is an online insurer, you can get expert help over the phone when you need it. The firm is also known for being able to make most claims decisions within 48 hours.
Despite the fact that biBERK is a relatively new and innovative company, you can rest assured knowing it has an excellent rating from A.M. because they are a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, the parent company of Geico.
Smart Financial: Best for niche businesses and if you prefer working with a knowledgeable agent
If you prefer working with agents who specialize in your business niche and are very experienced in providing commercial auto insurance to a variety of businesses in different industries, you may want to work with Smart Financial. They are a national broker specializing in small business insurance. They partner with an intensive network of hundreds of agents across the country who are very knowledgeable and experienced in providing commercial auto insurance to small businesses in all industries.
Niche businesses usually have difficulties finding affordable commercial auto coverage. In some cases, you may not be able to get coverage at all. Smart Financial agents will be able to help you find the right coverage because they have helped hundreds of companies like yours.
However unique and niche your industry is, you can count on Smart Financial to connect you with an agent who is the most knowledgeable about the specifics of your business so that they can find you the best coverages at the most affordable prices.
>>MORE: Top 10 Commercial Auto Insurance Companies
What is Georgia commercial auto insurance?
There are roughly 1.1 million small businesses in Georgia. Any business that uses a vehicle for work needs commercial auto insurance. Your personal insurance policy will not cover your claim if you use your vehicle for work purposes (except for commuting back and forth to work: your personal auto insurance policy will cover that).
That means that if you’re a real estate agent who drives people around in your car while you look at houses, you need commercial auto insurance. Contractors, plumbers, delivery drivers, etc. all of these need commercial auto insurance.
What does commercial auto insurance cover in Georgia?
Commercial auto insurance provides insurance in case you’re in an accident. It covers:
Liability: if you cause an accident, this will protect you from bodily injury to other people in the accident. It pays for medical costs and lost wages of anyone injured.
Collision/Comprehensive: Much like in a personal auto insurance policy, this covers damages to a third party and your own vehicle if you’re in an accident. It also covers theft, vandalism, weather damage, and damages from animals.
Uninsured motorist coverage: Pays for your injuries and/or property damage if you’re hit by an uninsured motorist.
Underinsured motorist: the person who hits you has coverage, just not enough. If you live in a no-fault state, your auto insurance policy will cover your losses.
>>MORE: Why do We Need Commercial Auto Insurance?
Commercial auto insurance coverage requirements in Georgia
Basic Commercial Auto Coverage Requirements in Georgia:
- $25,000 Bodily Injury per Person
- $50,000 Bodily Injury per Accident
- $25,000 Property Damage
Insurance Coverage Requirements for Rideshare Drivers:
Georgia does have specific requirements for rideshare driver insurance coverage. You or your rideshare company will need to make sure you have the following protection:
When the App is Turned On and the Driver is Available to Accept a Passenger:
- $50,000.00 for Bodily Injury
- $100,000.00 for Bodily Injury per Accident
- $50,000.00 for Loss of or Damage to Property
After the Driver has Accepted a Rider, During Transport of the Passenger, and Up to Drop Off of Passenger:
- $1M for Death, Personal Injury, and Property Damage per Occurrence
- $1M for Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Georgia Passenger Transportation Insurance Coverage Requirements:
If you have a larger passenger transport vehicle, such as bus or limo company with a “Class B” license you’ll have to carry the following:
- Up to 12 Passengers: $100K for Bodily Injury, $300K Total Bodily Injury, & $50K Property Damage
- More than 12 Passengers: $100K for Bodily Injury, $500K Total Bodily Injury, & $50K Property Damage
Property Transport Carrier Coverage Requirements:
If you transport other materials as a trucker, you’ll also need the following commercial auto insurance in Georgia:
- General Freight: $750,000 Liability Insurance
- Oil Transport: $1,000,000 Liability Insurance
- Hazardous Materials: $5,000,000 Liability Insurance
- Household Goods: $300,000 Liability Insurance
Household goods carriers should also carry $25,000 per vehicle and $50,000 per incident in cargo insurance.
How much does commercial auto insurance cost in Georgia?
Commercial auto insurance tends to cost more than personal auto insurance. The average cost that small business owners in Georgia pay for commercial auto insurance is about $1,528 a year. But it’s highly dependent on what you do, how many vehicles you insure and what kind of driving record you have.
Different insurance companies will have different quotes. Make sure you shop with a few companies or a digital broker such as CoverWallet to compare several quotes to select the cheapest quote for you.
>>MORE: How Much does Commercial Auto Insurance Cost?
How to find cheap commercial auto insurance in Georgia?
To save yourself money, here are some things you can do to reduce the cost of commercial auto insurance:
- Maintain a clean driving record.
- Hire drivers with clean driving records
- Increase your deductible (just make sure you can cover it if you get into an accident)
- Find discounts
Many insurance companies have discounts for commercial auto insurance policies. Some include:
- Continuous coverage
- Commercial driver’s license discount
- Pay-in-full discount
- Business insurance discount
- Paperless discount
- Homeowner
- Multiple vehicles
You probably qualify for at least a few discounts. If you don’t, shop for a different insurance company.
>>MORE: How to Find Cheap Commercial Auto Insurance?
Who needs commercial auto insurance in Georgia?
Anyone who uses their vehicle for work, other than commuting, needs commercial auto insurance in Georgia. If you transport goods, services, or people for a fee, you probably need commercial auto insurance. Business use for personal vehicles is not covered. If you lie and your insurance company finds out, they may drop you as a customer.
Should delivery drivers carry commercial auto insurance in Georgia?
If you drive for Uber, Lyft, or DoorDash in Georgia, these companies offer some protection and coverage when there is a guest in your car or when you carry food from a restaurant to the delivery address. However, things start getting murky when you are in between rides or deliveries. Different companies might have different rules and benefits. You may find yourself in situations when your personal auto insurance providers refuse your claim since you are using your car for business reasons and these delivery companies’ policies do not cover you either.
There is rideshare insurance available in Georgia, so make sure you have it if you drive for Uber, Lyft, or DoorDash.
Last Thoughts
There are many aspects to running a business. Getting your goods or services to your clients on time is absolutely necessary if you want to stay in business. You’ll need to have commercial auto insurance coverage to protect you and your business if you use vehicles for the business.
