Commercial Auto Insurance Savannah, GA
Savannah businesses depend on vehicles every day. Contractors travel between job sites, service companies send employees throughout Chatham County, delivery businesses transport products to customers, and companies connected to Savannah's growing distribution and logistics industry keep vehicles on the road throughout Coastal Georgia.
When a car, pickup, van or other vehicle is being used for business, a personal auto insurance policy may not provide the protection the business needs.
Tatum Insurance Agency helps Savannah businesses compare commercial auto insurance options designed to protect their vehicles, drivers and operations. As an independent insurance agency, we can evaluate coverage from multiple insurance companies and help you find a policy appropriate for the way your business actually uses its vehicles.
Whether you need insurance for a single work truck or van or have a growing fleet of commercial vehicles, we can help you evaluate your coverage.
Who Needs Commercial Auto Insurance in Savannah?
Commercial auto insurance is designed for vehicles used primarily for business purposes. Depending on the business and how the vehicle is used, this can include cars, pickup trucks, cargo vans, service vans and other commercial vehicles.
Savannah businesses that may need commercial auto insurance include:
- General contractors
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- HVAC contractors
- Landscapers and lawn care companies
- Roofing contractors
- Cleaning and janitorial companies
- Pest control businesses
- Property maintenance companies
- Delivery and courier businesses
- Restaurants and catering companies
- Retail and wholesale businesses
- Real estate and property management companies
- Sales and service businesses
- Warehouses and distributors
- Companies supporting Savannah's logistics and port economy
Even a small business with only one or two vehicles can have significant commercial auto exposure.
If employees drive company vehicles, transport tools or equipment, make deliveries, visit customers or travel between job sites, it is important to determine whether commercial auto coverage is appropriate.
What Does Savannah Commercial Auto Insurance Cover?
Commercial auto policies can be customized according to the vehicles, drivers and operations of the business.
Common coverage options include:
Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability
Liability coverage can help protect your business when a covered driver is responsible for an accident that causes bodily injury or damages another person's property.
A serious vehicle accident can result in substantial medical expenses, property damage and legal costs, making appropriate liability limits particularly important for businesses.
Collision Coverage
Collision insurance can help pay to repair or replace a covered business vehicle when it is damaged in a collision, subject to the policy's terms and deductible.
Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive coverage can help protect a commercial vehicle against certain non-collision losses such as theft, vandalism, fire, falling objects and some weather-related damage.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
If one of your business vehicles is involved in an accident with a driver who has no insurance or insufficient insurance, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may provide additional protection, depending on the policy.
Hired and Non-Owned Auto Coverage
Not every business vehicle exposure involves a company-owned vehicle.
If your business rents vehicles or employees occasionally use their personal vehicles for business activities, hired and non-owned auto coverage may be an important part of your insurance program.
This exposure is frequently overlooked by small businesses.
Commercial Auto Insurance for Savannah Contractors
Contractors are one of the most important markets for commercial auto insurance in Savannah and throughout Coastal Georgia.
A contractor may use pickups, vans or service vehicles to transport employees, tools, equipment and materials between the office, supply houses and job sites.
Commercial auto insurance may be appropriate for:
- General contractors
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- HVAC companies
- Roofers
- Painters
- Landscapers
- Remodeling contractors
- Flooring contractors
- Cleaning and restoration companies
- Other construction and service businesses
Contractors should also consider how trailers, permanently attached equipment and tools carried in vehicles are insured. Commercial auto insurance does not automatically cover every piece of equipment or property transported in a vehicle.
Tatum Insurance Agency can help review these exposures as part of your overall business insurance program.
Contact Tatum Insurance Agency today to request a Commercial Auto Insurance quote in Savannah, GA
Commercial Auto Insurance for Savannah Delivery and Service Businesses
Savannah's commercial vehicle activity extends well beyond contractors.
Restaurants may use vehicles for catering or deliveries. Retailers and wholesalers may transport products. Property management companies may have employees traveling between properties. Cleaning, pest control and maintenance companies may have multiple vehicles on the road throughout the day.
The more frequently employees drive for business, the greater the opportunity for an accident.
A commercial auto policy can be structured around factors such as:
- Number and type of vehicles
- How vehicles are used
- Where vehicles are driven
- Number of drivers
- Driving records
- Distance traveled
- Materials or equipment transported
- Vehicle values
- Desired liability limits
Understanding exactly how the vehicles are being used is an important part of obtaining appropriate coverage.
Commercial Vehicle Risks in Savannah and Coastal Georgia
Operating commercial vehicles in Savannah presents a mixture of urban, suburban and highway driving exposures.
Businesses may have vehicles traveling throughout downtown Savannah, Chatham County and surrounding communities or using major transportation corridors such as I-16 and I-95.
Commercial drivers may also encounter:
- Heavy commuter and tourist traffic
- Frequent stops and starts
- Congested commercial areas
- Construction zones
- Highway driving
- Severe rain and thunderstorms
- Coastal weather conditions
- Employees driving unfamiliar routes
- Increased mileage from serving a large geographic area
For a business, an accident can create expenses beyond repairing the vehicle. There may also be injuries, liability claims, lost work time and disruption to normal operations.
That makes commercial auto insurance an important part of the overall risk-management program for businesses that depend on vehicles.
How Much Commercial Auto Insurance Does a Savannah Business Need?
There isn't one liability limit that is appropriate for every Savannah business.
The amount of insurance you should consider depends on factors such as the type of business, vehicles being operated, number of drivers, frequency of vehicle use and potential severity of an accident.
Businesses should also consider contractual requirements.
A general contractor, property manager, municipality or other organization may require vendors and subcontractors to maintain specific commercial auto liability limits before they can perform work.
Choosing insurance based solely on the minimum amount required may leave a business with considerably more financial exposure than expected after a serious accident.
Tatum Insurance Agency can help you review your operations and determine which limits and coverage options make sense for your business.
What Affects the Cost of Commercial Auto Insurance in Savannah?
Commercial auto insurance premiums are based on several factors, so pricing can vary significantly from one business to another.
Insurance companies may consider:
- Type of business
- Number of vehicles
- Vehicle type and value
- How each vehicle is used
- Number of drivers
- Driver ages and driving records
- Claims history
- Annual mileage
- Garaging location
- Coverage limits
- Deductibles
- Radius of operation
- Vehicle safety features
A business operating one service van locally has a very different exposure than a company operating several vehicles throughout Georgia.
Because insurance companies can evaluate these risks differently, working with an independent insurance agency can provide an opportunity to compare coverage and pricing among multiple carriers.
Commercial Auto vs. Personal Auto Insurance
One common mistake small-business owners make is assuming a personal auto policy will automatically cover a vehicle because the owner also drives it personally.
Business use can create exposures that a personal auto policy was not designed to insure.
Commercial auto insurance may be needed when a vehicle is:
- Owned or titled by a business
- Regularly driven by employees
- Used to visit customers or job sites
- Used to make deliveries
- Used to transport tools or equipment
- Used extensively for business purposes
- Subject to higher liability-limit requirements
If you're unsure whether your current policy properly covers your business use, Tatum Insurance Agency can review the situation with you.
What About Commercial Trucks and Trucking Companies?
Commercial auto insurance can cover many types of business vehicles, but trucking companies and for-hire motor carriers can have significantly different insurance requirements.
Businesses operating tractor-trailers, semis and other vehicles for commercial freight transportation may need specialized commercial truck and trucking insurance, including coverages that aren't typically part of a standard commercial auto program.
Tatum Insurance Agency can also help trucking businesses evaluate their specialized insurance needs.
Common Commercial Auto Insurance Mistakes
Commercial vehicle coverage should be reviewed as a business grows and changes.
Some common mistakes include:
- Using personal auto insurance for significant business use
- Selecting liability limits based only on price
- Failing to add new vehicles promptly
- Allowing unapproved drivers to operate company vehicles
- Not reviewing employee driving records
- Assuming tools and equipment inside a vehicle are automatically covered
- Overlooking hired and non-owned vehicle exposures
- Failing to update the policy when business operations change
An annual insurance review can help identify changes in vehicles, drivers and operations before they result in a coverage problem.
Why Choose Tatum Insurance Agency?
Tatum Insurance Agency is an independent insurance agency, which means we are not limited to offering commercial auto insurance from just one insurance company.
We can learn about your business, vehicles, drivers and operations and then compare available insurance options to help identify an appropriate combination of coverage and cost.
More importantly, your commercial auto coverage can be reviewed as part of your overall business insurance program.
Depending on your operations, that may include general liability, commercial property, workers' compensation, commercial umbrella and other business insurance coverage.
Commercial Auto Insurance Throughout the Savannah Area
Tatum Insurance Agency can help businesses throughout Savannah and surrounding Coastal Georgia communities evaluate their commercial auto insurance needs, including businesses in:
Savannah, Pooler, Garden City, Port Wentworth, Bloomingdale, Richmond Hill and surrounding Chatham County and Coastal Georgia communities.
Whether you operate one commercial vehicle or manage a growing fleet, we can help you compare commercial auto insurance options designed around your business.
Frequently Asked Questions About Commercial Auto Insurance in Savannah, GA
Does my Savannah business need commercial auto insurance if I only have one vehicle?
Possibly. The number of vehicles isn't the determining factor. How the vehicle is owned and used is important. A business with a single pickup, van or company car may need commercial auto insurance if the vehicle is regularly used for business activities.
Can employees drive my commercial vehicles?
Commercial auto policies can provide coverage for approved drivers, but driver eligibility and policy terms vary among insurance companies. Businesses should make sure employees who operate company vehicles are properly listed or otherwise covered according to the policy.
Does commercial auto insurance cover tools in my work truck or van?
Not necessarily. Commercial auto insurance primarily covers vehicle-related exposures. Tools, equipment and other business property carried inside the vehicle may require separate coverage. Ask your agent to review how your business property is insured.
Do I need commercial auto insurance if employees use their own cars for work?
Your business may have a non-owned auto liability exposure when employees use personally owned vehicles for company business. Hired and non-owned auto coverage may be appropriate depending on the circumstances.
Can Tatum Insurance Agency insure a fleet of commercial vehicles?
Commercial auto insurance can be structured for businesses with multiple vehicles as well as businesses with a single vehicle. Coverage options depend on the vehicles, drivers, operations and other underwriting factors.
Get a Commercial Auto Insurance Quote in Savannah, GA
Your vehicles keep your business moving. Make sure the insurance protecting them is designed for the way your company actually operates.
Tatum Insurance Agency can help Savannah business owners compare commercial auto insurance coverage for company cars, pickups, vans, service vehicles and fleets.
Whether you're a contractor traveling between Savannah job sites, a service company operating throughout Chatham County or a growing business with multiple vehicles on the road, we're ready to help you evaluate your coverage.
Contact Tatum Insurance Agency today to request a Commercial Auto Insurance quote in Savannah, GA.