Contractor fleet insurance for the trucks your crews drive.
Commercial auto, hired and non-owned auto and tools coverage for plumbing, electrical, HVAC, tile, landscaping and general contractor fleets, in California and other states.
By Sam Alishahi · CA Insurance License #4348151 · Reviewed November 2026 · How this page is researched
A contractor fleet is underwritten driver by driver
Underwriters look at every driver's record, where each truck is garaged, how far the crews drive and who takes vehicles home at night. A fleet that is set up clearly on the application gets a better look from more carriers.
I build the vehicle and driver schedule with you, then shop it with carriers and trucking desks that write contractor fleets. Tools on the trucks and employees' own cars get their own coverage alongside the auto policy.
- Auto liabilityInjuries and property damage your trucks and drivers cause to others.
- Physical damageCollision and comprehensive for your trucks, vans, upfits and trailers.
- Hired and non-owned autoYour business's liability when employees drive rentals or their own cars for work.
- Tools and equipmentTools and gear carried on the trucks, written as inland marine coverage.
What underwriters will ask
Having these ready means I can go to market on the first call. The quote form asks for the same things, and anything you don’t know yet can wait.
- Vehicles: year, make, model, VIN, weight rating and value of each truck, van and trailer.
- Drivers: names, dates of birth and license numbers for everyone who drives.
- Garaging: where each vehicle is kept overnight, including employees' homes.
- Operations: your trade, how far crews travel and states you work in.
- Tools and upfits: racks, shelving and the value of tools carried on the trucks.
- Current policy: declarations page and 3 to 5 years of loss runs.
When a trade truck becomes a commercial motor vehicle
Most trade vans never touch federal trucking rules; a heavier truck or a trailer is what pulls them in. Under 49 CFR 390.5T, a vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce to carry property is a commercial motor vehicle when its weight rating or actual weight is 10,001 lb or more, whichever is greater.
- The trailer counts. Gross combination weight adds the power unit and towed unit, by ratings or actual weights, whichever combination is highest. A pickup under the line alone can cross it with a loaded equipment trailer.
- Interstate is broader than crossing a border. It includes a trip between two points in one state that passes through another state, and an in-state leg of a haul that started or ends outside the state.
- Pay doesn't matter. A contractor moving its own tools and materials by commercial motor vehicle is a private motor carrier: a carrier that isn't for-hire.
That's why my fleet schedules list the weight rating of every truck and trailer. At 26,001 lb for a single truck, the CDL definitions in 49 CFR 383.5 apply too; see do I need a CDL for a box truck. For jobs across state lines, see working in another state.
California's CA number and what the permit asks for
California's carrier number reaches trucks that never leave the state. Vehicle Code 34507.5 calls for the carrier identification number (the "CA number") on both sides of any motortruck with two or more axles over 10,000 lb GVWR, and of any vehicle hauling property for pay, unless the vehicle displays a valid USDOT number. Either way, the state won't assign a CA number until the carrier has a USDOT number from FMCSA.
The DMV's Motor Carrier Permit covers anyone operating a commercial vehicle of 10,001 lb GVWR or more, for commercial or private use, and new carriers apply before they begin operations. A mail application needs:
- A CA number from the CHP. If the business entity changes in any way, it needs a new one and a new permit application.
- Proof of insurance on a Certificate of Insurance (MC 65 M) from the insurer.
- Proof of workers' compensation, or a signed exemption. I quote workers' comp alongside the fleet so that proof is ready.
- An EPN requester code, if you employ drivers with a commercial Class A or B license, or a Class C with a hazardous materials or other endorsement under Vehicle Code 15278.
The permit runs 12 months from the first day of the month of the initial application. More state rules: California commercial truck insurance requirements.
After a crash: the reports besides the claim
A crash in a work truck can require government reports separate from the claim with your insurer. Which ones depends on the state and the vehicle.
- California SR-1. Due to the DMV within 10 days when anyone is injured (no matter how minor) or killed, or property damage is over $1,000. You or your insurance agent, broker or legal representative completes it, in addition to any police, CHP or insurance report. Other states set their own rules.
- The federal accident register. For a CMV, 49 CFR 390.5T counts a fatality, an injury treated immediately away from the scene, or a vehicle towed away with disabling damage. Boarding and alighting, or loading and unloading cargo, alone don't count.
- Driver record. Accidents added to an enrolled driver's record are among the items the pull-notice system reports to you (Vehicle Code 1808.1(b)).
I ask fleet clients to keep a crash card in each glove box with the policy number, the claim line and the 10-day SR-1 deadline. The commercial auto claim and the state report are separate filings, and the state report is the one that gets missed.
Contractor fleet insurance, answered
What is commercial auto insurance for contractors?
It covers the trucks and vans your business owns or leases: liability for accidents your drivers cause, and physical damage to the vehicles. Racks, shelving and other upfits are usually covered when their value is listed.
Do employees driving their own car for work need coverage?
The employee's personal auto policy usually responds first, but your business can still be named in the lawsuit. Hired and non-owned auto coverage protects the business in that case.
Does commercial auto insurance cover tools in my truck?
In most policies, no. Tools and equipment carried in the truck are usually covered by a separate tools and equipment (inland marine) policy.
Do contractor trucks need an MCS-90?
Usually not. The federal MCS-90 rules apply to for-hire carriers hauling property across state lines and to carriers of certain hazardous materials, not to contractors carrying their own tools and materials.
Do I need a Motor Carrier Permit for my work truck in California?
The DMV says you generally need one for a commercial vehicle rated 10,001 pounds or more. Your insurer files the proof of insurance on a Certificate of Insurance (MC 65 M).
What is the minimum insurance for a business vehicle in California?
The state minimum of $30,000/$60,000/$15,000 applies to commercial and fleet vehicles too, and trucks under a Motor Carrier Permit need $300,000 to $5,000,000 depending on the vehicle and cargo. General contractors and property owners often ask for $1,000,000.
How do I keep track of my drivers' records?
In California, employers must enroll drivers with a Class A or B license in the DMV's Employer Pull Notice program, which sends you their record after accidents, convictions or suspensions. Checking every driver's record before hire and once a year is a good practice for the rest.
Do I need a USDOT number if my trucks never leave California?
If a truck must carry a CA number under Vehicle Code 34507.5, such as a motortruck with two or more axles over 10,000 lb GVWR, yes. The state won't assign a CA number until the carrier has a USDOT number from FMCSA.
Do contractor truck drivers need a DOT medical card without a CDL?
Yes, if they drive a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce. 49 CFR 391.41 requires them to be medically certified, and a driver without a CDL carries the original or a copy of a current medical examiner's certificate while on duty.
Do you offer contractor fleet insurance outside California?
Yes. Clients across the country send the same quote form. Sam Alishahi is licensed in all 50 states and Washington, DC and places policies there directly. The shopping across carriers works the same way. Rules, minimums and markets differ by state — see insurance requirements by state.
Official sources
- California DMV: Motor Carrier Permits (who needs one, insurance proof and liability levels)
- 49 CFR §387.3: who the federal financial responsibility rules (MCS-90) apply to
- California DMV: Employer Pull Notice program
- California DMV: Insurance requirements (minimum liability for private, commercial and fleet vehicles)
- 49 CFR Part 390 (390.5T definitions, 390.15 accident register, 390.19T MCS-150, 390.21T marking), eCFR as of Oct. 13, 2026
- 49 CFR 391.41: Physical qualifications and medical examiner's certificate
- 49 CFR 383.5: Definitions (CDL commercial motor vehicle, 26,001 lb)
- California Vehicle Code 34507.5: Carrier identification number
- California DMV: Motor Carrier Permits
- California Vehicle Code 1808.1: Employer Pull Notice
- California DMV: Accident reporting (SR-1)
- California DMV: Employer Pull Notice program FAQs
Send your truck and driver list. I'll shop it.
Your vehicle schedule, driver list and current declarations page are enough to start.
Alishahi Insurance · Saman Alishahi, independent insurance broker, California License #4348151. General information, not a quote or a promise of coverage; coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.
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