Commercial Auto
Explore liability and selected physical damage protection for insured business vehicles.
Protection beyond business-owned vehicles
Hired and Non-Owned Auto Liability Insurance
Your business can face vehicle-related liability even when it does not own the vehicle. Explore coverage for qualifying business use of rented vehicles and employees’ personal vehicles.
An Everyday Errand.
A Business Liability Exposure.
An employee drives their own car to collect supplies, or your business rents a truck for a busy week. If an accident happens during a qualifying business trip, your company could be named in a liability claim. Hired and non-owned auto liability helps address this often-overlooked exposure.
Understand the two coverage areas
What Is Hired and Non-Owned Auto Liability?
Hired and non-owned auto liability, often called HNOA, helps protect your business against certain liability claims arising from vehicles it does not own but uses for business purposes.
Hired auto liability generally addresses qualifying vehicles your business leases, hires, rents, or borrows. Policy definitions may exclude vehicles obtained from employees, partners, or members, so those arrangements need review.
Non-owned auto liability generally addresses your business’s liability arising from qualifying use of vehicles it does not own, such as an employee’s personal car used for a work errand. The employee is not automatically insured personally under your business’s coverage.
Explore Hired and Non-Owned Coverage
Coverage for qualifying liability claims
What Hired and Non-Owned Auto Liability Can Help Cover
Depending on your policy, protection may include:
- Third-party bodily injury: Covered claims against your business when someone is injured in a qualifying vehicle accident connected with business use.
- Third-party property damage: Covered liability for damage to another person’s property arising from a qualifying accident.
- Business use of rented vehicles: Your business’s covered liability arising from eligible rental or borrowed vehicles.
- Employee-owned vehicle use: Your business’s covered liability when an employee uses a personal vehicle for an insured business purpose.
- Legal defense expenses: Defense against covered claims, subject to the policy’s defense provisions and conditions.
HNOA liability does not automatically cover damage to the rented, borrowed, or employee-owned vehicle. It also does not replace workers’ compensation or the vehicle owner’s auto insurance.
Discuss Your Business Driving
Built around the way your team travels
Review the Driving Your Business Depends On
Landscaping businesses often rely on more than company-owned trucks. Employees may collect materials, travel between jobsites, visit customers, or use personal vehicles for other work-related tasks. Rental vehicles may also help during repairs or periods of increased demand.
Explain who rents vehicles, whose name appears on rental agreements, and whether employees use personal vehicles regularly or occasionally. Discuss travel distances, towing, vehicle types, and any delivery or hauling activities.
When requesting a quote, prepare your employee count, driving arrangements, estimated rental expenses, existing auto coverage, and claims history. Ask separately about hired auto physical damage coverage and review rental contract obligations before accepting a vehicle.
Request Your QuoteExplore Other Landscaping Insurance
Coordinate hired and non-owned auto liability with coverage for your owned vehicles, employees, daily operations, and business equipment.
General Liability
Help protect against covered third-party injury and property damage claims arising from your operations.
Workers’ Compensation
Support eligible employees after covered work-related injuries or illnesses.
Tools & Equipment
Review protection for tools and machinery transported between storage locations and jobsites.
Commercial Umbrella
Consider additional liability limits and confirm whether your hired and non-owned auto exposure is included.
Business Owner’s Policy
Explore a package of liability, property, and business income coverage for eligible landscaping businesses.
Hired and Non-Owned Auto Liability FAQs
Do I need this coverage if my business owns no vehicles?
You may still have exposure if employees use personal vehicles for work errands or your business rents vehicles. Your company can face a liability claim even when it does not own the vehicle involved. Describe these arrangements when reviewing insurance.
What is the difference between hired and non-owned autos?
Hired autos generally include qualifying vehicles your business rents, leases, hires, or borrows. Non-owned autos generally include vehicles your business does not own, such as an employee’s personal car used for work. Definitions and exceptions vary by policy.
Does HNOA pay for damage to a rental vehicle?
Liability coverage does not automatically cover damage to the vehicle you rent. Ask about hired auto physical damage and review deductibles, vehicle restrictions, loss-of-use charges, and other rental agreement obligations separately.
Does it cover damage to an employee’s personal car?
Generally, HNOA liability protects the business against qualifying liability claims rather than paying to repair the employee’s vehicle. The employee should discuss business use and appropriate physical damage coverage with their own auto insurer.
Is the employee personally insured under my policy?
Not automatically. Coverage for your business does not necessarily make an employee an insured while driving their own vehicle. Ask your provider to explain who is insured and whether any additional endorsement is appropriate.
Does this replace the driver’s personal auto insurance?
No. Employees should maintain appropriate personal auto coverage and disclose business use to their insurers. HNOA often applies on an excess basis over other applicable insurance, but priority and coverage depend on the actual policies and circumstances.
Are daily commutes and personal trips covered?
Do not assume commuting or personal driving is covered. The trip must satisfy the policy’s business-use and coverage requirements. Explain travel between home, jobsites, suppliers, and your business premises so your provider can assess the arrangements.
Is HNOA automatically included in general liability or a BOP?
No. It may be available through an endorsement or commercial auto policy, but inclusion must be confirmed. Standard general liability commonly restricts auto-related claims. Check the policy declarations and relevant endorsements.
What affects the cost of hired and non-owned auto liability?
Pricing depends on factors such as employee numbers, driving frequency, rental expenses, vehicle use, business activities, claims history, and selected limits. Share an accurate picture of both occasional errands and regular business driving.
Look Beyond the Vehicles You Own.
Protect Your Business on the Road.
Explore hired and non-owned auto liability coverage that reflects your rental arrangements and the business driving your team performs.
Get a Hired and Non-Owned Auto Quote
Coverage is subject to policy terms, limits,
exclusions, insured definitions, eligibility,
and availability. Examples do not guarantee
coverage for a particular claim.