Business vehicles, insured for what they actually do.
One van or twenty trucks. The most common and most expensive mistake is the rate class, a vehicle insured for commuting that is actually carrying tools, goods or passengers can leave you arguing at exactly the wrong moment.
Talk to a broker See what’s coveredICBC commercial Autoplan, excess liability, cargo and tools
Trades, delivery businesses, carriers and anyone with work vehicles
What the vehicles carry, where they go, and who drives them
Do I need commercial vehicle insurance in BC?
If the vehicle is used for business, yes. In BC, basic coverage comes through ICBC and the rate class must match how the vehicle is genuinely used, carrying tools, making deliveries, transporting goods for others, or driving between job sites are all business use. On top of that sits your liability limit, physical damage cover, and for anyone hauling goods, cargo coverage, which auto insurance does not include.
If the rate class does not match how the vehicle is genuinely used, a claim can be affected at the worst possible moment. And a serious at-fault accident involving a commercial vehicle can pass your limit quickly.
Declaring the wrong rate class to save money is the single most expensive shortcut in commercial auto.
Cover for vehicles that work.
ICBC commercial Autoplan
Correct rate class, correct territory, handled at any of our counters.
Excess liability
Above the basic limit. A serious at-fault accident involving a commercial vehicle can exceed it quickly.
Physical damage
Collision and comprehensive on the vehicle itself, including specialised bodies and equipment.
Motor truck cargo
The goods you are carrying. Auto insurance covers the truck, not what is in it.
Tools and equipment in the vehicle
Theft from vans is the most common trade claim we see, and it is not automatic.
Trailers and specialised units
Trailers, dump bodies, cranes and attachments, insured for their real value.
Non-owned auto
When staff use their own vehicles for work, the liability can still reach your business.
Fleet arrangements
Multiple vehicles on one renewal date, with one point of contact instead of five.
Three rate-class traps.
These come up constantly at our counters, and all three are cheap to fix before a claim and expensive afterwards.
“I only carry my own tools”
Still business use. A personal rate class on a working van is a problem waiting for an accident.
Employees driving their own cars
If they are running errands or visiting sites for you, your business can be drawn into the claim.
The occasional delivery
Carrying goods for someone else, even occasionally, changes the class and may need cargo cover.
Basic ICBC costs the same wherever you buy it.
So what are you actually choosing a broker for?
Nobody can discount basic Autoplan, and any broker implying otherwise is being loose with the truth. What differs is whether someone checks that your rate class matches reality, whether your liability limit suits the size of vehicle you are putting on the road, whether your cargo and tools are covered at all, and whether you can walk into an office and sort it the same day.
That is the whole difference, and on a commercial fleet it is worth considerably more than a discount would be.
A situation we see.
A van insured for commuting is carrying twelve thousand dollars of tools between job sites when it is stolen. The rate class did not reflect business use, and the tools were never separately insured. Two gaps, one morning.
Vehicles that earn their keep.
What owners and fleet managers ask us.
Does my personal car insurance cover business use?
Usually not, and this is the most common gap we find. Carrying tools, making deliveries or driving between job sites is business use, and the rate class needs to reflect it.
Is the cargo in my truck insured by my auto policy?
No. Auto insurance covers the vehicle and your liability. The goods being carried need motor truck cargo cover, which is a separate policy.
My employees use their own cars for work. Am I exposed?
Potentially yes. Non-owned automobile coverage exists for exactly this, because a claim arising from an employee driving on your business can reach the company.
How much liability should a commercial vehicle carry?
More than the basic limit in almost every case. A serious accident involving a truck can exceed it, and the excess layers are usually far cheaper than people expect.
Can I put all my vehicles on one renewal date?
Yes, and it is worth doing. One renewal, one conversation, and far less chance of a vehicle quietly lapsing.
Are tools stolen from my van covered?
Only if arranged. It is the most frequent claim in the trades and it is worth checking your limits before it happens rather than after.
Premises as well as vehicles? commercial property.
A serious vehicle claim can pass your limit. umbrella & excess liability.
Tell us what the vehicles do.
What you carry, where you drive, and who else gets behind the wheel.
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