Commercial Auto Insurance

Whether your business has one vehicle to insure or an entire fleet, Amherst Insurance is available to meet all your business auto insurance needs. Coverage limits are similar to a personal auto policy and include Liability, Medical Payments, Property Damage and Collision and Comprehensive coverage. Towing and Rental Reimbursement can also be added. When speaking to one of our agents, you will be walked through our recommended coverage limits.

If you have a vehicle that you use primarily in business, and/or is over 10,000 lbs you will want to have a Commercial Auto policy. Your Business Liability policy will not protect you in an Auto accident, and your Personal Auto policy will not cover vehicles used in business. Any vehicles or trailers can be added to this policy, as well as any regular operators of the vehicles.

As of September 1, 2018, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has changed their guidelines for Commercial Vehicles. The owner of every motor truck used for the transportation of goods, wares, or merchandise for hire, gain or reward, that also fit the guidelines below shall be affected by these changes.

Any vehicles engaged in intrastate or interstate commerce having a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds (truck & trailer), or
Used in the transportation of hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placarding; or
Designed to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver used in intrastate commerce in Massachusetts

The trucks that fit these guidelines noted above must have the owner’s first and last name marked on the truck, to be plainly visible from each side, be in permanent letters that contrast sharply in color with the background on which the letters are placed and to be readily legible during daylight hours from a distance of 50 feet while the motor truck is stationary.

The owners for these vehicles must now have a US DOT number You will be required to obtain and display a USDOT number on your vehicles per 540 CMR 2.22, the Commercial Markings Section of the Registry of Motor Vehicles Regulations.

To obtain a USDOT Number, you may go to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Admin website. There you may follow the Registration links that will enable you to obtain an intrastate or interstate USDOT number. Your company will be issued a USDOT number that will be displayed on all Commercial Motor Vehicles as defined above that your company operates, including leased vehicles.

There is no charge to obtain this number from the USDOT.

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