For most drivers in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a personal auto insurance policy provides plenty of coverage. Drivers who use their vehicles for business purposes, however, may find that a personal auto policy doesn’t afford enough protection. They may need a commercial auto insurance policy, instead, to offer all the protection expected from business insurance. If you use a vehicle for work and aren’t sure whether you need a commercial policy, here are four questions to ask that will help you determine which type of auto insurance to get.

Find Out If You Need Commercial Auto Insurance in Longmeadow with 4 Questions

1. Is Your Vehicle Registered by a Business?

A vehicle may be registered either by an individual or a business. Vehicles that are registered under individual’s names can be insured with personal or commercial policies. Vehicles that are registered by a business can’t be insured by a personal policy. They can only be insured with a commercial auto insurance policy.

If your vehicle is registered under your name, you might be able to insure it with a personal policy. If it’s registered under your business’ name, you’ll have to get a commercial policy.

2. Who Drives Your Vehicle?

If any employees (other than immediate family members) drive your vehicle, you’ll need a commercial policy. Having a commercial policy will let you add employees to the policy as drivers, even though they aren’t related to you. A personal auto insurance policy may cover the occasional friend who drives your vehicle, but it’s not designed to insure employees who get behind the wheel of your vehicle.

3. Is Your Vehicle Used for Business?

If your vehicle is regularly driven for business, you’ll need a commercial policy. What exactly constitutes being driven regularly for business will vary from policy to policy. Generally speaking, though, if you drive your vehicle several times a month for work, that’s business use.

Under some policies, the following activities might be considered business use:

• Frequently driving to meet clients outside of your office

• Plowing driveways during Longmeadow’s winters

• Delivering newspapers

• Driving a tractor trailer, tow truck, or taxi

These are just a few examples of possible business use, and they might not meet every policy’s definition of business use because definitions vary. You should always check the exact terms and definitions of any policy you’re considering.

4. Has an Agent in Longmeadow Suggested Commercial Auto Insurance?

The best way to find out if you need commercial auto insurance is to simply ask an insurance agent in Longmeadow. They can walk you through each of these questions and help you look at policies’ specific terms and conditions. After talking about how you use your vehicle, they’ll know whether a personal or commercial policy is right for you. If they say you need a commercial policy, you do. They’re insurance agents, after all. Their job is to help people like you find the right insurance coverage.