The vehicle is scheduled. The symbol decides the coverage.

Commercial Auto Insurance covers auto liability for bodily injury and property damage to third parties, plus auto physical damage (comprehensive and collision) to your company-owned vehicles, for vehicles used in business operations. The Insurance Services Office standard form is the Business Auto Coverage Form (CA 00 01). Coverage applies to vehicles defined by the symbol system on the declarations page. Symbol 1 covers any auto. Symbol 7 covers only specifically described autos. Symbols 8 and 9 cover hired and non-owned autos. Defense costs are typically paid outside the limit. Texas commercial auto is regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The auto symbol system on the Business Auto Coverage Form (CA 00 01) declarations page defines which autos are covered under each section of the policy. Symbol 1 covers any auto and is the broadest. Symbol 2 covers owned autos only. Symbol 3 covers owned private passenger autos only. Symbol 4 covers owned autos other than private passenger. Symbol 7 covers specifically described autos and is the narrowest. Symbol 8 covers hired autos (rented, leased, borrowed). Symbol 9 covers non-owned autos (employee personal vehicles used for work). The symbol structure on your policy decides whether a newly acquired vehicle is covered automatically, whether a temporary substitute is covered, and whether an employee-driven personal vehicle is covered.

Hired and Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) coverage extends your commercial auto policy to cover liability arising from hired autos (rented, leased, borrowed) and non-owned autos (employees driving their personal vehicles for work). HNOA is added to the policy through symbols 8 and 9 on the declarations or through a specific endorsement. Without HNOA, when an employee causes an at-fault accident while driving their personal vehicle on a work errand, the employee's personal auto policy responds first; if the personal policy is exhausted or excluded, the business has no coverage. HNOA is critical for any business with traveling employees, delivery routes, client visits, errands, or any pattern of employees using personal vehicles for work.

The MCS-90 endorsement is a federal financial responsibility endorsement required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for interstate motor carriers operating commercial vehicles across state lines. The endorsement provides coverage to the public for damages caused by the motor carrier's negligence, even when an underlying policy exclusion would otherwise apply. The MCS-90 protects the public, not the insured; the carrier can seek reimbursement from the insured if the MCS-90 paid a claim that would have been excluded. Interstate motor carriers transporting property must carry minimum limits ranging from 750,000 dollars to 5,000,000 dollars depending on cargo type. The MCS-90 is not required for intrastate-only Texas carriers.

Texas Transportation Code requires commercial vehicles to carry minimum liability limits that vary by vehicle weight class and use. Texas intrastate motor carriers transporting property or passengers face Texas Department of Motor Vehicles minimum financial responsibility filings. Most Texas commercial auto programs carry well above the minimums, typically 1,000,000 dollars combined single limit on owned vehicles and higher on programs with significant exposure. The McDade Review evaluates whether the limits match your operational exposure and contract requirements (general contractors and large clients often require specific minimum limits as a contract condition).

Only if the policy includes Hired and Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) coverage. Without HNOA, employee personal vehicles used for work errands have no commercial coverage. The employee's personal auto policy responds first as primary coverage. If the personal policy limits are exhausted or if a personal policy exclusion applies (some personal auto policies exclude business use), the business is exposed. HNOA fills that gap by providing excess coverage above the personal auto policy or primary coverage when the personal auto policy denies. The McDade Review checks HNOA coverage on every commercial auto policy because the gap is common and the exposure is significant.

General Liability (CGL) explicitly excludes auto liability through the Aircraft, Auto, or Watercraft exclusion. Commercial Auto Insurance covers auto liability. The two policies sit next to each other in a commercial program and do not overlap. An accident involving a company vehicle is covered under Commercial Auto, not General Liability. An accident involving a non-auto operation (a slip and fall on premises, a product defect) is covered under General Liability, not Commercial Auto. The coordination matters because some loss scenarios appear at the boundary (loading and unloading, mobile equipment, employee use of personal vehicles) and require deliberate policy structuring.

Texas PIP coverage is included on commercial auto policies unless rejected in writing. PIP pays medical expenses and 80 percent of lost wages for the driver and passengers regardless of fault, up to a stated limit (typically 2,500 dollars). Broadened PIP extends coverage to specific drivers and passengers in defined contexts. The PIP selection or rejection on your commercial auto policy affects driver injury claim resolution. For employee drivers, PIP interacts with Texas Workers Compensation (which is the primary policy for work-related employee injuries). The McDade Review evaluates the PIP selection on your current policy.

The McDade Commercial Auto Review is an audit of your existing commercial auto policy by Dallas Downey, CLCS. The review evaluates three primary areas. First, the auto symbol structure on your current declarations (Symbol 1 vs Symbol 7, plus 8 and 9 for hired and non-owned), with specific attention to whether the symbol matches your operational fleet management and your contract requirements. Second, the Hired and Non-Owned Auto endorsement and whether your business has the HNOA coverage required for employees using personal vehicles for work. Third, the liability limit structure (combined single limit or split limits, per-occurrence and aggregate) against your operational exposure and contract requirements. About 40 percent of the time the review confirms the current carrier and structure are correct. The other 60 percent identifies symbol gaps, HNOA exposure, or limit structuring opportunities.

Dallas Downey, CLCS leads the McDade commercial insurance team including Commercial Auto. Dallas holds the Certified Lines Coverage Specialist designation and routes commercial conversations through a dedicated commercial meeting calendar. The McDade office serves the Houston metropolitan area including Spring, Klein, Tomball, Cypress, The Woodlands, Conroe, Humble, Katy, and Bridgeland, plus all of Texas through Premier Group Insurance carrier access including 50+ top Texas carriers we know well. McDade Insurance Brokerage Group is licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance (Texas License 2539471). Schedule a commercial review with Dallas through the commercial routing on this page or call the McDade office at 281.378.5002.