Liberty Mutual commercial auto insurance

Our take

For business owners with several vehicles or larger fleets, Liberty Mutual offers robust coverage options and industry-specific insurance packages to protect your business. It also provides tools like guides on creating a fleet safety program and telematics. Plus, the insurer has received fewer-than-usual complaints for its commercial auto segment.

However, those who are used to a digital insurance experience may be frustrated by the insurer. It has limited online functionality, and all claims must be submitted over the phone; you can't file online.

Understanding commercial auto insurance

Commercial auto insurance covers claims involving company-owned vehicles, including cars, trucks and vans. Depending on the policy, it pays for injuries and damages to people and property, including your employees, passengers and business-owned vehicles. A personal insurance policy, on the other hand, won’t cover claims that happen while the vehicle is operating for business purposes. 

A basic policy includes bodily injury liability and property damage liability, which pay for damage you or your drivers cause to others during an accident. Each state has different required liability limits, and your policy should have at least the limits required by state law. Consider higher limits for better protection.

“Commercial auto insurance is required by most states if your business owns vehicles. While minimum coverage limits vary by state, it’s often worth carrying higher liability coverage limits to protect your company’s financial assets if you’re responsible for an accident,” says Belen Tokarski, president and chief operating officer of Mylo, an independent insurance broker.

Businesses can also sign on for additional coverage, such as comprehensive and collision insurance. Comprehensive covers damage to your vehicles from non-collision events, such as theft and natural disasters. Collision covers damage from impacts with other vehicles or objects. More details about your policy options follow.

Liberty Mutual commercial auto insurance coverage

There are five areas that most Liberty Mutual commercial auto insurance policies cover.

• Liability: This pays for injuries to others as well as damage to other cars or property when your driver is at fault for the accident.
• Collision: This pays to repair or replace your vehicle if it strikes another object, overturns, rolls or is in a collision with another vehicle where your driver is at fault for the accident.
• Comprehensive: This pays to repair or replace the vehicle if it is damaged by something other than collision, such as vandalism, fire or storm damage. 
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM): This helps pay for damage and injuries associated with an accident that wasn’t your fault when the other party has no insurance or lacks sufficient coverage to cover the loss. 
• Medical payments: This protects your driver and passengers and helps pay for injuries in an at-fault accident.

Depending on the subsidiary, you might also be able to add endorsements to your commercial car insurance policy, such as towing and roadside assistance, and rental car coverage if another vehicle is needed for business operations while yours is being repaired. 

Types of commercial vehicles Liberty Mutual insures

Liberty Mutual covers a wide range of vehicles, including:

• Business autos: This category includes all cars, light trucks, SUVs and vans. 
• Trucks: Liberty Mutual covers a variety of trucks, including dump trucks, construction vehicles, tractor trailers and food trucks.
• Trailers: This category includes pickup truck utility trailers, dump body trailers and tractor trailers. 

Liberty Mutual commercial auto insurance benefits

Liberty Mutual says it offers many services that business customers may find beneficial, including:

• Fleet safety programs (for mid-size and large businesses)
• Telematics data on driver behaviors (for mid-size and large businesses)
• Dedicated claim handlers with industry experience
• 24/7 roadside assistance
• Online bill payments

How Liberty Mutual stacks up against other commercial auto insurance companies

Liberty Mutual is the fourth-largest commercial auto insurance company by market share, controlling about 3.9% of the market, according to a March 2024 ranking by the  National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the standard-setting and regulatory support organization overseen by the country’s top insurance regulators. Its closest competitors are Progressive, which has a 15% market share, and Travelers, with a 5.4% share of the market.

A major criterion for judging insurance companies is the NAIC’s complaint index.

The NAIC’s complaint index is based on the number of complaints filed against the company with state insurance regulators compared to that company’s market share. A score of 1.0 means it received a number of complaints proportionate to its market share, while a score higher than 1.0 means it received a higher-than-expected number of complaints for its market share. 

In 2024, Liberty Mutual’s NAIC complaint index for commercial auto insurance was 2.06, which means it has twice as many complaints as expected for its size.

Another consideration when selecting an insurer is its financial stability. After all, you want your insurance company to be on a strong financial footing should you even need to file a claim. 

AM Best, a ratings agency that measures financial strength, gives Liberty Mutual an A, indicating that the company is in an excellent position to meet its financial obligations. 

How does Liberty Mutual commercial auto insurance pricing compare with the competition?

Liberty Mutual doesn’t publish its commercial auto insurance rates online. The cost of commercial car insurance coverage depends on several factors, such as location, coverage options, vehicle, driving history and the business you're in.

According to Insureon, a small business insurance agency, the average cost of commercial auto insurance is about $147 per month, or $1,764 per year.

To see how Liberty Mutual’s commercial auto insurance prices compare to those of its competitors, you’ll need to get a personalized rate quote. Comparing rates from multiple insurance companies can also help you find the most affordable commercial auto insurance policy for your situation and coverage needs.

Tips to save on Liberty Mutual commercial auto insurance 

Liberty Mutual doesn’t advertise any commercial auto insurance discounts on its website. However, there might be ways to reduce your premium. Here are some ways to save money on your commercial auto insurance policy.

• Bundling discount: Many insurers provide a discount for bundling commercial auto insurance with another policy, like general liability insurance or commercial property insurance.
• Paid-in-full discount: You can sometimes earn a small discount if you pay your annual premium upfront and in full at the start of the policy period. 
• Good driver discount: If your employees have clean driving records with no recent accidents or violations, Liberty Mutual might give you a discount on your commercial auto insurance premium.

How to buy Liberty Mutual commercial vehicle insurance

Liberty Mutual partners with Tivly to allow customers to request a quote online, but you’ll need to wait for an independent agent to call you back to complete the process. You can also call Liberty Mutual at (844) 925-1272 to speak with an agent directly.

Before you talk to an agent, you’ll want to have all pertinent information available to ensure the quote is accurate. You’ll need the year, make, model and VIN for all vehicles. You’ll also need employees' driver's license numbers so Liberty Mutual can properly rate the drivers. 

Also, consider what coverage you want. You can choose to get a liability-only policy to meet state minimum requirements; however, this will not protect the vehicle if you are at fault for an accident. Talk to the representative about deductible options to help you save money while getting the protection you want. 

Once the representative has all the information, they’ll provide you with a quote for approval. From there, you just need to pay the initial premium to start the policy. 

Bottom line: Why go with Liberty Mutual for commercial auto insurance?

Liberty Mutual can be an excellent insurance provider for small business owners who want specialty coverage. The company offers insurance packages that are tailored to the needs of various industries, including construction, manufacturing, restaurants, professional services and many others. However, Liberty Mutual has more complaints than expected, and you can’t get a quote or purchase a policy online.

What our expert says

Q: Should businesses get more than minimum levels of coverage?

Belen Tokarski President and COO of independent insurance broker Mylo.

"[I]t’’s often worth carrying higher liability coverage limits to protect your company’s financial assets if you’re responsible for an accident,” says Belen Tokarski, president and chief operating office of Mylo, an independent insurance broker."