Auto Liability vs General Liability in Trucking Insurance

 

Auto Liability vs General Liability in Trucking Insurance: What They Cover and Where They Don't

In trucking insurance, auto liability and general liability are not interchangeable. They each cover different risks, respond to different types of claims, and serve different regulatory purposes. But too often, motor carriers assume one will pick up where the other leaves off. Let’s break it down.

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What Auto Liability Covers

Auto liability is the core coverage every motor carrier must carry to operate. It protects against third-party claims of bodily injury or property damage caused by the use, maintenance, or ownership of a covered vehicle. This includes accidents on the road, loading or unloading incidents tied directly to the vehicle, and pollution incidents caused by overturns or collisions.

Key Auto Liability Triggers:

• Collision with another vehicle or object
• Injuries caused during operation of a covered auto
• Overturns involving pollutants or cargo spills
• Certain trailers and temporary substitute vehicles under use

Common Exclusions:

• Employee injuries (covered under workers' comp)
• Cargo (covered under motor truck cargo)
• Property in your care, custody, or control
• Completed operations
• Loading or unloading outside the defined scope

Real Claim Example:

A driver rear-ends a minivan at a stoplight, injuring the other driver and totaling their vehicle. Auto liability pays for the medical bills, pain and suffering, and vehicle repair.

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What General Liability Covers

General liability fills in some of the gaps that auto liability does not touch. These types of claims are not covered by auto liability, even if a truck was involved in the job. If the incident did not stem from the use or operation of the vehicle itself, it is not auto liability’s problem.

GL protects against bodily injury or property damage that occurs off the road and outside the cab. Think slips and falls at your office, injuries caused by employees using tools or equipment, or damage done while delivering to the wrong location.

General liability is not federally required, but many brokers, warehouses, and customers demand it. Some people assume general liability will kick in if your auto limits run out. That is rarely the case. It only acts as excess if it is specifically written to do so, and most policies exclude anything auto-related.

Key General Liability Triggers (with examples):

• Premises liability – A broker rep slips on an icy step at your office. Often times this is the physical address for your policy.
• Products or completed operations claims – You deliver the wrong chemical to a plant, and it shuts down their production line.
• Non-auto-related accidents caused by employees – A driver knocks over a client’s racking system while moving freight by hand.
• Libel, slander, or advertising injury (if endorsed) – A competitor sues you for false statements on your website or recruiting materials.
• Dog bite incidents – Your driver’s pet jumps out of the cab and bites someone while parked at a customer site.
• Forklift or pallet jack accidents – A driver uses a pallet jack to unload a skid and scrapes up the customer's newly finished warehouse floor.
• Property damage during delivery – Your crew dings a loading dock or scratches a customer’s marble floor while maneuvering freight inside.

Common Exclusions:

• Anything involving an auto (deferred to auto liability)
• Damage to your own property
• Employee injuries
• Intentional acts
• Contractual obligations unless specifically covered

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Truckers General Liability: Add-On vs Standalone

Some insurance carriers offer "Truckers General Liability" as an add-on to your auto policy. It is designed to plug into the reality of your operations, covering drivers during delivery, at loading docks, or when working at customer sites.

This type of policy expands who is considered an insured (like lessors and owner-operators), provides coverage for wrong delivery claims, and offers broader protection for mobile equipment-related incidents.

Standalone GL, on the other hand, is often designed for a wide range of businesses, not specifically motor carriers. If you're using a standalone policy from a general market, it's important to review the class codes, exclusions, and definitions closely. Some standalone forms may offer adequate protection, but others may leave out key trucking exposures if not written correctly.

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Truck U Take

One policy will not cut it. If you are running a trucking business, you need both auto liability and general liability, and you need to know where each stops. That line matters most when a claim hits and you are trying to figure out who is paying.

Want us to review your liability coverage and make sure there are no holes in the fence?

Call 254-294-7798 or email info@trucku.biz. We will make sure you are not relying on the wrong policy for the wrong exposure.

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Disclosure

This post is for educational purposes only. It’s not legal advice, insurance advice, or a substitute for calling your agent. Truck U is good, but we’re not psychic. Policies vary, laws change, and courtrooms get weird. Don’t make decisions based solely on something you read on the internet, unless it’s from us, in writing, with your name on it.

All opinions are our own and do not represent the views of any carrier, employer, or underwriting department that occasionally wishes we were quieter on LinkedIn.