The second it's for work, your personal policy quits.
How commercial auto covers the vehicles, the drivers, and the cars you don't even own, the coverage symbols that quietly decide what's actually protected, and the honest word on what Nationwide will and won't write. From an independent agency that places Nationwide commercial every day.
The short answer
Commercial auto covers the vehicles your business uses — because a personal policy generally excludes business use and can deny the claim. Nationwide writes it for light and medium trucks, vans, and pickups (not semis), and it does two things well for NWA trades: it covers the equipment installed on your work truck, and it keeps Hired & Non-Owned Auto — including employees' own cars — on the same policy. The coverage symbols on your declarations decide what's actually protected, and reading them is where we start. Commercial is a separate appointment from our personal lines.
Personal auto wasn't built for work.
The most common — and most expensive — surprise in small business insurance is discovering, at a claim, that a personal auto policy doesn't cover business use.
A personal auto policy is priced and written for personal driving. Most of them exclude or limit business use: making deliveries, hauling tools and materials, running between job sites, or anything you're paid to do. If a vehicle is titled to your business, or a personal vehicle is used regularly for the business, commercial auto is the policy that's supposed to respond.
The danger isn't just a gap — it's a denial. An insurer that learns a wreck happened during business use on a personal policy can refuse the claim entirely, leaving the business owner personally exposed for the vehicle, the injuries, and the lawsuit. That's why "does this vehicle ever get used for the business?" is the first question, not the last.
The symbols that decide everything.
Every commercial auto policy assigns numbered "covered auto symbols" to each coverage. Almost no business owner has heard of them — and they silently determine what's protected and what isn't.
| Symbol | What it covers | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Any Auto | The broadest liability: autos you own, hire, or don't own. | The safest for liability — but not every policy is written this way. |
| 7 — Owned / Listed Autos | Only the specific vehicles listed on your policy. | A newly bought or unlisted truck can be exposed until you add it. Tell us when the fleet changes. |
| 8 — Hired Autos | Vehicles you rent, lease, hire, or borrow for the business. | Excludes vehicles borrowed from your own employees or owners — a real gap for many small shops. |
| 9 — Non-Owned Autos | Vehicles used for business that you don't own — including employees' personal cars. | This is the one that covers "my employee ran an errand in her own car." Without it, the business is exposed. |
The mistake is assuming "broad" when the symbols say "narrow."
A business can be running deliveries in employees' cars, renting a box truck for a big job, and swapping vehicles through the year — all while its policy quietly covers only four listed trucks under Symbol 7. Nothing looks wrong until a claim lands on an uncovered vehicle. Matching the symbols to how the business actually operates is the whole job, and it's exactly what a checkout-page policy can't do for you.
The cars you don't own can still cost you.
Two of the biggest commercial-auto exposures involve vehicles that aren't yours — and Nationwide keeps both on the same policy.
Hired & Non-Owned Auto covers your liability for vehicles you rent or borrow (hired) and for employees' personal vehicles used for business (non-owned) — administered on the same commercial auto policy.
Where it saves you, and where it stops.
If an employee runs to the supply house, makes a delivery, or drives to a client in their own car and causes an accident, your business can be named in the claim — and a policy listing only your owned trucks won't respond. Non-owned coverage is what stands between the business and that liability.
Be clear about the limits, though: HNOA is liability protection for the business, not coverage for the borrowed car. It typically won't pay for injuries to the employee who was driving, for a family member riding along, or for damage to the employee's own vehicle — those usually fall to the employee's personal auto policy. Knowing exactly where the line sits is the difference between a policy that works and one that surprises you.
Built for work trucks, not 18-wheelers.
Light & medium vehicles
Pickups, cargo and work vans, box trucks, and utility trucks — the vehicles most NWA trades, service businesses, and local delivery operations actually run.
Equipment as used in the field
Ladder racks, shelving systems, lift gates, and other permanently attached equipment — Nationwide insures the truck as it's actually built out, not just as it left the factory. For a rolling toolbox, that's thousands of dollars at a claim.
Not semis, not federal filings
Semi-trucks and tractor-trailers aren't eligible, and for-hire carriers needing federal filings (BMC-91X, MCS-90) need a trucking market. If that's you, we place it elsewhere — knowing where Nationwide stops is part of placing it well.
This is exactly what an independent agency is for.
A captive agent has to make Nationwide fit or lose the account. We don't. If you run box trucks and vans, Nationwide is often an excellent, well-priced home with genuine strengths. If you run heavy trucks or need federal authority, we route you to one of our 40-plus other carriers built for that — same conversation, right market.
Vantage 360 Fleet® — discount and coaching.
Nationwide's free commercial telematics program uses a mobile app or in-vehicle device to score driver behavior and can earn up to a 10% discount on a qualifying business auto policy.
More than a discount — a loss-control tool.
Beyond the premium credit, Vantage 360 Fleet gives you a web portal for driver locations, trip history, mileage, and safety scores, and rewards safe drivers with points redeemable for gift cards. For a business with vehicles, the real value is catching risky driving before it becomes a claim — the same logic as the loss-prevention resources below.
Fewer claims protect your renewal, your experience, and your ability to stay insured at a good rate. On a commercial account, that compounding matters more than almost any single discount.
The coverages, in plain terms.
| Coverage | What it does |
|---|---|
| Liability (BI & PD) | Pays for injuries and property damage the business is liable for. Commercial limits should run well above personal minimums — the exposure is bigger. |
| Physical Damage | Comprehensive and collision on your owned vehicles, including the installed equipment when properly scheduled. |
| Medical Payments / PIP | Medical costs for occupants regardless of fault, where applicable. |
| Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist | Protects your drivers when the at-fault party has no or too little insurance — meaningful in a state where roughly one in six drivers is uninsured. |
| Hired & Non-Owned | Liability for rented/borrowed vehicles and employees' own cars used for business (Symbols 8 & 9). |
| Optional add-ons | New vehicle replacement cost, roadside assistance, and rental reimbursement, among others. |
Quoted by an agent, not a checkout page.
Commercial auto pricing depends on your vehicles, radius of operation, drivers and their records, cargo, coverage limits, and loss history — which is why Nationwide doesn't quote it online and why a real number only comes from an agent. This isn't a quote or a guarantee. What reliably helps: right-sizing the symbols so you're not paying for coverage you don't need or missing coverage you do, bundling with your other commercial policies, and enrolling in Vantage 360 Fleet. We'll build the actual number with you.
Backed by an A (Excellent) carrier.
On November 7, 2025, AM Best affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) for the members of the Nationwide Property and Casualty Group, stable outlook — the companies behind this coverage in Arkansas. Nationwide handles commercial claims 24/7 with a national repair network.
Where we earn it on a commercial auto policy.
Three things decide whether a commercial auto policy actually protects the business: the symbols match how you operate, hired and non-owned is in place for the cars you don't own, and the installed equipment is properly covered. We set those at the quote. And because we're independent, if your operation outgrows Nationwide's box — heavy trucks, federal filings — we move it to the right market instead of forcing the fit.
The rest of the commercial account.
Nationwide commercial auto questions.
Won't my personal auto policy cover me when I drive for work?
Usually not. A personal auto policy is written for personal use, and most exclude or limit business use — deliveries, hauling tools, driving to job sites and client meetings. If a vehicle is titled to your business, or a personal vehicle is used regularly for the business, a commercial auto policy is what responds.
The insurer that finds out a wreck happened during business use on a personal policy can deny the claim, which is the worst possible time to learn the difference. If a vehicle touches your business, it's worth a five-minute conversation before it touches a claim.
What are commercial auto "symbols" and why do they matter?
Every commercial auto policy assigns numbered covered-auto symbols to each coverage, and those symbols decide what's actually protected. Symbol 1 is broadest ("any auto"). Symbol 7 covers only the vehicles listed, so an unlisted or newly bought truck can be exposed. Symbol 8 covers hired autos but excludes vehicles borrowed from your own employees. Symbol 9 covers non-owned autos — including employees' personal cars used for business.
The common mistake is assuming broad coverage when your symbols are narrow. Reading the symbols on your declarations page is one of the first things we do.
Are my employees covered when they use their own cars for my business?
Only if you carry Hired and Non-Owned Auto — specifically the non-owned piece (Symbol 9). If an employee runs an errand, makes a delivery, or drives to a job site in their own car and causes an accident, your business can be pulled into the claim, and a policy listing only your owned vehicles won't respond. Nationwide can write it on the same commercial auto policy.
Note the exclusions: HNOA typically doesn't pay for injuries to the employee driving, or family riding along, or damage to the employee's own vehicle — those fall to the employee's personal policy. It's liability protection for the business, not coverage for the borrowed car.
Does Nationwide insure semi-trucks and tractor-trailers?
No. Nationwide's commercial auto program is built for light and medium vehicles — pickups, cargo and work vans, box trucks, and utility trucks. Semi-trucks and tractor-trailers aren't eligible, and for-hire carriers that need federal filings like a BMC-91X or MCS-90 need a trucking-focused market.
That's not a problem for us: as an independent agency, if you run heavy trucks or need federal authority filings, we place you with one of our other carriers built for that. Knowing where Nationwide stops is part of placing it well.
Does Nationwide cover the equipment installed on my work truck?
This is one of Nationwide's genuine strengths for the trades. Many commercial auto policies insure only the truck as it left the factory, leaving ladder racks, shelving, lift gates, and other permanently attached equipment underinsured. Nationwide is more willing to insure the truck as it's actually used in the field, including that built-in equipment.
For a plumber, electrician, or contractor whose vehicle is really a rolling toolbox, that difference can be thousands of dollars at a claim — so make sure the equipment is properly reflected on the policy.
How do I get a Nationwide commercial auto quote in Northwest Arkansas?
Commercial auto isn't quoted online — it runs through an agent. Start a commercial quote with us or call (479) 286-1066. Have your vehicle list, driver list, and a sense of how the vehicles are used, and tell us whether employees ever drive their own cars for the business.
We'll set the right symbols, add hired and non-owned where it belongs, make sure your installed equipment is covered, and look at Vantage 360 Fleet. And if Nationwide isn't the right fit for your operation, we'll place it with one of our other markets.
If our insurance guides and coverage comparisons are helpful, mark Cribb Insurance as a preferred source so more Northwest Arkansas business owners can find our local explanations.
Nationwide is one of 40+ carriers we represent.
Which means we can tell you honestly whether Nationwide is the right home for your commercial auto — or whether your operation needs a trucking or specialty market instead. Send your vehicle and driver list and how the vehicles are used, and we'll set the symbols, add hired and non-owned, cover your installed equipment, and price Vantage 360 Fleet. If Nationwide isn't the fit, we'll say so and place it where it belongs.
Cribb Insurance Group Inc. is an independent insurance agency licensed in Arkansas. We are not Nationwide, and this page is not endorsed, sponsored, reviewed, or approved by Nationwide. "Nationwide," "Nationwide is on your side," and "Vantage 360 Fleet" are service marks or trademarks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates, used here nominatively to identify products we are appointed to place. Nationwide's Arkansas commercial auto policies are issued by Nationwide-affiliated underwriting companies.
This page describes coverage in general terms for informational purposes only. It is not a policy, not an offer of insurance, and not a guarantee of coverage, availability, eligibility, or price. Coverage, covered-auto symbols, endorsements, telematics program terms, eligibility, appetite and availability vary by state, by policy, and over time, are set by the carrier, and are subject to underwriting approval and to the terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy actually issued. Vehicle-type eligibility (including the ineligibility of semi-trucks/tractor-trailers and federal-filing risks), hired and non-owned coverage, installed-equipment coverage, and Vantage 360 Fleet availability and discount are subject to carrier rules and state availability. If anything on this page conflicts with the issued policy, the policy controls.
Financial strength ratings are opinions of an insurer's ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations, are subject to change, are not recommendations to purchase, hold or terminate any policy, and do not address an insurer's claims-handling practices; current ratings are at ambest.com. The A (Excellent) rating referenced applies to the members of the Nationwide Property and Casualty Group. Linked Nationwide resource centers are provided by Nationwide for general educational purposes. Statements about Arkansas and federal requirements are general information, not legal advice.
Last reviewed July 2026.