Commercial Auto & Fleet Insurance for Jacksonville, JAXPORT and St. Augustine Businesses

Commercial auto insurance covers business vehicles for liability, collision, comprehensive, medical payments and uninsured motorists. Florida requires $10,000 of property damage liability plus $10,000 of PIP. Trucks of 26,000 pounds or more must add $50,000 to $300,000 of combined liability by weight (FS 627.7415). Most businesses carry a $1 million combined single limit. Duval County recorded 23,013 crashes in 2024.

Fleet and truck insurance for Jacksonville, JAXPORT and St. Augustine businesses. Free DOT Risk Scorecard, FS 627.7415 limits by weight, same-day COIs.

Figures reviewed against Florida Statutes and carrier bulletins on September 27, 2026.

Commercial auto in Jacksonville, at JAXPORT and in St. Augustine

Jacksonville is a port and logistics city; St. Johns County is a fast-growing service market. Both put more commercial vehicles on the same roads every year, and Florida's minimums have not moved.

Jacksonville, Duval County and JAXPORT

FMCSA's carrier census lists roughly 6,600 USDOT-registered carriers with a Duval County address, about 2,100 of them interstate, and JAXPORT handled 1,388,841 container units (TEUs), 506,237 vehicles and 10,230,114 tons of cargo in fiscal 2025.

Florida's baseline for any vehicle is $10,000 of personal injury protection and $10,000 of property damage liability (FS 627.736(1), 324.022(1)); bodily injury liability becomes mandatory only after a qualifying crash or a DUI (FS 324.051, 324.023), which is why a $1 million combined single limit is a business decision, not a legal one.
Heavier trucks have their own floor: combined bodily injury and property damage liability of $50,000 per occurrence at 26,000 to 34,999 pounds gross vehicle weight, $100,000 at 35,000 to 43,999 pounds, and $300,000 at 44,000 pounds and up (FS 627.7415), in addition to any federal or contract requirement.
Duval County recorded 23,013 crashes, 153 deaths and 15,480 injuries in 2024, about 63 crashes a day, with 327 alcohol-confirmed crashes (FLHSMV Crash Facts 2024, closeout January 22, 2026 and subject to change).
FLHSMV's November 2024 count found 93.3% of Duval's 701,792 registered non-commercial vehicles with insurance on file, roughly 47,000 without; uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on the fleet is what pays your driver when the other vehicle has $10,000 or nothing.

St. Augustine and St. Johns County

About 900 USDOT-registered carriers list a St. Johns County address, and the county authorized 4,735 new housing units in 2025, so the roads carry more service vans, landscape trailers and delivery vehicles each year.

St. Johns County recorded 3,652 crashes, 23 deaths and 1,909 injuries in 2024; 96.1% of its 249,888 registered non-commercial vehicles carried insurance on file in FLHSMV's November 2024 report, the best rate in the region.
A personal auto policy excludes business use beyond commuting, so a St. Augustine contractor's pickup that hauls tools and materials to job sites needs a commercial auto policy, and the hired and non-owned auto endorsement covers the employee who runs an errand in their own car.
Cargo, contents and equipment on the truck are not covered by auto liability or physical damage; inland marine and motor truck cargo forms fill that gap, and the limit should follow the load, not the truck.

Crashes and insured-vehicle rates, 2024 (FLHSMV)

County	Crashes	Fatalities	Injuries	Registered non-commercial vehicles with insurance on file (Nov. 2024)
Duval	23,013	153	15,480	93.3% of 701,792
St. Johns	3,652	23	1,909	96.1% of 249,888
Florida	381,423	3,098	n/a	94.5% of 16,287,193

Crash figures from Florida Traffic Crash Facts 2024 (closeout January 22, 2026; subject to change). The insured-vehicle rate counts non-commercial vehicles only and is not comparable to the Insurance Research Council's claim-based estimate of 15.9% uninsured Florida motorists in 2022.

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Data sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What liability limits does Florida require for a commercial truck?

Every vehicle needs $10,000 of personal injury protection and $10,000 of property damage liability (FS 627.736, 324.022). Commercial motor vehicles of 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or more must carry combined bodily injury and property damage liability of $50,000 per occurrence up to 34,999 pounds, $100,000 from 35,000 to 43,999 pounds, and $300,000 at 44,000 pounds and above (FS 627.7415).

Are Florida's minimum limits enough for a Jacksonville fleet?

Usually not. Federal motor carrier rules and shipper contracts usually require far more than Florida's minimums, and most Jacksonville fleets carry a $1 million combined single limit.

How many trucking and delivery companies are based in Jacksonville?

FMCSA's motor carrier census file listed roughly 6,600 active USDOT-registered carriers with a Duval County address in September 2026, about 2,100 of them interstate carriers and about 4,500 intrastate, plus roughly 900 in St. Johns County. Nationally FMCSA counted 2,113,851 active carriers as of July 31, 2026. JAXPORT's fiscal 2025 volumes were 1,388,841 container units (TEUs) and 506,237 vehicles.

What does commercial auto insurance cover?

Commercial auto insurance covers vehicles used for business purposes against liability, collision, comprehensive damage, medical payments, and uninsured motorists. It protects your business from lawsuits if your vehicle injures someone or damages property, covers vehicle repairs from accidents, theft, vandalism, weather damage, and medical bills for occupants. It also covers business equipment in vehicles and multiple drivers on your policy.

How much does commercial auto insurance cost?

It depends on the vehicles, the drivers, the radius, the cargo and the limits. The one sourced benchmark is per mile: the American Transportation Research Institute put liability insurance at 20.3 cents per mile for small fleets in 2024. Delivery vehicles and trucks cost more than passenger cars, and newer or accident-prone drivers cost more. We shop 40+ carriers.

How much commercial auto liability coverage should I carry?

Most businesses carry a $1 million combined single limit, and delivery and transportation businesses often need $2 million to $5 million. Florida's minimums leave a business exposed in almost any injury lawsuit. The step from $500,000 to $1 million typically costs a fraction of the first layer, because the underwriter is pricing frequency, not the top of the limit.

Is bodily injury liability required on a business vehicle in Florida?

Bodily injury liability becomes mandatory only after triggers like an at-fault crash or a DUI, and commercial vehicles of 26,000 pounds or more must carry $50,000 to $300,000 of combined liability by weight (FS 627.7415). Otherwise Florida's only mandatory minimums are $10,000 of property damage liability and $10,000 of no-fault personal injury protection.

What's the difference between commercial and personal auto insurance?

Commercial auto insurance covers vehicles used for business purposes—deliveries, transporting clients, hauling equipment, or any business use beyond commuting. It provides higher liability limits, covers business equipment in vehicles, and protects multiple drivers. Personal auto policies exclude business use and won't cover accidents during business activities. Using personal insurance for business can result in denied claims and policy cancellation.

Do I need commercial auto insurance if I only use my vehicle occasionally for business?

It depends on the use. Many personal auto policies exclude or limit business use such as deliveries, so a claim during business activity can be denied. Occasional use like visiting clients can sometimes be covered by a business-use endorsement on a personal policy. Regular deliveries, employees driving, or vehicles titled to the business need commercial auto coverage.

What insurance do I need for trucking operations (long-haul, owner-operators)?

At minimum: primary liability, physical damage on the truck and trailer, and motor truck cargo. Federal rules set public liability minimums of $750,000 for for-hire interstate carriers of nonhazardous property, $1,000,000 for oil and certain hazardous materials, and $5,000,000 for the most hazardous cargo (49 CFR 387.9). Owner-operators leased to a carrier also buy non-trucking liability.

What do underwriters see when they pull my DOT number?

They see your public FMCSA profile: federal safety rating (Satisfactory, Conditional or Unsatisfactory), vehicle and driver out-of-service rates compared to national averages, 24-month crash history, fleet size, authority age, and the liability insurance filings on record, including any lapse history. That profile, not your application, is what prices your trucks. Our free DOT Risk Scorecard shows the same data.

Why did my trucking insurance go up if I haven't had a claim?

Two forces: the market and your public profile. Commercial auto has posted underwriting losses for 14 consecutive years per AM Best (107.2 combined ratio in 2024), so carriers raise rates across the board, roughly 7% a year per the Ivans Index. Anything on your public FMCSA record (out-of-service violations, a conditional rating, an insurance lapse) adds a fleet-specific surcharge.

How much does owner-operator insurance cost per month?

For liability alone, small fleets of 25 or fewer trucks averaged 20.3 cents per mile in 2024 per the American Transportation Research Institute. At 80,000 to 100,000 annual miles, that is roughly $1,350 to $1,700 per month per truck. A full program adds meaningfully more. Your rate depends on your FMCSA safety profile, operating radius, cargo and authority age.

What's a good cost per mile for trucking insurance?

Per ATRI's 2026 study, the industry averaged a record 10.2 cents per mile for liability premiums in 2024, but fleet size changes the number. Fleets of 5-25 trucks averaged 20.3 cents per mile, 26-100 trucks paid 16.1 cents, and 101-250 truck fleets paid 10.4 cents. A small fleet above 20.3 cents is above its peer benchmark.

What insurance do I need to lease onto a motor carrier?

The motor carrier's primary liability covers you while you are under dispatch. You typically still buy three things yourself: non-trucking liability or bobtail coverage, whichever the lease specifies, physical damage on your own tractor, and occupational accident coverage. Your lease agreement dictates the required limits and deductibles, so have it reviewed before you sign.

What's the difference between bobtail and non-trucking liability insurance?

Bobtail covers your tractor when driven without a trailer, regardless of whether you are under dispatch. Non-trucking liability (NTL) covers non-business use (personal errands, driving home after dropping a load). Lease agreements commonly require one or both, and both cost a small fraction of primary liability. The motor carrier's policy usually does not cover you between loads.

How much does insurance cost for a new trucking authority?

More than an established fleet pays. Carriers apply a 'new venture' surcharge for roughly the first two years of an authority because there is no public track record to price. The gap narrows as clean roadside inspections accumulate on your FMCSA record. Budget above the ATRI small-fleet average of 20.3 cents per mile initially.

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