Why insuring a work truck keeps getting more expensive

If your renewal for the work truck, the delivery van or the fleet came in higher again, you are not imagining things. The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB) found in its second-quarter 2026 survey that commercial auto premiums increased 4.5 percent on average, as reported by Insurance Journal on August 20, 2026.

Umbrella insurance rose even more. Premiums increased an average of 5.3 percent, the largest increase of any line and the 35th consecutive quarter of premium increases for umbrella, according to the same report.

What the survey does and does not say

The Insurance Journal report gives no reason for the auto and umbrella increases, so we will not guess at one. It does say CIAB linked part of the property decline to carriers seeking to offset increases they asked for in lines like commercial auto and umbrella. Carriers weigh one line against another.

Why your truck is not covered by your other policies

Many owners assume their business policy or their personal auto policy has them covered. Triple-I says otherwise. If a vehicle is used primarily in business, there is likely no coverage under a personal auto policy, and a vehicle owned by a business gets none. A businessowners policy does not cover vehicles either, so you need a separate policy.

If employees sometimes drive their own cars for work, such as deliveries or client visits, Triple-I says you may need hired and non-owned auto coverage, which sits above the employee's personal auto limits.

How umbrella fits in

Triple-I describes umbrella liability, also called excess liability, as extra protection for catastrophic events. It starts to pay when a covered loss exhausts the primary policy. Ask which of your policies your umbrella sits above.

What to ask at renewal

• Is the vehicle list current? Remove trucks you sold and add the ones you bought. You should not pay for a vehicle you no longer have, and you should not drive one that is not listed.
• Is the driver list current? Ask who is listed, and what the insurer needs to know about new drivers.
• What limits do I have? The NAIC says commercial auto policies typically carry higher liability limits, for example $1 million. Ask whether yours fit the work you do.
• What is the deductible? The NAIC notes that a higher-than-average deductible can lower premiums. Choose one you could pay tomorrow.
• How do auto and umbrella connect? Ask which policy your umbrella sits above, and what it requires underneath.

If the price keeps climbing

You cannot control the market, but you can control some of what goes into your price. Fewer vehicles on the policy, a clean driver list and the right deductible can all matter. So can the question of whether every vehicle really needs to be covered as it is today. Ask your broker to price a couple of options side by side, so you can see the trade.

Also ask who in your company is allowed to drive. A policy is built around the drivers it lists. If an employee uses a company truck on weekends or a family member borrows it, tell your broker and ask what that means for coverage, before something happens.