10% work, 90% personal

[cmfsd]

Vehicle Insurance

I currently have my f150 insured with TD.

I use this car 90% personal and 10% business where once a week I will need to carry my ladders in the trunk from one site to the next or use my utility trailer to carry from one site to this name.

It is essentially being used for business a maximum of one day a week. Will I need to get two seperate insurance commercial and personal ? That seems way too expensive

Thanks

 

[youthleaderjames]

@cmfsd Nope! Generally if there is any commercial use they will want to move it out of personal lines and into commercial. Some commercial rates include personal use as well. I’d ask TD and see! They might keep it as a personal use vehicle just handled by their commercial department as well.

 

[sovereignone]

@cmfsd This is definitely verging on commercial exposure, the percentage or frequency is irrelevant - it's the type of work being done that matters.

Every insurer is different and some have a higher threshold for what constitutes commercial usage.

On the lower end you have things like realtors, doctors, lawyers, consultants, etc. who drive from one location to another (whether in addition to or in place of a regular commute) and at most might have a briefcase, laptop, some signage, etc. This is more personal business use than commercial and most insurers are fine with it.

In contrast to that would be tradespeople, contractors, labourers, etc. Where it starts to verge on commercial is the type of equipment you're carrying as well as any materials and/or trailers. I'd be leaning towards commercial on this one.

Then you've got stuff like delivery and taxi/Uber that are cut and dry commercial usage that no insurer that only offers personal coverage would even think of touching.

You obviously fall into that middle category where it's gonna depend on your exact situation and how your insurer categorizes it. They'll probably have a lot of questions. It might even need to be reviewed by Underwriting. Be prepared for the fact that you may need to find an entirely new, commercial policy to cover you. Do not even think about misconstruing or misrepresenting the way in which you're using your vehicle just to "make things easy" as you'd essentially be paying for a policy that will not respond when you need it.

 

[cmfsd]

@sovereignone Thank you, I appreciate you taking your time to answer my question.

 

[echo2788]

@cmfsd Call a broker

 

[jamestw]

@cmfsd My experience would say carrying a ladder and using a "utility" trailer for your business would put you squarely in the commercial territory for most personal lines insurers. You'll just have to ask TD and get quotes for a commercial lines policy if they won't cover you under a personal lines policy.