When renting a moving truck to transport your belongings to your new home, you will have a lot of things to consider – truck sizes, truck rental costs, truck rental requirements, return options and conditions, possible penalties and extra charges, insurance coverages, etc.
The latter – rental truck insurance – may not seem as important as the other factors, but you should still give it a good thought – after all, having proper insurance is the only thing that will absolve you of liability and protect you from financial losses if you get into an accident with your rented moving vehicle.
There are many things that can go wrong on the road and result in damages or injuries – and if you don’t have appropriate insurance coverage, you could be on the hook for repairs and medical expenses. So, to have a peace of mind when driving a moving truck, you need to have rental truck insurance.
If you have auto insurance, however, you may be under the impression that you’re already covered – after all, personal car insurance does extend to rented vehicles. Yet, that is not exactly the case – while auto insurance policies typically cover rental cars, many of them do not cover vehicles over a certain weight or specifically exclude cargo trucks and moving vans. This means that your car insurance will most likely not cover your rental moving truck – and you will need to buy extra insurance to get appropriate coverage in the event of an accident. Depending on your policy and the size of the rented truck, though, you may have some protection.
Here is what you need to know about auto insurance and rental trucks – and how to figure out whether you need additional coverage when renting a moving van or not.
Does car insurance cover moving trucks?
Personal car insurance is designed to protect you while operating a motor vehicle, so it usually covers not only the vehicles that you own, but also any vehicles that you use temporarily. Therefore, a rental car will get the same coverage as your own car. Unfortunately, that is not the case when renting a moving truck.
Personal auto insurance policies can exclude vehicles based on size, weight, or specific purpose – so they often exclude moving trucks. It’s easy to understand why – driving a large and heavy truck is much more difficult than driving a standard car, so accidents are much more likely to happen.
So, when planning to rent a moving van and wondering “Does my car insurance cover rental trucks?”, you first need to check your policy for exclusions:
- Weight exclusions – Many personal auto insurance policies exclude vehicles beyond a certain size or weight – they do not cover vehicles with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) rating of over 9,000 lbs. or vehicles with a maximum load capacity greater than 2,000 lbs.;
- Specific purpose exclusions – Auto insurance usually excludes vehicles used for racing and off-road purposes, but vehicles designed for various other specific purposes can also be cut out. Many policies specifically exclude vehicles meant for hauling cargo, such as freight trucks and moving trucks.
Even if your policy doesn’t exclude moving trucks, however, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your auto insurance will provide you with sufficient protection when driving a rental truck:
- The liability coverage on your car insurance policy will extend to your rental moving truck – so, if you have an accident with the rented vehicle and are deemed to be at-fault, any property damage claims and personal injury claims made against you will be covered by your auto insurance. Keep in mind though that if your liability limits are low, you may still need additional protection.
- The physical damage coverage you carry on your personal car insurance policy (collision coverage and comprehensive coverage) will most likely NOT extend to your rental truck. So, if you have an accident and it is deemed to be your fault, you will be liable for any damages to the rental vehicle and will have to pay for the repairs out of your own pocket. What’s more, you will most probably be charged a “loss of use” fee as well – to compensate the truck rental agency for lost rental revenue while the damaged truck is out of commission.
So, when asking yourself “Does my auto insurance cover moving truck rental?”, you need to find out not only whether rental trucks are covered under your existing plan, but also exactly how much protection your policy provides.
Good to know:
1) Does personal car insurance cover rental trailers? When you rent a moving trailer, your liability insurance carries over. This means that you will be covered for damages and injuries caused to others and their property – so, if you hit another car while towing the rented trailer because you misjudged the space you needed for the trailer, the damage to the car will be covered by the liability coverage on your personal auto insurance policy. However, you won’t have any coverage for damages to the trailer or any items inside it.
2) What happens if you are not at fault in an accident? If you get into an accident during your move, but another driver is deemed at fault, their insurance will pay for the damage to the rental truck and any personal injuries. The other driver will also be responsible for paying the “loss of use” charge to the truck rental company.
See also: What to know when renting a moving truck
Do I need extra insurance when renting a moving truck?
So, you have car insurance and plan to rent a moving van. To decide whether you need to get moving truck insurance from the rental agency or not, you need to discuss the matter with your auto insurance company.
First, find out whether your existing policy covers moving truck rentals. If so, be sure to ask for details:
- What size trucks does the policy cover? Are there any exclusions based on weight?
- What exactly does the policy cover (damage to the rental truck, damage to the cargo, damage to other vehicles, personal injuries, etc.)?
- What are the coverage limits? What is the maximum amount that the policy will pay out in case of an accident?
- Is there a deductible? How much you will have to pay before the insurance company pays the rest of the claim?
- How will a claim affect your auto premium?
Knowing whether your policy covers truck rentals and exactly how much protection it provides will help you decide whether you need additional insurance – and exactly what type of coverage it will be a good idea to get (damage waivers, supplemental liability insurance, personal accident protection, cargo protection, auto tow protection, etc.).
See also: What questions to ask moving truck rental companies
Good to know: Keep in mind that even if your policy provides sufficient coverage, you may need to reimburse the truck rental company for the full damage amount upon returning the rented vehicle and then deal with your insurance company.
In any case, one thing is certain – having the right coverage will make a big difference if you get in an accident. (May you not!)
