(888) 900 0205Tree Trimmer Auto Insurance
Tree trimmer auto insurance covers the heaviest fleet most small contractors run: a bucket truck, a chip truck towing a 12-inch chipper, a grapple or log truck, and the crew pickup that follows. Tree service rigs are tall, heavy, and often over 26,001 pounds in combination, which puts them in a different rating world than a landscaper's trailer.
Commercial auto insurance for tree work is priced on that reality, and it pairs with your tree trimmer insurance program.
Feedback From Real Clients
I 'VE BEEN WITH USA BUSINESS INSURANCE FOR 14 YEARS. THEY'RE REALLY GOOD AT GENERAL CONTRACTOR INSURANCE. THEY ALWAYS GET MY PAPERWORK DONE ON TIME. I TRUST THEM AND RECOMMEND THEM TO OTHER CONTRACTORS.
Easy to get a quote Very competitive prices Even easier to close, sign, and receive documents Excellent customer service.
Sam was fantastic to work with for my business general liability insurance. He provided a great price, was extremely responsive, and made the entire process quick and easy. I really appreciate the excellent service and communication. Highly recommend Sam to anyone looking for business insurance!
Communicative and straight to the point... All that was said over the phone matched 100 percent what was in print when documents were received. No deception... just professional and timely service. Check them out.
Communicative and straight to the point... All that was said over the phone matched 100 percent what was in print when documents were received. No deception... just professional and timely service. Check them out.
When I left California, I got a new liability company. What a mistake These guys rock if you want to save money and time , call sam
Tree Trimmer Auto Insurance Coverage For Bucket Trucks And Chippers
Tree services are usually written on the ISO Business Auto Coverage Form (CA 00 01). We schedule every truck and trailer and assign coverage unit by unit.
Key protections included:
- Auto liability: Injuries and property damage your driver causes to others, including a chipper that jackknifes into traffic.
- Physical damage: Collision for rollovers and crashes, comprehensive for fire, theft, and a boom that clips an overpass.
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist: Crew injuries when the at-fault driver carries little or nothing.
- Medical payments or PIP: Medical bills for people in your truck, regardless of fault, where offered.
- Hired and non-owned auto: Liability for a rented crane truck or a groundie driving his own car to the site.
- Trailer and towed equipment: Liability for the chipper or stump grinder usually follows the towing truck, but physical damage on the unit needs its own scheduled value or an inland marine floater.
Liability is typically a combined single limit (CSL), one amount per accident for all injury and property damage. Municipal and utility contracts commonly ask for $1,000,000 or more.
You May Need Commercial Auto If Your Tree Service Drives These
Everything titled to the business or used for the business belongs on a commercial schedule:
- Bucket trucks and other aerial lift trucks.
- Chip trucks and dump trucks hauling debris.
- Grapple, log, and crane trucks for removals.
- Chippers, stump grinders, and mini skid steers on trailers.
- Crew-cab pickup trucks and flatbeds.
- Employee vehicles used for estimates and site checks.
Tree services running several heavy units usually move to fleet insurance, which also simplifies adding drivers mid-season.
Covered Auto Symbols Tree Services Should Know
The symbol next to each coverage on your declarations page determines which vehicles that coverage applies to. In tree work, where units get swapped and rented often, it matters more than the limit.
- Symbol 7: Only the scheduled trucks and trailers. A grapple truck bought in May and reported in August may be a gap.
- Symbols 8 and 9: Hired and non-owned autos. With Symbol 7, they extend liability to a rented crane truck or a groundie's car.
- Symbol 1: Any auto, the broadest liability choice.
- Symbol 19: Mobile equipment subject to a compulsory or financial responsibility law, relevant in some states for stump grinders and skid steers that travel on roads.
Ask at your next renewal: Which symbol sits next to liability, and are the chipper and grinder scheduled for physical damage? These two questions determine whether a routine crash is a routine claim.
What's Not Covered Under Commercial Auto
Commercial auto covers the truck on the road and the trailer behind it. Tree services need other policies for:
- A limb dropped on the customer's roof or a neighbor's car: General liability, under premises and operations.
- Injuries while the boom is raising or lowering a climber: Typically a commercial general liability matter under the CGL's mobile equipment exception, not auto, once the truck is parked and working.
- Saws, rigging, and climbing gear stolen from the truck: Tools and equipment coverage or inland marine.
- A chipper that seizes or a boom cylinder that fails: Mechanical breakdown, excluded under auto, sometimes covered under an equipment floater.
- Your climber or groundie hurt in the crash: Workers' compensation responds first.
- Hydraulic oil or fuel released after a rollover: Narrow under auto; broader cleanup falls to contractors pollution liability.
Where tree companies get burned: treating the bucket truck as one risk. On the highway it's an auto. Set up at the curb with the boom in the air, most forms hand the exposure to general liability. Both policies need to be in force and both need to know about the truck. Our guide to tree removal safety and insurance covers how the two policies split a typical loss.
Who May Require Proof Of Auto Insurance
Tree work draws certificate requests from more directions than most trades. A current certificate of insurance will be asked for by:
- Utilities and line-clearance primes under vegetation management contracts.
- Cities, counties, and park districts on public tree work.
- HOAs and property management firms.
- Landscape and construction GCs that sub removals to you.
- FMCSA and your state DOT, where GVWR and interstate travel trigger a USDOT number.
A question from almost every new client: Do my drivers need a CDL for the chip truck and chipper? A CDL is generally required when the truck and trailer combination has a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more and the trailer exceeds 10,000 pounds, with intrastate variations by state. Many chip truck and chipper setups land right at that line, so weigh them.
What Underwriters Ask Tree Services
Heavy units get heavy scrutiny. Have these ready:
- A schedule with year, make, model, VIN, GVWR, boom height, and cost new for each truck, chipper, and grinder.
- Driver list with license class, endorsements, dates of birth, and years driving commercial units.
- Motor vehicle records for every driver, pulled within 30 days.
- Radius, overnight travel, and any storm-chasing work out of state.
- Three to five years of auto loss runs.
- Pre-trip inspection and backing policies in writing.
Our equipment insurance guide covers what to gather on the chipper and grinder side.
Coverage Limits Tree Services Usually Carry
State minimum auto limits are a legal floor. For tree rigs they are nowhere near a utility or municipal contract requirement.
- A $1,000,000 combined single limit is the typical floor on municipal, HOA, and utility tree contracts.
- Line-clearance and utility vegetation contracts often require $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 in total limits, met with auto plus excess liability.
- Physical damage deductibles on bucket and grapple trucks commonly run $2,500 or higher given their values.
- Chippers and grinders are often scheduled at stated value with their own deductible.
Common mistakes tree services make: leaving the chipper off the schedule, letting a groundie without the right license class drive the chip truck, and assuming the bucket truck's boom work is covered under auto.
What Other Coverage Do Tree Services Need
Auto is one piece of a tree service program. Most companies also carry:
- Tree work liability insurance: Dropped limbs, damaged roofs, and crushed fences.
- Workers' compensation: Falls, chainsaw injuries, and electrical contact, among the most severe in any trade.
- Inland marine: Chippers, grinders, saws, and rigging wherever they travel.
- Excess liability: The extra limits utility and municipal contracts demand.
Our page on tree trimmer insurance cost breaks down the full program, and companies that also mow and plant can compare landscaper auto insurance.
Endorsements Tree Services Commonly Need For Contract Compliance
Utility and municipal contracts spell these out. Our overview of limits, endorsements, and deductibles explains the terms.
- Designated insured (CA 20 48): Names the utility, city, or GC as an insured for liability arising from your trucks.
- Primary and noncontributory (CA 04 49): Your auto policy pays first, ahead of the contract holder's.
- Waiver of transfer of rights of recovery (CA 04 44): Your carrier won't pursue the utility or city after paying.
- Hired and non-owned auto (Symbols 8 and 9): Covers rented cranes and employee cars for liability.
- Employees as insureds (CA 99 33): Protects a groundie driving his own car on company business.
Why choose us
Numbers that prove it.
Independent. Licensed in all 50 states. Backed by partnerships with the carriers that matter to your business.
1,000+
Trades Insured
18+
Years In Business
240+
Insurance Carriers
Our Partners
We partner with A-Rated AM Best Insurance Companies (ratings subject to change)
FAQs For Tree Trimmers
Do tree trimmers need commercial auto insurance?
Tree trimmers need commercial auto insurance for every bucket truck, chip truck, and trailer the business runs, because personal auto policies exclude business use and will not write heavy commercial units.
How much is tree trimmer auto insurance?
Tree trimmer auto insurance cost depends on vehicle weight and value, driver records and license class, radius, limits, and state. Bucket and grapple trucks carry higher premiums than crew pickups.
Is my chipper covered under my chip truck's auto policy?
A towed chipper is generally covered for liability while attached to a scheduled truck, but physical damage to the chipper itself requires scheduling it with a stated value or insuring it under inland marine.
Does auto insurance cover injuries while the bucket boom is in use?
Injuries while a bucket truck boom raises or lowers a worker typically fall under general liability through the CGL's mobile equipment exception, not commercial auto. Both policies should list the truck.
Do tree service drivers need a CDL?
Tree service drivers generally need a CDL when the truck and trailer combination is rated at 26,001 pounds or more and the trailer exceeds 10,000 pounds. States apply their own intrastate variations.
What auto limits do utility contracts require from tree services?
Utility and line-clearance contracts commonly require tree services to carry at least a $1,000,000 combined single limit, and many ask for $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 in total limits through excess liability.
Are chainsaws and climbing gear covered if the truck is stolen?
Chainsaws, rigging, and climbing gear are not covered by commercial auto when a truck is stolen. Auto pays for the truck itself; tools need tools and equipment or inland marine coverage.
Does a tree service need a USDOT number?
Tree services that cross state lines in trucks or combinations rated at 10,001 pounds GVWR or more generally need a USDOT number. Several states also require one for intrastate operation.
Is a groundie covered when driving his own car to a job?
A groundie driving his own car to a job is covered for the company's liability only if the policy carries hired and non-owned auto or Symbol 1. His own vehicle falls to his personal policy.
What should a tree service do after a truck accident?
Tree services should call police, photograph the truck, trailer, and hitch, exchange insurance details, and report the crash to the carrier the same day. Leave the chipper connected until the adjuster says otherwise.
You Work Sixty Feet Up. We Make Sure The Truck Below Is Covered.
We insure tree trimmers and removal companies nationwide, and the first question is almost always whether the chipper is covered.
- A schedule and symbol review that catches every trailer, grinder, and chipper before you bind.
- Municipal and utility certificates with the endorsements their contracts name, turned around fast.
Quotes are free. Call 888-900-0205 to get started.