When it comes to insuring your fleet vehicles, it’s important to find an insurance company that fits your business needs.

Mercury Insurance offers auto insurance policies that are tailored to the business customer. In the last two years, it has expanded its business auto coverage into six new states: Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Currently, Mercury’s commercial auto insurance is available in 10 states — it has already been available in California, Texas, Florida and Oklahoma for a number of years, says Brandt Minnich, vice president of marketing. Mercury hopes to continue to grow its commercial insurance program.

“We have a focus on continuing to expand our business auto product across the states as we enter into new markets in the future,” says Minnich.

Small Business Option

Mercury’s commercial auto insurance extends over a range of industries — from construction to retail to pest control to catering to sales/marketing professionals.

“Mercury writes business auto insurance for businesses with fleets as small as one vehicle or companies that have hundreds of vehicles,” says Robert Houlihan, Mercury’s vice president and chief product officer.

Although Mercury has some big fleet customers, Minnich describes its bread and butter as its small business accounts.

“The small fleets are our main customers,” says Minnich. “We have fleets with 10 to 12 vehicles but fewer fleets with 125 vehicles.”

Depending on your type of business, Mercury insures a variety of business vehicles, including passenger vehicles, vans, pickups, SUVs, box trucks and refrigerator and utility trucks.

To find the right coverage, Mercury provides several options. In addition to minimum liability insurance required by each state, Mercury’s common coverage policies include collision, personal injury protection, medical, comprehensive and uninsured/underinsured, according to the company website.

Based on the customer, coverage can be added or taken off a policy. If someone only wants liability coverage, Mercury can do that, according to Minnich. Or if a company wants to include roadside assistance and replacement rental vehicles, Mercury can add those options for an additional fee, says Minnich.

To sign up for an insurance policy, small fleets can find a local agent through the Mercury Insurance website at www.mercuryinsurance.com. After receiving the necessary information, independent agents will be able to give a business owner an insurance quote, says Minnich. Then the agent can complete the application and bind that coverage for the business customer.

Coverage and Claim Filings

To take a closer look at Mercury’s commercial auto insurance, Minnich answered some questions on coverage and claim filings:

BF: Are all my drivers covered in a Mercury policy?

Minnich: Yes, we have no limit on the number of drivers that can be insured on each policy.

BF: Does Mercury offer fleets different payment options?

Minnich: Yes, fleets don’t have to pay the entire insurance premium upfront. We have a two-payment, four-payment or monthly payment options for an annual policy.

BF: Does Mercury offer incentives for good drivers and fewer accidents?

Minnich: Yes, any policy could earn more discounts with fewer accidents and safer drivers. We also base the rate upon driver activity. If there are fewer accidents and tickets on a fleet’s driving record, it could lead to a lower premium.

BF: What is the average turnaround time for a claim?

Minnich: It varies on the situation; some claims take longer to settle than others. But a claim adjuster will call a customer regarding a claim within four hours. Once the claim is filed, adjusters are responsive to reaching out to the customer.

BF: When can a claim be filed?

Minnich: Customers can report a claim 24 hours a day, seven days a week.