CA 00 01 is the ISO Business Auto Coverage Form, the base form of the standard commercial auto policy that covers a business for liability and physical damage arising from its vehicles. Unlike a personal auto policy, it does not automatically cover every vehicle for every coverage. Instead, numeric covered auto designation symbols entered on the declarations decide which autos each coverage applies to, which makes the symbols the single most important thing on the policy.
If your business owns, leases, hires, or borrows vehicles, or your employees drive their own cars on company errands, this is the form that responds. This page explains how the form is built, what each symbol does, and the traps that catch businesses at claim time.
What does CA 00 01 do?
The Business Auto Coverage Form is the engine of the commercial auto policy. It provides covered autos liability coverage, which pays bodily injury and property damage the insured becomes legally obligated to pay because of an accident involving a covered auto, and it provides physical damage coverage for the vehicles themselves through comprehensive, specified causes of loss, and collision.
The declarations, form CA DS 03, list each coverage in Item Two alongside a limit, a premium, and the symbols that define which autos that coverage applies to. A vehicle that does not match a symbol shown next to a coverage simply is not a covered auto for that coverage, no matter what the business assumed.
The form defines an auto as a land motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer designed for travel on public roads, or any other land vehicle subject to a compulsory or financial responsibility law where it is licensed or garaged. Mobile equipment such as forklifts and loaders generally falls outside that definition and looks to the general liability policy instead, though endorsements can move over-the-road exposure onto the auto policy. Our guide to contractors equipment insurance covers where that gear belongs when it is not on the road.
How do the covered auto symbols work?
Section I of the form defines the symbols, and Item Two of the declarations applies them coverage by coverage. More than one symbol can appear in a single box, and the common designs mix them deliberately, such as symbol 1 for liability with symbol 7 for physical damage, or the 2, 8, 9 combination that covers owned, hired, and nonowned autos for liability. The key symbols work like this:
| Symbol | Which autos | Coverages it can trigger |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Any auto, regardless of ownership | Liability only |
| 2 | Autos the named insured owns, including later acquisitions | All coverages |
| 7 | Only autos specifically described in the declarations | All coverages, per the Item Three schedule |
| 8 | Autos leased, hired, rented, or borrowed, except from employees or their households | Liability and physical damage |
| 9 | Nonowned autos, including employee-owned vehicles used in the business | Liability only |
| 19 | Mobile equipment subject to a compulsory or financial responsibility law | Liability only |
Symbols 3 through 6 subdivide owned autos for private passenger classes, no-fault benefits, and compulsory uninsured motorist laws, so they appear where state law or rating strategy calls for them. Our post on commercial auto insurance symbols walks through every symbol with examples if you want the full tour.
Why is symbol 7 the one to watch?
Symbols 1 through 6 and 19 automatically extend to autos of the described type that you acquire after the policy starts, which is why insurers audit these policies at term end.
Symbol 7 does not work that way. A newly acquired vehicle is covered only if the insurer already covers all your owned autos for that coverage or the new vehicle replaces one that had it, and only if you notify the insurer within 30 days of acquisition. Miss the 30-day window on a symbol 7 policy and the new truck has no coverage at all, which is an expensive way to learn how the schedule works.
Symbol 9 hides a different trap. It gives the named insured liability protection when an employee drives their own car on company business, but the employee gets no insured status from it. The employee's personal auto policy pays first, the business auto policy sits excess for the business, and the employee relies entirely on their own limits unless an endorsement adds them as an insured. Businesses with regular employee driving should ask their broker about that endorsement before a loss forces the question.
What should you check on your declarations?
Because the symbols do the deciding, the review happens on paper before renewal rather than at claim time. Run these checks with your broker:
- Read the symbol next to every coverage: confirm each coverage in Item Two carries the symbols you expect, because liability under symbol 1 does nothing for physical damage shown under symbol 7.
- Confirm hired and nonowned coverage exists: if your business ever rents vehicles or sends employees out in their own cars, symbols 8 and 9 should appear next to liability at minimum.
- Audit the symbol 7 schedule: compare Item Three against your actual fleet, and calendar the 30-day reporting rule for every purchase so newly acquired autos stay covered.
- Match physical damage to vehicle values: check that comprehensive and collision deductibles and any loss payees reflect what each scheduled vehicle is worth today.
Where can you see the actual form?
Menlo does not host ISO forms because they are copyrighted by Insurance Services Office, Inc. You can read the real text through your own policy, which attaches the coverage form and every endorsement issued on it, or by asking your broker for the specimen your carrier files. Regulator-approved filings are also publicly viewable through SERFF Filing Access, the state filing system, though the forms there remain copyrighted and are for reading, not copying.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between symbol 1 and symbol 2?
Symbol 1 covers any auto for liability regardless of who owns it, including hired and nonowned vehicles, but it can only be used for liability. Symbol 2 covers only autos the named insured owns, and it can be used for every coverage on the form, including physical damage and medical payments.
Does CA 00 01 cover employees driving their own cars?
Only partly. Symbol 9 protects the business when an employee drives a personal vehicle on company business, but the employee is not an insured under it. The employee's personal auto policy responds first, and the business needs a separate endorsement to extend insured status to the driver.
Are rental cars covered under a business auto policy?
Only if symbol 8 or symbol 1 appears next to the relevant coverage. Symbol 8 picks up autos the business leases, hires, rents, or borrows, and it is commonly added to comprehensive and collision so a damaged rental does not become an out-of-pocket loss.
Does the business auto policy cover forklifts and other mobile equipment?
Generally no, because the form's definition of auto excludes mobile equipment, which looks to the general liability policy. Exceptions exist where a compulsory insurance law applies, which symbol 19 addresses, and endorsements such as CA 20 15 can schedule mobile equipment onto the auto policy for road exposure.
This guide is for educational purposes and summarizes standard ISO policy language in Menlo's own words. Form numbers and titles are cited for identification only, and Menlo Insurance Services is not affiliated with Insurance Services Office, Inc. Your policy's specific terms, conditions, and endorsements control. Talk to a licensed broker about your actual exposures.