Business Auto Coverage Symbols
Also known as: Covered Auto Symbols, Auto Coverage Symbols, Covered Autos Designation Symbols
Business auto coverage symbols are the numbers — 1 through 9, plus custom symbol 10 — printed on the ISO Business Auto Coverage Form that tell you exactly which vehicles each coverage on the policy applies to. They appear on the declarations page next to each coverage line (liability, medical payments, uninsured motorists, physical damage), and the symbol — not the vehicle schedule alone — controls the scope of protection. The key symbols are: 1 = any auto (broadest), 2 = all owned autos, 7 = specifically described autos, 8 = hired autos only, and 9 = non-owned autos only. Because a policy can carry different symbols for different coverages, reading them is the fastest way to know what a commercial auto policy really covers.
Symbols matter to a small-business buyer because a mismatch creates uncovered exposure that no one notices until a claim. If liability is written with symbol 7 (only the trucks listed on the policy), then an employee who rents a van or drives a personal car on company business is not covered for the business's vicarious liability. To close that gap you combine symbols: adding 8 and 9 brings in hired and non-owned autos, which is the same exposure addressed by hired and non-owned auto coverage. Symbol 1 is the safest choice because it means "any auto," but insurers underwrite it more carefully and it is not always available for every risk.
A practical nuance: the numbered families change by policy type. The Business Auto form uses 1–9, but the Garage form uses symbols in the 20s, the Truckers form uses the 40s–50s, and the Motor Carrier form uses the 60s–70s, so a dealer or a trucker will see entirely different numbers. There is also a Covered Autos Designation Symbol endorsement (custom symbol 10) that lets the insurer and insured write tailored wording when the standard symbols do not fit. When you review a certificate or an endorsement, always confirm the symbol behind each coverage rather than assuming "auto" means "all autos."
Real-world scenario
Cedar & Sons Plumbing LLC runs three service trucks and buys a commercial auto policy with a $1,000,000 combined single limit for a $8,400 annual premium. On the declarations page, the agent assigns Symbol 7 (specifically described autos) to physical damage on the three owned trucks — valued at $42,000, $38,000, and $55,000 — with a $500 comprehensive deductible and a $1,000 collision deductible. For liability, the agent instead assigns Symbol 1 (any auto), the broadest option, which automatically extends coverage to owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles.
Six months in, an apprentice rents a box truck to move a water heater and rear-ends a sedan, causing $85,000 in bodily injury and $30,000 in property damage. Because liability carried Symbol 1 rather than Symbol 7, the rented truck is covered even though it never appeared on the schedule; the carrier pays the $115,000 in damages plus $22,000 in legal defense, a $137,000 total. Had liability been written on Symbol 7, the rented unit would have been excluded and Cedar & Sons would have paid out of pocket.
To close the physical-damage gap on rentals, the agent later adds Symbol 8 (hired autos) for $600 and Symbol 9 (non-owned autos) — mirroring hired and non-owned auto protection — for $350, bumping the renewal premium to roughly $9,350. The lesson: symbols, not the vehicle list, decide who and what is actually covered.
How it affects your premium
Business Auto Coverage Symbols themselves are not "rated," but the symbols you choose determine which exposures the carrier prices — so symbol selection is one of the biggest drivers of your commercial auto premium:
- Breadth of the liability symbol. Symbol 1 (any auto) costs more than Symbol 7 (specifically described autos) because it insures owned, hired, and non-owned exposures the carrier cannot individually inspect.
- Number and value of scheduled autos. Symbol 7 physical damage is priced per listed unit, so each added truck and its stated value raises premium.
- Hired and non-owned symbols (8 and 9). Adding these extends coverage to rented and employee-owned vehicles, layering additional exposure onto the rate.
- Radius of operation. A wider radius of operation increases frequency and severity assumptions for every covered symbol.
- Deductible levels on Symbol 7. Higher comprehensive and collision deductibles on scheduled autos lower premium; lower ones raise it.
- Driver quality and MVRs. Poor motor-vehicle records inflate the base rate the symbols are applied against.
- Newly acquired auto handling. Symbol 2 or 1 automatically covers new purchases, which underwriters load for versus a narrow scheduled-only approach.
Common misconceptions
Myth: If a vehicle is listed on my policy schedule, every coverage automatically applies to it.
Reality:
Coverage follows the symbol assigned to each coverage line, not the schedule. A truck can be scheduled for Symbol 7 physical damage yet have no liability if a different symbol was chosen for liability, and rented or borrowed units are only covered if you add hired auto physical damage (Symbol 8) or non-owned (Symbol 9).
Myth: Symbol 1 (any auto) means the insurer will replace any vehicle I damage, including rentals.
Reality:
Symbol 1 grants the broadest liability coverage for any auto, but it does not provide physical-damage repair for hired or non-owned vehicles — that requires Symbols 8 and 9, or a separate drive other car endorsement for named individuals.
Frequently asked questions
What do the auto coverage symbols 1 through 9 actually mean?
They are shorthand codes on the declarations page that define which autos each coverage applies to — for example Symbol 1 is any auto, Symbol 2 is owned autos, Symbol 7 is specifically described autos, Symbol 8 is hired autos, and Symbol 9 is non-owned autos.
Which symbol gives me the broadest liability protection?
Symbol 1 (any auto) is the broadest, covering owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles for liability without listing each one — which is why most carriers apply it to the liability line by default.
Why is my physical damage on a different symbol than my liability?
Carriers usually want to inspect and value the specific vehicles they insure for repair, so physical damage is typically written on Symbol 7 (specifically described autos) while liability can use the broader Symbol 1. This split lets you cover a rented truck's liability without insuring its repair.
Do I need Symbols 8 and 9 if my employees rent trucks or use their own cars?
Yes. Symbol 8 covers hired/rented autos and Symbol 9 covers non-owned autos; together they mirror hired and non-owned auto protection so damage and liability from rented or employee-owned vehicles is not excluded.
Are collision and comprehensive controlled by symbols too?
Yes — collision and comprehensive are each assigned their own symbol (commonly Symbol 7 for scheduled autos), so a vehicle only has that physical-damage coverage if the matching symbol appears next to it.
Sources cited
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