Coverage
Hired and non-owned auto insurance, often shortened to HNOA, covers your business when a vehicle you do not own gets used for your work. A driver's own car, a rented van, a borrowed truck. If it moves your freight, it can move your liability.
Most delivery operators discover this gap the hard way. You add a driver who runs routes in a personal car, or you rent a van to cover a busy week. Your owned-auto policy does not respond, because the vehicle is not on the schedule. HNOA fills that space. It protects the business against claims that arise from those vehicles, though it does not repair the vehicle itself.
Contracts increasingly name HNOA directly, especially gig and platform work where driver-owned cars do most of the delivering. I read your agreement and your staffing model, then set the limit to match what you actually run rather than a generic template.
HNOA usually sits alongside a companion called contingent auto liability, which steps in when a driver's personal policy denies or runs short. The two together close the most common uninsured gap in delivery operations.
Questions
Hired and non-owned auto insurance, or HNOA, protects your business against liability from vehicles it uses but does not own. That includes rented vehicles and employee or contractor personal vehicles used for company work. It covers the business's exposure, not damage to the vehicle.
Usually yes. When independent contractors deliver in their own vehicles, a claim can still reach your business. HNOA and contingent auto liability are how you cover that exposure. Many delivery and platform contracts now require proof of it.
No. HNOA covers the business's liability to others, not physical damage to the driver's vehicle. The driver's personal auto policy handles their own car, which is one reason confirming each driver carries valid personal coverage matters.
It is often one of the more affordable coverages because it is priced on payroll, receipts, or vehicle counts rather than per unit. The exact number depends on how many non-owned vehicles do your work and the limits your contracts require.
Related coverage
The full program in one placement.
Contract-correct coverage for delivery service partners.
ISP program coverage, built to spec.
Commercial coverage for cargo and sprinter vans.
Straight-truck coverage across California.
For same-day, medical, and parcel couriers.
The intake takes about five minutes. I quote against your actual vehicle and driver list, not a generic profile.
TISKIY