What delivery platforms require of delivery service partners and fleet operators: contracted-fleet insurance terms and how to prove you meet them

What a delivery platform requires of a delivery service partner

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A delivery platform's fleet or delivery service partner agreement typically requires commercial auto liability of $1M combined single limit on every vehicle, often more with an umbrella, physical damage on leased vans, cargo or parcel coverage, general liability of $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate with the platform as additional insured, statutory workers' compensation with $1M employers' liability for employee drivers, driver qualification and telematics conditions, and certificates uploaded before the first route.

Reviewed by Michael LaBarbera, Licensed property & casualty agent, Provident Financial Group · Reviewed Oct 11, 2026 Updated Oct 14, 2026

Typical requirements and how to check them
Requirement	What they usually ask for	How to check what you have
Commercial auto liability	$1M combined single limit as the floor, $2M to $5M per the program with an umbrella, on every vehicle on the schedule, with the platform and the vehicle lessor as additional insureds; hired and non-owned for any personal vehicles used on routes	Auto dec page symbol, limit, the vehicle schedule against the fleet list, and the additional insured endorsement; a van missing from the schedule is uninsured on its route.
Physical damage and lessor requirements	Comprehensive and collision on leased or financed vans with the lessor as loss payee, stated deductibles, and gap coverage where the lease requires it	Auto dec page physical damage section and the loss payee endorsement; the lease sets the deductible ceiling.
Cargo or parcel coverage	Coverage for parcels in the operator's care, from a stated per-vehicle limit to a per-occurrence limit set by the program, with theft from unattended vehicles addressed	Cargo dec page limit and the theft and unattended-vehicle conditions; some programs cover parcels under the platform's policy and require only general liability.
Commercial general liability	$1M each occurrence / $2M aggregate with the platform as additional insured for depot operations, loading and customer-premises deliveries	Dec page limits and the additional insured form; general liability does not cover the vans or the parcels.
Workers' compensation and employers' liability	Statutory in each state where drivers are based plus employers' liability of $1M / $1M / $1M; drivers are employees of the partner, and occupational accident coverage is not accepted in their place	Information page with each state and Part Two limits; experience modification is often reviewed by the program.
Umbrella or excess liability	$1M to $5M following form over auto, general liability and employers' liability, required where the program's auto limit exceeds the primary	Umbrella dec page and underlying schedule, confirming it sits over the auto policy.
Driver qualification and telematics	Motor vehicle record standards, background checks, drug testing where regulations apply, hours limits, and telematics or camera systems installed in every van	Not insurance, but conditions of the program and often of the auto carrier's pricing; keep the records with the policies.
Certificates through the platform portal	Certificates and endorsements uploaded before the first route, renewed at each policy renewal, with notice of cancellation and the platform's right to suspend routes	The program's insurance requirements document; a live certificate with endorsements attached is accepted by most programs.

Requirement

What they usually ask for

How to check what you have

Commercial auto liability

$1M combined single limit as the floor, $2M to $5M per the program with an umbrella, on every vehicle on the schedule, with the platform and the vehicle lessor as additional insureds; hired and non-owned for any personal vehicles used on routes

Auto dec page symbol, limit, the vehicle schedule against the fleet list, and the additional insured endorsement; a van missing from the schedule is uninsured on its route.

Physical damage and lessor requirements

Comprehensive and collision on leased or financed vans with the lessor as loss payee, stated deductibles, and gap coverage where the lease requires it

Auto dec page physical damage section and the loss payee endorsement; the lease sets the deductible ceiling.

Cargo or parcel coverage

Coverage for parcels in the operator's care, from a stated per-vehicle limit to a per-occurrence limit set by the program, with theft from unattended vehicles addressed

Cargo dec page limit and the theft and unattended-vehicle conditions; some programs cover parcels under the platform's policy and require only general liability.

Commercial general liability

$1M each occurrence / $2M aggregate with the platform as additional insured for depot operations, loading and customer-premises deliveries

Dec page limits and the additional insured form; general liability does not cover the vans or the parcels.

Workers' compensation and employers' liability

Statutory in each state where drivers are based plus employers' liability of $1M / $1M / $1M; drivers are employees of the partner, and occupational accident coverage is not accepted in their place

Information page with each state and Part Two limits; experience modification is often reviewed by the program.

Umbrella or excess liability

$1M to $5M following form over auto, general liability and employers' liability, required where the program's auto limit exceeds the primary

Umbrella dec page and underlying schedule, confirming it sits over the auto policy.

Driver qualification and telematics

Motor vehicle record standards, background checks, drug testing where regulations apply, hours limits, and telematics or camera systems installed in every van

Not insurance, but conditions of the program and often of the auto carrier's pricing; keep the records with the policies.

Certificates through the platform portal

Certificates and endorsements uploaded before the first route, renewed at each policy renewal, with notice of cancellation and the platform's right to suspend routes

The program's insurance requirements document; a live certificate with endorsements attached is accepted by most programs.

What the platform is protecting

A delivery platform that contracts fleets is named in every crash, parcel loss and depot injury involving its brand. The partner agreement protects it with auto limits above the state minimum on every van, physical damage for the lessor, cargo coverage for parcels, general liability with the platform added, workers' compensation for employee drivers, an umbrella and driver standards, all enforced through a portal that suspends routes when certificates lapse.

The lines a delivery service partner agreement names

Commercial auto at the program's limit on every scheduled vehicle with the platform and lessor added. Physical damage with the lessor as loss payee. Cargo or parcel coverage. General liability with the platform added. Workers' compensation in every driver state. An umbrella over the auto policy. Driver qualification and telematics conditions. Certificates in the portal before the first route.

How to check your policies against the program

Match the auto limit and reconcile the vehicle schedule to the fleet list and lease. Confirm the additional insured and loss payee endorsements and the physical damage deductibles. Check the cargo limit and theft conditions. Confirm general liability's additional insured form, the workers' compensation states and experience modification, and the umbrella schedule over auto. Keep driver qualification records with the policies and upload the endorsements with the certificate.

Keep the certificate current

Programs expire certificates at renewal and suspend routes the same day. A live certificate link stays current as policies renew, shows the auto, cargo and workers' compensation lines, and notifies the platform when a line changes, with the official PDF attached.

Questions people actually ask

Why does the program require a higher auto limit than the state minimum by such a margin?

Because a van fleet running hundreds of stops a day has the crash frequency of a trucking company and the platform is named in every suit. Programs set $1M as a floor and more where routes include highways and dense cities.

Our vans are leased through the platform's partner. Who insures them?

The partner, under the lease, with the lessor as loss payee and the program's liability limit; the lease sets physical damage deductibles and gap coverage. Confirm every van on the lease appears on the auto schedule.

Can we use occupational accident policies for drivers instead of workers' compensation?

No. Delivery service partner drivers are employees, workers' compensation is statutory in every licensed state, and the program requires it. Occupational accident policies are for independent owner-operators under different models.

What does the program do if a certificate lapses?

Suspends routes until a compliant certificate is uploaded, which is lost revenue by the day. A live certificate link avoids the gap because it stays current as policies renew.