On-Hook Coverage for Auto Haulers in Pennsylvania
On-hook coverage for the vehicles you tow, winch, or wheel-lift — the exposure auto haulers most often underinsure.
On-hook coverage pays for damage to a vehicle while it is in your care during towing, winching, or loading — on the hook, on the wheel-lift, or being secured to the deck. For auto haulers who move wrecked, repossessed, or non-running units, it is essential, because many cargo forms exclude wrecked or non-running units. It sits alongside the rest of your auto hauler insurance as the coverage for towing and winching work.
The distinction that trips operators up is on-hook versus cargo. Motor truck cargo covers the vehicles on the deck in transit. Whether damage during loading and unloading is covered depends on the cargo form: many car-hauler cargo forms include it or add it by endorsement, and some exclude it. On-hook coverage is built for vehicles you tow, winch or wheel-lift, usually wrecked, repossessed or non-running units. A roll-on roll-off operation moving only driveable cars may not need on-hook, but it does need a cargo form that covers loading and unloading; anyone handling damaged, repossessed or inoperable units almost certainly needs on-hook.
Limits matter as much as the coverage itself. A single high-value unit on the hook — a luxury SUV, an EV, a classic — can exceed a low on-hook limit, leaving you to cover the difference out of pocket. We size the on-hook limit to the most valuable single unit you realistically handle, and coordinate it with your cargo limits so there is no gap between loading and transit.
If you do repo work or accident recovery, on-hook is the coverage that keeps a single bad load from becoming a five-figure loss. Start a Pennsylvania auto hauler quote and tell us whether you handle non-running units.
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Frequently asked questions
What should I document before I hook a vehicle?
Timestamped walk-around photos of all four sides and the wheels, plus the interior and odometer if you can see them. Pre-existing damage is a frequent dispute on tow claims, and photos taken before the hook usually settle it.
Does on-hook cover vehicles parked at my yard?
Not usually. Once a vehicle is unhooked and stored, garage keepers coverage is the line built for vehicles in your care at your lot. Repo and recovery operators who hold units overnight should carry both.
Do repo clients ask for proof of on-hook?
Many do. Repo assignments often come with insurance requirements that name on-hook, and sometimes garage keepers, at a set limit. Send us the client's requirements and we match the limits and the certificate wording.
What does on-hook usually not cover?
Forms vary, but common exclusions include pre-existing damage, a vehicle's own mechanical breakdown, and personal property left inside the vehicle. We read the exclusions with you before you bind, so you know what a claim will and will not pay.