Most agents don’t know the difference between garage keepers and garage liability. We do.

A lot of agencies treat dealer insurance like any other small business policy — bolt on some general liability, add a commercial auto endorsement, and call it done. That approach leaves gaps, and those gaps tend to show up at the worst possible time, like in the middle of a claim.

After reviewing hundreds of dealer policies over the years, we see the same mistakes come up again and again:

• Wrong liability symbols. Commercial auto policies use symbols to define exactly what’s covered. Get the symbol wrong and a claim that should be covered gets denied.
• Open lot values that don’t match reality. Whether it’s outdated inventory counts or rough estimates instead of real numbers, inaccurate open lot values either leave you underinsured or overpaying.
• Missing garagekeepers coverage. This protects customer vehicles left in your care — for service, trade-in evaluation, or otherwise. Without it, damage to a customer’s vehicle while it’s on your lot can become a direct liability.
• Drive-away gaps. Policies that don’t account for test drives or vehicle transport the way your dealership actually uses them.

These aren’t hypothetical issues. They’re the specific things we look for when we review a dealer’s current policy, and they’re usually where we find either a coverage gap or an opportunity to save money without sacrificing protection.

With the acquisitions of Waymer & Associates and TEI Insurance Agency, Mahaffey Insurance has grown into one of the largest independent providers of used car dealer insurance in Texas. Dealers aren’t a side niche for us. From small independent lots to larger multi-location operations, we build coverage around how you actually sell, staff, and grow — not around a generic template.