A mobile equipment endorsement is an add-on to a Business Auto Policy that reclassifies a specific piece of heavy machinery as a covered “auto,” so liability from that machine doesn’t fall into the gap between your commercial general liability policy and your auto policy. The two endorsements that do this work are the ISO CA 20 15 and the CA 23 05. You generally need one when a bulldozer, crane, forklift, or similar machine travels on a public road or becomes subject to a state’s compulsory motor vehicle insurance laws, because at that point the CGL stops covering it and the standard auto policy doesn’t automatically pick it up.
The Gap These Endorsements Exist to Close
The standard Commercial General Liability policy covers third-party bodily injury and property damage caused by “mobile equipment” at no additional premium. If your excavator swings a bucket into a neighboring building, or a forklift drops a pallet onto a visitor, those claims fall under Coverage A of the CGL. The reason is structural: the CGL excludes liability from any “auto,” but mobile equipment is defined as something other than an auto, so the exclusion doesn’t reach it.
That coverage disappears the moment the machine stops qualifying as mobile equipment. A machine driven on a public road, required to be registered or licensed, or otherwise subject to compulsory motor vehicle insurance laws can lose its mobile equipment status. The CGL then excludes it as an auto. The Business Auto Policy, meanwhile, defines “auto” on its own terms, and a crane or bulldozer usually doesn’t meet that definition either. The result is a machine excluded by the CGL for acting like an auto and not covered by the BAP because it isn’t one. A crane driven between two construction sites on a county road could cause an accident that neither policy pays for, leaving the owner personally responsible for injuries, property damage, and defense costs.
What the CA 20 15 Does
The CA 20 15 attaches to the Business Auto Policy and reclassifies a listed piece of mobile equipment as a covered “auto” under that policy. Each machine is scheduled individually. Once listed, it picks up whatever auto coverages the BAP provides, including liability for accidents on public roads.
One limit catches policyholders off guard. The CA 20 15 typically excludes liability for the operation of machinery or equipment that is on, attached to, or part of the scheduled vehicle. If your truck-mounted crane injures someone while lifting a load, that claim isn’t covered by the auto endorsement. The endorsement covers the vehicle’s movement, not the equipment’s work. The CGL would still need to respond to claims arising from the equipment’s operation, assuming the machine retains its mobile equipment status for that purpose.
What the CA 23 05 Does
The CA 23 05 addresses the narrower situation in which mobile equipment must be registered, licensed, or otherwise comply with a state’s motor vehicle financial responsibility laws. It grants scheduled mobile equipment the status of a covered auto under the BAP, but only for the circumstances that trigger those compulsory insurance requirements. The most common trigger is driving the machine on public roads where state law requires proof of auto insurance.
Without this endorsement, a bulldozer driven across a public highway to reach the next lot can cause an accident that falls outside both policies. The CGL excludes it because the machine is subject to motor vehicle laws, and the BAP doesn’t cover it because it doesn’t meet the auto definition. The CA 23 05 closes that specific gap by treating the machine as an auto for liability purposes during road-use scenarios.
Which Machines Qualify as Mobile Equipment
Whether you need an endorsement at all depends on how your equipment is classified under the CGL. The ISO CG 00 01 form, the foundation for most commercial general liability policies in the United States, defines “mobile equipment” by what the vehicle was designed to do, not by whether it moves. Six categories qualify:
- Off-road vehicles such as bulldozers, farm machinery, and forklifts, designed primarily for use off public roads.
- Vehicles kept for use solely on or next to property you own or rent.
- Any vehicle that travels on crawler treads.
- Self-propelled or towed vehicles whose main purpose is providing mobility to permanently mounted power cranes, shovels, loaders, diggers, drills, graders, scrapers, or rollers.
- Non-self-propelled vehicles that exist mainly to carry permanently attached air compressors, pumps, generators, welding equipment, cherry pickers, or similar worker-lifting devices.
- Vehicles maintained primarily for purposes other than transporting people or cargo, such as trailers permanently modified to carry hot tar buckets or concrete mixers.
Vehicles That Are Autos From the Start
Several machines that look and feel like job-site equipment are classified as autos under the CGL and belong on a commercial auto policy without any mobile equipment endorsement. These include self-propelled vehicles with permanently attached snow removal equipment, road maintenance gear (not construction or resurfacing), or street cleaning equipment. Cherry pickers mounted on a standard truck or automobile chassis are also treated as autos, as are self-propelled vehicles carrying air compressors, pumps, generators, and similar equipment. A snowplow mounted on a pickup truck, for example, is an auto from the outset.
Scheduling Equipment on the Endorsement
Both the CA 20 15 and CA 23 05 require each piece of equipment to be individually scheduled. The insurer needs specific information for every machine:
- Year, make, and model, which establish identity, age, and approximate replacement value.
- Serial number or VIN, usually stamped on a metal plate attached to the frame or found in the manufacturer’s documentation.
- Description of use on the job site, such as excavation, grading, or material handling.
- Primary storage location, since a machine kept in a secured warehouse carries different risk than one parked on rotating construction sites.
Accurate scheduling matters. If a claim arises on a machine that isn’t listed, the insurer has a straightforward basis to deny coverage. Adding equipment mid-policy is routine, but it requires notifying your agent or broker promptly. Waiting until after an incident to add a machine creates exactly the kind of coverage dispute the endorsement is supposed to prevent. Whenever your fleet changes through purchase, sale, lease, or rental, update the schedule before the machine goes to work.
What the Endorsement Does Not Cover
Neither the endorsement nor the underlying CGL covers physical damage to your own equipment. The CGL is third-party liability coverage. It pays when your equipment hurts someone else or damages someone else’s property, and it contains an explicit exclusion for property you own, rent, or occupy. Your bulldozer, crane, or forklift is never covered for collision, theft, fire, or vandalism under the CGL.
The CA 20 15 and CA 23 05 add liability coverage on the auto side; they do not cover physical damage to the scheduled equipment itself. That protection comes from a separate inland marine policy, often called an equipment floater. A floater covers movable machinery against damage, theft, and loss at locations away from your primary business site, including active job sites and equipment in transit.
How the Three Coverages Fit Together
Most businesses running heavy machinery need three layers of coverage working in coordination. The CGL handles liability from equipment operations on job sites, including injuries to third parties and damage to neighboring property. The mobile equipment endorsement on the BAP picks up liability when machines travel on public roads or become subject to motor vehicle laws. An equipment floater covers the value of the machines themselves against physical damage, theft, and loss.
Classification drives which layer responds to a given claim. A forklift that never leaves the warehouse stays under the CGL as mobile equipment with no endorsement needed. A crane truck that drives between construction sites on public highways needs a CA 20 15 or CA 23 05. A snowplow mounted on a pickup belongs on the commercial auto policy from the start. Reviewing your equipment list against the CGL’s six mobile equipment categories and its exceptions is the most reliable way to find the gaps before a claim forces the question.