Insurance coverage and hours of service
During National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) district meetings in January, a propane industry member posed a question about insurance coverage as it relates to hours-of-service issues. Sarah Reboli, senior director of regulatory affairs at NPGA, provided an answer.
Q: Are drivers still covered by insurance when operating over normal hours-of-service regulations because of an emergency declaration by a state or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)?
A: The short answer is “most likely,” but each marketer should review their policy terms carefully. Ordinarily, policies require adherence to federal, state and local laws, and FMCSA or governor orders detailing hours-of-service waivers – akin to a temporary, different law – would not pose an issue to insurance coverage. That said, a policy could include terms that don’t cover these situations. It all depends on the marketer’s driving history, policy contract and the preferences of the insurance carrier.
Another example is when a driver responds to an emergency condition, like a gas smell, after hours – under normal conditions, not an emergency declaration. The regulations permit drivers to respond to this emergency regardless of hours exhausted, and the technician’s driving to that customer is likely covered by insurance, too.