top of page

Does your insurance cover your vehicle if you’re making deliveries with it?

by Wendy Wagner, West Bend Personal Lines underwriter

Does your insurance cover your vehicle if you’re making deliveries with it?
(Photo by Getty Images)

Click here or call (248) 349-1122 to request a commercial auto insurance quote!


If you use your personal vehicle for deliveries, will you get a generous tip or a substantial bill for your damaged vehicle?


In the current world of social distancing and self-quarantining, delivery app services are in high demand. If you decided to supplement your income by becoming a delivery driver, do you and your car have insurance coverage if you have an accident while you’re making a delivery?


Here are a few tips to help prevent paying out of pocket if you have an auto accident while making deliveries.


Don’t assume personal auto insurance automatically provides coverage


Some insurance carriers do permit their policyholders to deliver food but it’s usually only if they’re employed by one eatery. Most standard personal auto and umbrella policies include exclusionary language against delivery of goods or persons for public delivery app services like Uber Eats, GrubHub, and DoorDash. The exclusion language usually references an auto being held out to the public as a means of transportation (of people or property) for which the driver/policyholder will be paid for that transportation. This includes, but is not limited to, any period of time the driver is logged into a transportation network platform, whether or not a passenger or meal is being transported in the vehicle at the time of the accident.


Call your insurance agent


Let them know you’re using your vehicle to make deliveries. Ask your agent if your current auto insurance covers your delivery exposure. If it doesn’t, find out if delivery coverage can be added to your policy.


Contact your delivery app company


Find out what insurance coverage is required and if they offer insurance coverage. But be careful! Some delivery apps will provide coverage only if you have food in your car but not while driving to the restaurant. Also, in the event of a loss, some delivery app companies will only “pay in excess.” This means your own underlying insurance policy will have to respond to a claim before the delivery app company’s excess/secondary policy responds.


Inquire about a commercial auto insurance policy


Call your insurance agent about a commercial auto policy If you feel you’re not covered adequately under your personal auto insurance policy or with your delivery app company.


So, before you hop into your car to make that next delivery, be sure to call your insurance agent to make sure you and your vehicle are protected!


______________________

original article shared here


Proudly offering Michigan commercial auto insurance

670 Griswold Street #100 Northville, MI 48167

                     (248) 349-1122

  • Grey LinkedIn Icon
  • Grey Google Places Icon

CA License: 0G47886

We use cookies to personalize and enhance your experience on our site.  Visit our Privacy Policy to learn more. By using our site, you agree to our use of cookies, as well as our Privacy Policy and Terms of use.

I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.

I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.

bottom of page