Question
I'm planning to attend a CDL School in a few weeks. I have regular insurance on my personal vehicle. Do I need to contact my insurance company to adjust my policy before I start class? Or will I be covered by the school's own insurance while driving their trucks?
Will changing my license from class D to class A increase my personal premiums?
Answer
I would suggest that you contact the school and ask them that specific question. Also, ask them to provide you with something in writing which stipulates your insurance responsibility while driving their vehicles.
Most schools provide the insurance during the training process. However, if an accident were to occur that was very serious, I don't know what the schools policy would do with regards to liability. They may or may not seek contribution from your policy. It could vary from state to state, jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
I would also recommend you contact your agent and advise them of what your intentions are with regards to the school and ask that they give you something in writing as to how your policy may be affected and/or respond in the event of an accident.
Answer
I phoned both the school and my personal insurance as you suggested. The school indicated that I would be covered under their own insurance policy. In Minnesota policies are written against vehicles, not drivers.
My own insurance company said that the schools are, in fact, required to cover their student drivers under their own policies, and that my company wouldn't be involved in any incidents.
They also indicated that the change in my license wouldn't provide any discounts or surcharges for my personal policy.
One other thing I learned: my company doesn't cover any commercial vehicles, so if I have an accident while using my own truck for any sort of job-related driving, not only would they not cover the accident, they'd cancel my policy.
Jerks...
Answer
Wow! You did an outstanding job in the research, but what's better, is that you apparently understand the concepts of the policies and conveyed it here...PERFECTLY!
Most automobile policies follow the vehicle. There is a product called a "Non-Owners Policy", but that's an entirely different animal.
A personal auto policy is just that. It's intended to cover the personal use of a private passenger vehicle. It is not intended to extend coverage to a commercial venture.
Some (and I repeat) some, auto policies can be endorsed to include SOME incidental business exposure. The key word here is "incidental". The best avenue to take would be to discuss with your agent the intended use of the vehicle, so he can provide you with a policy that will meet your needs.
Thank you so much for sharing this information on the forum.