Fuel distribution stacks several severe risks in one business: hazmat on the road, pollution at customer sites, and product liability in every gallon. Standard small-business policies do not cover most of it.
This guide outlines the coverages petroleum marketers carry and where the gaps usually hide.
Core Coverages
Commercial auto at hazmat-appropriate limits, general liability, property on bulk plants and equipment, workers' compensation, cargo coverage for product in transit, and umbrella or excess layers sitting above the primaries.
Limits matter more than premium here. A single tanker incident can exhaust a modest primary layer immediately, which is why excess towers are standard rather than optional.
Pollution and Environmental Coverage
Pollution legal liability covers releases at owned locations, and contractors pollution or delivery-error coverage responds to spills, overfills, and wrong-product deliveries at customer sites. Standard general liability typically excludes pollution.
Storage tank liability policies address UST and AST exposures and may be required by state financial responsibility rules. Confirm whether coverage is claims-made and how prior-acts coverage is handled if you switch carriers.
Specialty Exposures
Consider product liability for fuel quality claims, garagekeepers where applicable, employment practices, cyber coverage for POS and dispatch systems, and business interruption including contingent interruption if a single terminal outage would stop you.
For distributors placing equipment at customer sites, verify who insures the equipment and whether contractual indemnities are actually backed by coverage.
Working With Specialist Brokers
Petroleum marketing is a specialty class. Use a broker with energy distribution experience, review certificates from every hauler you subcontract, and audit contract indemnity language against your actual policies each renewal.
Florida owners and buyers can reach The Gas Station Group at (305) 518-1545; all transactions are brokered through Fausto Commercial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Speak With a Florida Gas Station Specialist
Request a confidential consultation or off-market opportunities and pricing through our contact page, or call +1-305-518-1545. The Gas Station Group is headquartered at 8603 S Dixie Hwy, Miami, FL 33143. Principal: Bobby Berrido.