Actually using a funeral car for a funeral?

Hey, ladies and gents.

I was recently approached by a gentleman asking if I am available for a funeral service, specifically carting the casket from point A (I believe it to be a mosque) to the cemetary.

Now here is the thing, I use my hearse simply for Sunday joy rides and for catering and food delivery purposes. That being said, everything is still functional in the hearse as it should be for its intended purpose.

My question is this. Are there any business permits or licenses I would need to actually be a proper funeral transport. I live in Pennsylvania so it may be state specific, but any insight at all would be helpful here.


Thanks!
 
Your car you can carry anyone you want it it for free. You start charging and it becomes a different matter. If its in a procession the funeral director will lead. The only time i did this was for my mother. I took the remains after the service and i loaded her in the the car and secured the urn then followed the director and minister out to the cemetery. He then took charge of the urn for the graveside service. Some one is in charge of things you just do as they want.
I would be wondering why did they ask you?
 
So I found a letter in my maibox today, asking if I was available for funeral services and what would I charge. I texted the guy who left the note, (he lived a block or two down from me).

Short and skinny of the note, from what I understood, is that they were not going through a regular funeral home, or maybe they were, I don't know, but he was looking for cheaper alternatives for funeral car services.
 
I would also consider checking into the insurance aspect. Make sure that you will be covered, in the event of an accident, or even a mis-hap with your passenger. My advice is, if you are going to do it, do it right and cover yourself.
 
I would call my insurance agent and ask if you are covered to transport just to be safe. You may be able to get a rider added for a special event. Insurance is trickey when we were towing and hauling my insurance was $35000.00 a year even now with no towing or hauling this year was almost $9000.00 and thats just used cars limited to four drivers.
 
They will require a licensed funeral director and a burial transit permit. Walk carefully. I dealt with Muslim burials in Florida and it always presented a challenge for us.
 
They will require a licensed funeral director and a burial transit permit. Walk carefully. I dealt with Muslim burials in Florida and it always presented a challenge for us.

Good advice if the service is not being handled by a licenced director just say no.
 
What sort of issues did you encounter?

And yes, I'm much more hesitant if there is no funeral director involved.

Starts with the removal going directly to the mosque. You stay there waiting while they placed in the mosque. They do not want to use a casket but we required one for transport. Arrangements are done through third party people making gathering information a challenge since we were not allowed to talk to the immediate next of kin. Once complete at the mosque we go to the cemetery regardless of the time. It could be 5 pm or 11pm. No women are allowed to be involved whatsoever. Once at the cemetery a no bottom vault is used and the person is removed from the casket and lowered in to the grave. At this time, many jump in to the grave as well. We created procedures to assist us in staying legal as well as honoring their beliefs. They do not want a funeral director involved and at times they have their own funeral directors.
 
So I found a letter in my maibox today, asking if I was available for funeral services and what would I charge. I texted the guy who left the note, (he lived a block or two down from me).

Short and skinny of the note, from what I understood, is that they were not going through a regular funeral home, or maybe they were, I don't know, but he was looking for cheaper alternatives for funeral car services.

RUN, don't walk away from this!!!! Too many things don't "sound right" about this for my taste!!! Potentially more trouble than it's worth. JMHO!!!
 
Since I'm too dumb to know what I can't do, I hunted up Pa Law on the subject. 14 pages pretty much say you could haul anybody in your hearse, as long as nobody says you're performing an "undertaking service".
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/US/PDF/1951/0/0522..PDF

From there it becomes a question of what is an undertaking service. Pa doesn't really lock that down. It appears a properly enclosed body could be carried in any vehicle capable of the job.
On the other hand,99 people out of 10 would probably say hauling a dead body from A to B is Undertaking.

Secondly, considering your stated use of hauling pizza and catering, I'd be a little hesitant. Hauling a body might just get you a few people looking into everything you do. Probably more money to be made providing catering services to Funeral Homes since that is legal in Pa.

Were I in your shoes I'd pass on the opportunity.
 
Three Under My Belt

I have done three funerals with my cars. Two with my former 64 M-M now owned by Rocky Fluegge and nearly destroyed by a transport company and one with a 74 Superior I no longer own. My insurance agent didn't require anything from me and I did everything with a licensed funeral director in all three cases. I would never go free lance without a licensed FD. In all cases I was retained by the funeral homes.
 
It may end up generating bad PR for your catering company, too. Some customers, should they catch wind of it, may not like the idea that their pizza and catered food items were transported to the venue in the same vehicle that hauled a dead body recently. Especially since the family was "bereaved on a budget" as it were, leaving questions as to whether or not the body was even embalmed which could raise health concerns. No clue what any funerary or food service laws are in PA, but I'm guessing the health department would not want catering vehicles in the commonwealth being the same vehicle that is serving as an a la carte funeral coach.
 
It may end up generating bad PR for your catering company, too. Some customers, should they catch wind of it, may not like the idea that their pizza and catered food items were transported to the venue in the same vehicle that hauled a dead body recently. Especially since the family was "bereaved on a budget" as it were, leaving questions as to whether or not the body was even embalmed which could raise health concerns. No clue what any funerary or food service laws are in PA, but I'm guessing the health department would not want catering vehicles in the commonwealth being the same vehicle that is serving as an a la carte funeral coach.

If I read Richard's post correctly, the body is not embalmed. I would not want anything that hauled unembalmed bodies to carry food!! Bet the Health Department would also have a pretty strong opinion in the matter!!
 
Thanks everyone for the advice.

And I agree, my main hang up is that this is a catering vehicle first. Even if the body was in a proper casket and embalmed, that still isn't a good look.
 
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