Not automatically. A policies manual covers how your team works each day. A DOT security plan is a separate plan the rule requires for covered hazmat shipments, and a combined binder still has to meet that rule.
Reviewed October 17, 2026
Give each document its own job
Start with a list of the steps your staff follow each day. Next to each step, write the rule behind it. Use the list to check your work. It does not prove every rule is covered.
The DOT rule requires a transportation security plan from anyone who offers or hauls hazardous materials that meet its listed criteria. §172.800(a)–(b)
A covered plan must assess transportation security risks. That includes risks at the places where the materials are prepared, stored or unloaded along the way. §172.802(a)
Check the contents, not the cover
The plan must name the responsible senior manager by job title. It must also assign security duties to the jobs or departments that carry them out. §172.802(b)(1)–(2)
A plan built on another federal, international or industry framework counts only if it covers what this DOT rule requires. §172.804
OSHA is a separate rule. Covered employers must keep a written hazard communication program that covers labels, safety data sheets, and employee information and training. §1910.1200(e)(1); coverage subject to (b)
Give each required program an owner, a place in the binder and a reference in the manual. Then ask a qualified reviewer to confirm what applies to your operations.
Questions and answers
Should we put everything in one binder?
You can, if your staff can find and use it. Then check each program against its own rule. A binder helps you organize. It cannot tell you which rules apply to you.
About Bill Stomp
Bill Stomp built Propane Safety Pro. He is a war veteran who ran over 87 propane branch offices across 12 states, and he has helped more than 200 propane companies improve their profits, sales, safety and operations.
Next step
Ready to write down how your branch runs each day? Start with the Policies & Procedures manual for propane companies.
General information, not legal advice.