Bobtail Insurance: What It Is and When You Need It

Bobtail insurance — also called deadhead insurance or non-trucking liability — covers your truck-tractor when you are operating it without a trailer attached. This is a common gap in coverage that catches many owner-operators off guard.

Why Bobtail Insurance Exists

If you lease your truck to a motor carrier, their primary liability policy typically covers you when you are under dispatch — when you are hauling their freight. The moment you drop the trailer, you may be operating without any liability coverage. Bobtail insurance fills that gap.

What It Covers

Bobtail insurance is a liability-only coverage. It pays for bodily injury and property damage you cause to third parties when you are driving your bobtail (truck without trailer) and not under dispatch. It does not cover: - Damage to your own truck (that is physical damage coverage) - Driving while under dispatch with a trailer - Personal use of the truck in some policy forms

Bobtail vs Non-Trucking Liability

These terms are often used interchangeably but have subtle differences. Bobtail insurance specifically covers the truck without a trailer. Non-trucking liability covers the truck — with or without a trailer — during personal or non-business use. Which one you need depends on your lease agreement with the motor carrier.

Read your carrier lease carefully. Most specify which type of coverage they require you to maintain.

Who Needs Bobtail Insurance

You need bobtail insurance if: - You are an owner-operator leased to a motor carrier - You drive your truck without a trailer at any point between loads - You commute to and from a terminal in your truck

You likely do not need it if: - You run your own authority and carry your own primary liability at all times - Your carrier's policy clearly covers all your operations including bobtail periods

Cost

Bobtail coverage is one of the least expensive trucking insurance products — often $30 to $60 per month. Given what is at stake in a liability accident, it is rarely worth skipping.