Bobtail Insurance
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What Is Bobtail Insurance?
Bobtail insurance is a type of trucking coverage that may help protect you when you are driving your truck without a trailer attached. This can happen when returning from a delivery, traveling between jobs, or moving the truck without a load.
For many truckers, bobtail coverage can be an important part of a complete commercial truck insurance plan—especially when there are questions about what is and is not covered while operating without a trailer.
What Bobtail Insurance May Cover
Bobtail insurance may help provide liability protection when a truck is being driven without a trailer attached and is involved in an accident. Coverage details can vary by policy, but bobtail insurance is generally designed to help cover third-party liability.
Bodily Injury Liability
May help cover injuries to another person if you are at fault in a bobtail accident.
Property Damage Liability
May help cover damage to another person’s vehicle or property after a covered accident.
Driving Without a Trailer
Applies when the truck is being operated without a trailer connected to the unit.
On-the-Road Liability Protection
Can help protect against certain liability claims that happen while the truck is being driven bobtail.
What Bobtail Insurance Typically Does Not Cover
Bobtail insurance is not designed to cover every trucking situation. Depending on the policy, it may not apply in certain operating scenarios or for other types of losses.
Cargo Loss
Bobtail insurance does not cover freight or cargo being transported.
Damage to Your Own Truck
Damage to your own truck may require physical damage coverage.
Trailer-Related Operations
Bobtail insurance generally applies when a trailer is not attached.
All Non-Business Driving
Some situations may fall under non-trucking liability instead, depending on how the truck is being used.
Bobtail vs Non-Trucking Liability
Bobtail insurance and non-trucking liability are often confused, but they are not exactly the same.
Bobtail Insurance
Bobtail insurance generally refers to liability coverage while operating a truck without a trailer attached, regardless of whether the truck is being used for business at that moment.
Non-Trucking Liability Insurance
Non-trucking liability generally applies when the truck is used for personal, non-business purposes and is not under dispatch.
If you are:
- driving without a trailer, which may relate to bobtail
- driving for personal use, which may relate to non-trucking liability
Because policy details can vary, it’s important to make sure you have the right coverage for how you actually use your truck.
Who May Need Bobtail Insurance?
Bobtail insurance may be useful for truckers and trucking businesses that regularly operate trucks without trailers attached. This can include owner-operators, leased operators, and certain trucking companies, depending on their operations and contractual requirements.
- Owner-operators under lease
- Truckers returning from a delivery without a trailer
- Drivers repositioning trucks between jobs
- Operators who frequently drive without attached trailers
- Trucking businesses reviewing liability gaps
Some motor carriers may require certain coverages, while other operators may need bobtail insurance to help fill a gap between dispatch, trailer use, and personal operation.
How Much Bobtail Insurance Costs
The cost of bobtail insurance can vary depending on several factors, including your driving record, truck type, operating radius, business setup, and overall insurance history.
Factors that may affect cost:
- Driving history
- Truck type and value
- Years of experience
- State and operating radius
- Existing trucking coverages
- Whether you are leased to a motor carrier
Because every trucking operation is different, the best way to determine pricing is to compare coverage options based on how the truck is actually used.
Bobtail Insurance FAQs
No, bobtail insurance typically does not cover damage to your own truck. That usually falls under physical damage coverage.
Some owner-operators may need bobtail insurance depending on their lease agreement, motor carrier requirements, and how they use the truck.
Bobtail insurance is liability coverage that may help protect truck drivers while operating a truck without a trailer attached.
No. Bobtail insurance and non-trucking liability are related but different coverages. Bobtail focuses on driving without a trailer, while non-trucking liability generally applies to personal use.
No, bobtail insurance generally does not cover freight or cargo. Cargo coverage would usually require motor truck cargo insurance.
It may apply when the truck is being operated without a trailer attached and a covered liability incident occurs.
Get a Bobtail Insurance Quote
Danaco Group helps owner-operators, new authorities, and trucking fleets find the right Bobtail Insurance coverage for their operations. Our team works with trucking businesses across Texas to provide fast, competitive quotes.