Best Bobtail Insurance Companies of 2024

To curate our list of the best bobtail insurance companies, we started with more than 25 companies and then narrowed down our list based on the following factors listed below. 

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Coverage

• Regions – most top companies are available in all 50 states
• Insurance Policies & Endorsements – what additional coverage options are available

Customer Experience

• Industry Reports – ratings from organizations like the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and JD Power
• Review Sites – how do customers feel
• Online Experience – can truckers get basic services online like certificates of insurance or do they need to wait for a company representative to email or fax a COI

Pricing

• Quoting – how easy is it to get a quote
• Premium Payment Terms – do they offer flexible payment terms
• Discount Opportunities – can companies save money by paying upfront or installing safety equipment

Financial Strength

While all of our recommended companies are financially sound, these ratings can give peace of mind.

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Summary – Our Advice

While this list is a great starting point, it’s important to get quotes from multiple companies as there is no single “best” insurance company. The best option can vary depending on your unique situation.

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Buyers should speak with an agent or broker about their specific insurance needs because many insurers and trucking companies use terms like bobtail and non-trucking liability interchangeably.

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Working with an insurance agent can also help you save time and money because they should provide quotes from multiple insurers. They may also have access to insurers that only sell through agents and not directly to trucking companies. That said, multiple insurers listed below do sell directly so you can easily get online quotes yourself.

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Motor carriers often require owner operators to carry bobtail liability or non-trucking liability insurance to avoid claims against the motor carrier’s primary liability insurance while owner operators are not hauling for the company.

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‍Bobtail insurance is often confused with non-trucking liability (NTL) insurance and some insurers and motor carriers even use the terms interchangeably despite a few key differences.

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Because of this, it’s important to confirm that the requirements set in your lease agreement match the coverage offered by your insurance company.

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Bobtail vs Non-trucking Liability vs Deadhead vs Unladen Insurance

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Bobtail & Physical Damage Insurance

Bobtail insurance is almost always paired with a physical damage policy.

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While bobtail insurance provides liability coverage when not hauling a trailer, physical damage insurance protects tractors whether they are hauling a trailer or not.

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For example, if an owner operator gets into an accident while hauling a load, the motor carrier’s primary liability insurance will cover third-party injuries and property damage. However, an owner operator would still need physical damage insurance to repair or replace their own vehicle.

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Sometimes the term “bobtail insurance” can refer to bobtail liability or NTL plus physical damage.

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Common scenarios where bobtail coverage kicks in include the period between dropping off one trailer and picking up another, the drive home from a delivery where the trailer was dropped off, and driving without a trailer for personal reasons.

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As the name suggests, bobtail liability insurance never covers trucks while a trailer is attached.

Because it is liability insurance, it won’t cover physical damage to the insured’s truck or medical expenses incurred by the driver or passengers.

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Some bobtail policies are also only available to permanently leased operators so new owner operators or those between contracts may need to look for temporary insurance.

The two types of coverage are easy to confuse, and they are sometimes used interchangeably by insurers and trucking companies.  Owner operator should discuss the specifics with their motor carrier and potential insurers before making a purchase.

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Non-Trucking Liability Example

A driver under lease needs to obtain coverage for the times they drive when not on the job, for example if they use the truck for shopping or other errands on their day off. Non-trucking liability insurance covers instances like these, whether driving with or without a trailer. 

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Bobtail Liability Example

Owner operators might drive their tractor without a trailer while on the job or in their personal time. For example, a driver might head from a drop-off location to a new pick-up without a trailer, which bobtail liability insurance would cover.

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Choosing a Policy

The two terms are often used interchangeably because there are many instances when either bobtail insurance or non-trucking liability would cover the operator. For example, driving without a trailer for personal reasons could be covered under either insurance type. Leased owner operators are typically required to get one type of coverage or the other but not both. The motor carrier will be the entity that makes that determination.

Driving without a trailer is more common for the average owner operator than driving a semi for personal reasons so bobtail insurance is often more expensive than non-trucking liability.

Unladen liability insurance covers semi-trucks any time they are not loaded with cargo, whether they are deadheading with an empty trailer or bobtailing without a trailer at all.

Unladen liability insurance, which some motor carriers require for their owner operators, makes no distinction between a truck is being used for business or non-business purposes. Coverage kicks any time the truck is without cargo.

Unladen liability insurance is a newer type of insurance and because it is more comprehensive some policies can cost more than bobtail or deadhead insurance. Leased operators should thoroughly explore their options with a motor carrier before obtaining an unladen liability policy.