Bobtail insurance: what it covers and how it differs from non-trucking liability

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 6, 2026

"Bobtail" means a tractor with no trailer attached. The name "bobtail insurance" is used two ways: some insurers sell it as liability coverage for driving with no trailer, including on the job, while some policies use "bobtail" as a nickname for non-trucking liability (NTL), which applies only when you're off duty. The name alone doesn't tell you which one you're buying. [1][2][3][4][5][9]

What bobtailing means

The Fifth Circuit, a federal appeals court, has described bobtailing as trucking parlance for driving the tractor without an attached trailer or chassis, and FMCSA uses the same meaning in its insurance guidance. In an earlier case the same court put it simply: bobtailing means driving a tractor without a trailer attached. [1][2][9]

Two ways the name "bobtail insurance" is used

Bobtailing isn't only for time off. FMCSA's guidance says a truck bobtailing while in the service of a motor carrier falls under the federal insurance rules for that carrier. In other words, a truck with no trailer can be on the job.

• Coverage for driving with no trailer. Some insurers and brokers sell "bobtail insurance" as liability coverage for driving the tractor without a trailer for work, including while under dispatch, for example heading to the next pickup after dropping a load.
• A nickname for non-trucking liability. Some policies use "bobtail" for non-trucking-use coverage. A federal appeals court noted that a policy titled "Insurance for Non-Trucking Use" is commonly referred to as a bobtail policy. Insurers and brokers describe non-trucking coverage as applying when the truck is off duty, not under dispatch.

Sources: [1][2][3][4][5][9]

Bobtail vs. non-trucking liability (NTL)

Insurers and brokers say these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not identical:

• Bobtail is tied to driving the tractor without a trailer. It doesn't apply while a trailer is attached, and some bobtail policies apply whether or not you're under dispatch.
• Non-trucking liability (NTL) is tied to how the truck is used, not to the trailer. It covers personal, non-business use of the truck whether or not a trailer is attached, when you're off duty and not under dispatch.

Sources: [3][4][5][7][8]

When the carrier's insurance applies instead

FMCSA guidance says a truck that is bobtailing or deadheading (running empty) while in the service of a motor carrier is subject to the federal financial-responsibility rules, meaning the carrier's required liability coverage.

Non-trucking policies can exclude coverage while the truck is used in the business of the carrier it's leased to. In one case, the Fifth Circuit applied such an exclusion to a driver who bobtailed to get maintenance while waiting for his next load. In another, the Fifth Circuit found a differently worded exclusion ambiguous and held that the policy did cover a driver bobtailing to a repair shop while not under dispatch. [1][2][9]

What it doesn't cover

Insurers and brokers describe bobtail insurance as covering your liability for injuries and damage to others. It doesn't pay to repair your own truck; physical damage coverage is bought separately. The same goes for non-trucking liability. [3][4][5]

Do you need it?

Insurers and brokers say motor carriers often require owner-operators leased to them to carry non-trucking liability or bobtail insurance as a condition of the lease.

Federal leasing rules don't require it themselves; they require your lease to say who provides insurance beyond the carrier's public-liability coverage, naming bobtail insurance as an example, and to state any amount the carrier charges back to you for insurance. [3][5][6]

Common questions