Updated October 7, 2026
Side by side
| Topic | Bobtail | Non-trucking liability |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Liability coverage while your tractor runs with no trailer attached. | Liability coverage while you use the truck off dispatch, when you aren't working for the motor carrier you're leased to. |
| When it applies | Driving the tractor without a trailer, for example to a repair shop or back to your home base. Some policies also cover driving without a trailer while dispatched, such as going to pick up a load. | Using the truck for your own purposes, such as personal errands or driving it home for the weekend. |
| Who usually buys it | Owner-operators leased to a motor carrier. Your lease should say who provides it. | Owner-operators leased to a motor carrier. Your lease should say who provides it. |
| What it doesn't cover | Your own truck, your freight and your own injuries. Usually not a load you're hauling for the motor carrier. | Your own truck, your freight and your own injuries. Usually not time you're dispatched on a load. |
| Where the line sits | Differs by policy. Some limit it to time you're off dispatch, others are broader about driving without a trailer. Read the wording. | Differs by policy. Ask how it defines off dispatch. |
In plain words
The motor carrier you're leased to is legally required to carry insurance that protects the public, and your lease must say who provides any other insurance for operating your equipment, bobtail insurance among them. Bobtail and non-trucking liability are for the time when you're driving and you aren't hauling a load for that motor carrier.
Both are liability coverage. They pay for injuries and damage you cause to other people and their property, plus your legal defense. Bobtail means driving the tractor with no trailer attached. Non-trucking liability means using the truck off dispatch, for your own purposes.
The two names overlap. Some insurance companies use them for the same policy and others draw the line differently, so the policy wording matters more than the name.
Examples
- You're leased to a motor carrier and drive your tractor home for the weekend, off dispatch. This is the situation non-trucking liability is for.
- You take your tractor, with no trailer, to a repair shop on a day off. Bobtail or non-trucking liability may respond, depending on how your policy is written.
- You're hauling a load your motor carrier dispatched you on. That is normally the motor carrier's liability insurance, not bobtail or non-trucking liability. Check your lease.
- You run under your own authority and haul for customers. You need primary auto liability. Neither of these takes its place.
When you need neither
If you run under your own authority, you are the motor carrier. Federal rules say a motor carrier can't operate a vehicle until it has the minimum liability insurance in effect, and FMCSA won't grant operating authority until that insurance is on file. That is primary auto liability, and your insurance company files the proof with FMCSA.
Bobtail and non-trucking liability are add-ons for leased drivers. They don't stand in for the policy your own authority requires. Ask your agent how your primary policy treats time when you aren't hauling, such as personal use.
Starting your own authority? Our guide for new authorities walks through the steps and where insurance fits.
What to check in your lease and policy
- Your lease. It must say who is responsible for insurance beyond the motor carrier's public liability coverage, such as bobtail insurance. It must also state any amount the motor carrier charges back to you.
- The policy wording. What does it call off dispatch, and does having a trailer attached change anything?
- Your own truck. Neither coverage pays to repair or replace it. That is physical damage, a separate coverage that lenders require on financed trucks.
- Your freight. Cargo is covered by motor truck cargo insurance, not by either of these.
Common questions
Sources
We checked each rule in this guide against these pages on October 7, 2026. Rules change, so check the source before you act on one.
- 49 CFR 376.12: Written lease requirementsThe motor carrier must maintain insurance to protect the public, the lease must say who provides other insurance such as bobtail insurance, and any charge-back must be stated.
- 49 CFR 387.7: Financial responsibility requiredA motor carrier can't operate a vehicle until it has the minimum liability insurance in effect.
- FMCSA: Insurance filing requirementsFMCSA won't grant operating authority until the minimum insurance is on file, and the insurance provider files it.