You need to know about bobtail liability insurance if you operate a large vehicle or oversee a fleet that has tractor-trailer equipment. In the trucking sector, there are several ways to move and carry freight; each has its advantages, disadvantages, and expenses. Bobtailing, or driving a semi-truck or eighteen-wheeler without the trailer hitched, is one of the riskier ones.
Bobtailing might happen when you’re returning from dropping off a cargo or when you’re picking one up. For any reason, bobtailing is a hobby that frequently calls for additional insurance protection. In the event of an accident, bobtail liability insurance safeguards both you and your pocketbook and can even be required by your motor carrier.
What is Bobtail Liability Insurance
Bobtail insurance is commercial liability insurance for automobiles and is acquired by owners and independent transportation contractors. This insurance is intended to protect the owner-operator from liability claims if the driver is deadheading or bobtailing. This liability coverage is in effect regardless of the tractor’s dispatch status.
The motor carrier’s auto liability coverage will apply to the owner-operator while they are being dispatched. Any leased owner-operator will frequently be required to purchase bobtail coverage from the motor carrier or trucking firm. Even if the trailer is empty, bobtail insurance will not cover you if you are towing any kind of trailer.
How Does Bobtail Liability Insurance Work
A truck is a bobtail if it is not hitched to a trailer. It is a bobtail if it also has an empty trailer that has been assaulted. Understanding the kinds of cars that are protected by bobtail liability insurance requires knowledge of this.
This indicates that a bobtail insurance policy does not cover a trailer driver who is loaded with cargo and being driven for delivery. However, the policy covers him after the cargo is delivered and the trailer is emptied. To get coverage for themselves once the company’s liability insurance policy expires, truck drivers or owners acquire bobtail liability coverage.
A bobtail works best when the vehicle is either empty or has no trailer. This coverage covers a motorist while they are not towing a trailer or when they are towing an empty trailer. The presence or absence of a trailer without cargo determines the coverage of the bobtail policy, not whether the vehicle is being utilized for commercial purposes or not.
This guideline applies to semi-trucks that are not towing any trailers, even while the drivers are on business trips. On the other hand, non-trucking liability insurance offers liability protection to truck owners and operators regardless of whether the vehicles are hitched to a trailer carrying goods or a load.
How Much Does Bobtail Liability Insurance
Bobtail insurance rates are influenced by several variables, such as your driving record, the amount of coverage you select, the frequency of your bobtails, and more. The majority of drivers spend about $400 a year on this kind of insurance, according to East Insurance Group.
However, that is only an average, and your actual expenses will vary depending on:
Driving history
Your previous automobile experience If you have more expertise driving a truck, your insurance rate will generally be lower.
Your limits
You will have to pay more than you would for $1 million in insurance if you want liability coverage up to $2 million. Costs increase in tandem with coverage levels.
Your usage
Are you a frequent user of bobtails? For what duration will it last? You become a riskier client when your insurance rates rise in line with your degree of bobtailing.
Insurance history
You will most likely pay extra for your bobtail insurance if you have a history of filing numerous claims against previous insurance plans.
Due to their size, semi-trucks have the potential to seriously harm other automobiles, homes, and persons in an accident. Because bobtailing is so tough, not getting insurance for this hobby can be a big error that might cost you millions of dollars in repairs and medical expenses in the event of an accident.
What Does Bobtail Liability Insurance Cover
Since bobtail insurance only covers liability, it excludes compensation for actual physical damage to an insured person’s truck. The motor carrier usually offers collision coverage. Bobtail insurance pays for injuries sustained by other accident participants as well as damage to other cars and property when the driver of a bobtail truck is found to be at fault in an accident.
Bobtail insurance covers drivers under dispatch or on the way to or from work runs, including those dropping off trailers and picking up another trailer. It also covers accidents causing property damage or injury on the way to pick up or drop off loads.
Who Needs Bobtail Liability Insurance
Whether you or the trucking authority you drive under offers insurance, the owner or operator of commercial trucks must have it. Verify whether your motor carrier’s primary liability coverage covers it. But is bobtail insurance really necessary to have with your vehicle insurance? The following justifies your need for it:
- Bobtail insurance protects you when you utilize your car for personal purposes (i.e., while it’s not being dispatched) and don’t have a trailer hitched (deadhead journeys).
- You require assistance paying for any physical harm sustained in an accident.
- The expenses of a third-party lawsuit or harm are beyond your means.
- Bobtail responsibility is a requirement set out by your motor carrier.
- Bobtail coverage usually applies to drivers who have a motor carrier lease.
Bobtail coverage usually applies to drivers who have a motor carrier lease. As a condition of your contract, the majority of motor carriers demand that you secure bobtail or non-trucking liability. Bobtail coverage is often provided by your primary liability policy if you are the owner or operator and are operating under your authority.
Where to Find Bobtail Liability Insurance
Bobtail insurance is typically provided by commercial motor insurers. Usually, you may obtain a quotation by visiting the insurer’s website and providing some basic details about your car, driving record, and driving style.