Why You May Need Bobtail Insurance for Your Truck

According to the American Trucking Associations, 33.8 million trucks are registered and used for business purposes, not including government and farm trucks. If you drive an 18-wheeler for a living and sometimes drive without your trailer, you should consider bobtail insurance.

Independent Operators

If you work for yourself and take contract jobs to transport goods, check with the company to see if they will provide bobtail insurance in your contract. If not, they may require you to have your own bobtail insurance prior to contracting you.

Full-time Employed Operators

If you work for a company as a full-time truck driver, chances are good they provide you with bobtail insurance coverage. However, some companies may not. Before you take a job with a company as a full-time driver it’s a good idea to ask what coverage is provided and any you may be responsible for having before beginning your job.

Why is Bobtail Insurance Important?

Bobtail insurance is important if you were to have an accident when not transporting goods for either a contract job or your employer. Having coverage when driving your semi without a trailer is just as important for when you are hauling a load, and you can find affordable premiums that will help ease your mind in case you do have a minor or major accident. Some bobtail insurance coverage provides simple liability, and of course you can get more coverage if you drive without your trailer often.

In 2016, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there were 475,000 large truck accidents reported to police. Of those accidents, 105,000 involved bodily injury, and nearly 4,000 of the accidents were fatal. More accidents tend to occur in rural areas and at night. If your routes are outside city limits and you drive in non-peak times, such as in the evenings and at night, bobtail insurance coverage may be necessary.

Check out the Department of Transportation’s insurance requirements for truck drivers. You may still have questions about bobtail insurance or other commercial trucking coverage; contact us for more info. We provide commercial truck insurance coverage in these states:  Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.

David Ott

David Ott