Bobtail Insurance Cost: Quotes + Market Ranges (2026)

Bobtail insurance covers an owner-operator's semi-truck when it's being driven without a trailer attached — most commonly between loads when leased to a motor carrier. It's narrow, specialized, and often confused with the related Non-Trucking Liability (NTL) coverage, which fills the gap when you're driving the truck off-duty (personal errands, weekend trips). Most leased owner-operators carry BOTH bobtail + NTL together — the motor carrier's primary liability covers you only when you're under dispatch with a trailer.

Pricing is tight and predictable: typically $300-$800/year for bobtail alone, and $400-$1,200/year when bundled with NTL (Progressive Commercial 2024). Every number on this page traces to a named external publication. Use the calculator below for your range, then get a real quote in 5 minutes.

Industry-typical market ranges

Sourced from III, NCCI, BLS, Insureon, NerdWallet — not from our quote form

Market ranges from published industry sources:

• Bobtail (deadhead) liability alone: typically $300-$800/year per truck for a leased owner-operator with a clean MVR (Progressive Commercial, 2024)
• Non-Trucking Liability (NTL) endorsement (when bundled with Bobtail): typically adds $100-$400/year (Insureon, 2024)
• Workers Comp for owner-operators with employees: typically $4-$10/$100 of payroll for NCCI Class Code 7228 (Long-Distance Trucking)
• Physical Damage (Collision + Comprehensive on the tractor): typically $1,500-$3,500/year — separate from Bobtail liability
• MCS-90 endorsement (federal financial-responsibility filing): no premium charge, but required for interstate motor carriers under 49 CFR §387.

State variation is moderate — high-litigation states (CA, FL, LA, NY, NJ) typically run 15-25% above national baseline; Midwest + Plains states run below.

National benchmark figures — what the industry reports

Published cost ranges for Bobtail insurance from industry research and carrier rate guides — useful as a sanity check on real quotes.

Industry context — what published research says about Bobtail coverage

• Bobtail vs HNOA: bobtail liability applies to a commercial truck operating without a trailer; Hired & Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) applies to non-owned vehicles used for business. Different products, often confused. IRMI Glossary.
• Bobtail vs NTL coverage gap: bobtail covers driving without a trailer; NTL covers driving when not under dispatch (off-duty use). The motor carrier's primary liability covers neither — that's why leased owner-operators need both. Progressive Commercial.
• FMCSA filing requirements: commercial trucks crossing state lines must carry $750K minimum primary liability ($1M for hazmat). MCS-90 endorsement is the FMCSA-required financial-responsibility certification. FMCSA.
• Lease arrangement matters: most motor carriers (e.g., Schneider, Werner, Knight-Swift) require leased owner-operators to carry bobtail + NTL as a condition of lease. Check your lease for specific limit requirements (usually $1M CSL). IRMI.
• Workers Compensation thresholds: owner-operators with employees need WC from the first non-owner employee in 49 states. Texas is opt-in. Class 7228 (long-haul trucking) is one of the highest WC rate classes in the country. NAIC Workers Comp topic.

Recent rate-filing activity — 8 state filings across 1 commercial line

Commercial carriers can't charge whatever they want — each state's Department of Insurance must approve loss-cost filings before they take effect. These are primary-source, government-held records available on SERFF Filing Access. Cited below: the most-recent active filings affecting bobtail operations, with the real SERFF tracking number for each.

Source: SERFF Filing Access (filingaccess.serff.com) — the official public-records interface for state Department of Insurance filings. Loss-cost changes shown are the overall bureau-wide change in each state; the actual impact on your quote depends on your class code, payroll, experience modifier, and carrier-specific loss-cost multiplier (LCM). Get a quote for your exact numbers.

Bobtail insurance cost by state — 40 states with filed-rate data

Filed-rate activity differs by state — each link below opens a bobtail-specific page showing only that state's most-recent workers' comp and commercial-lines filings, with the real SERFF tracking numbers.

What factors affect bobtail insurance cost?

Underwriters set premium based on a handful of factors that vary by vertical and by carrier. Understanding the drivers below helps you predict your real quote and target the right reductions.

• Years of CDL experience
  Newer CDL holders (under 2 years) typically pay 25-40% more than drivers with 5+ years of clean experience. Progressive Commercial.
• Motor vehicle record (MVR)
  Any at-fault accident in the last 3 years typically adds $200-$500/year. DUI or major violation can double or triple bobtail premium. Insureon.
• State of operation + base of operations
  California, Florida, Louisiana, New York, and New Jersey are typically 15-25% above national baseline due to high tort exposure. Midwest + Plains states run below. III Commercial Lines.
• Motor carrier you're leased to
  Established carriers with strong safety programs often negotiate group rates for their leased owner-operators. Some require coverage through their preferred carrier. FMCSA.
• Truck (tractor) value
  Physical damage coverage scales linearly with tractor value. A $120K newer tractor costs roughly 2× the comp/collision premium of a $60K used tractor. Bobtail liability itself is mostly independent of truck value. Progressive Commercial.
• Liability limit choice
  Standard limit is $1M Combined Single Limit (CSL), which matches most motor-carrier lease requirements. Some operators choose $2M for extra protection — typical 8-15% premium increase. IRMI.
• Deductible (for physical damage)
  Raising your collision deductible from $1K to $2,500 typically reduces collision premium 10-20%. Insureon.
• Claims history
  Prior bobtail or NTL claims trigger surcharges for 3-5 years depending on carrier. One small claim (under $5K) typically doesn't move the needle; multiple claims or any large bodily-injury claim will. III: Filing a claim.

How to lower your bobtail insurance cost

Carriers offer real discounts for the steps below — most operators can take 10–25% off premium by stacking 2–3 of these. Verify carrier-specific credits at renewal.

• ✓ Bundle Bobtail + NTL with the same carrier
  Quoting both with one carrier nets a typical 10-15% bundle credit vs unbundled. Most leased owner-operators need both anyway.
• ✓ Maintain a clean MVR
  Three years of clean driving (no at-fault accidents, no DUI, no major violations) typically earns the lowest bobtail rate. One violation can erase the discount for 36 months.
• ✓ Complete carrier-approved safety training
  Many motor carriers (Schneider, Werner, etc.) offer safety-training programs that flow through to insurance discounts. Ask your motor carrier safety dept for the list. FMCSA Large Truck Crash Facts.
• ✓ Raise your physical-damage deductible
  Going from $1K to $2,500 collision deductible typically saves 10-20%. Make sure you can self-fund. Insureon.
• ✓ Consider lease-specific carrier programs
  If you're leased to a major carrier, their preferred-insurer program may offer rates 5-15% below open-market. Ask your motor carrier safety dept.
• ✓ Don't carry duplicate coverage
  If your motor carrier's primary liability covers you under dispatch, you only need Bobtail (without trailer) + NTL (off-duty). Avoid paying twice for the same exposure. IRMI Glossary.
• ✓ Annual renewal MVR review
  Ask your agent to re-quote at every renewal — clean 3-year MVRs unlock progressively lower rates. Progressive Commercial.

Get your actual quote in 5 minutes

Compare quotes from 10+ carriers. No SSN required.

Frequently asked questions about bobtail insurance cost

Related guides

• Bobtail Insurance — full coverage guide
• Non-Trucking Liability (NTL) — companion coverage
• Commercial Truck Insurance overview
• MCS-90 glossary entry
• HNOA vs Bobtail — comparison

Sources cited

1. Bobtail insurance for truck drivers — Progressive Commercial, 2024
2. Trucking insurance cost + coverage guide — Insureon, 2024
3. Insurance filing requirements (49 CFR 387) — MCS-90 — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 2024
4. Non-Trucking Liability + Bobtail glossary entries — International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), 2024
5. NCCI Scopes Manual Class Code 7228 — Long-distance trucking — National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), 2024