How much does bobtail insurance cost in North Carolina? (2026)
Every dollar figure on this page is a statutory coverage requirement or a filed industry benchmark — not the premium you will pay. What you actually pay depends on your payroll, revenue, claims history, limits and carrier.
Bobtail insurance pricing in North Carolina is shaped by the same state-specific bureau loss-cost filings that govern every commercial policy issued in North Carolina. Below: the most-recent North Carolina filings affecting bobtail operations, cited to the regulator or bureau filings they came from — primary-source, government-held pricing records. Read the full national context on the Bobtail cost guide.
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, each cited to the regulator or bureau filing it came from.
| Line | State | Overall change | Effective | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WC | NC | per $100 payroll (advisory loss cost) | Apr 1, 2026 | Filing #NCRI-134628278 |
| WC | NC | per $100 payroll (advisory loss cost) | Apr 1, 2026 | Filing #NCRI-134628278 |
| WC | NC | Industrial -7.8% / Federal -12.8% overall loss cost level | Apr 1, 2026 | Filing #NC-NCRB-LC-20250829 |
| WC | NC | per $100 payroll (advisory loss cost) | Apr 1, 2026 | Filing #NCRI-134628278 |
| WC | NC | per $100 payroll (advisory loss cost) | Apr 1, 2026 | Filing #NCRI-134628278 |
| WC | NC | per $100 payroll (advisory loss cost) | Apr 1, 2026 | Filing #NCRI-134628278 |
| WC | NC | per $100 payroll (advisory loss cost) | Apr 1, 2026 | Filing #NCRI-134628278 |
| WC | NC | per $100 payroll (advisory loss cost) | Apr 1, 2026 | Filing #NCRI-134628278 |
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.
Scope note: the filings tabulated above reflect NCCI class 9586 (Barber/Beauty Services) as an illustrative example of WC filing structure. This operation's actual WC class is NCCI 7228 (Trucking — Mail, Parcel and Package Delivery) — long-haul / interstate / parcel-and-package trucking typically maps to 7228; short-haul local operations may instead classify under 7219 (Trucking — Local Hauling NOC); long-haul interstate may also use 7230 (Trucking — Long Haul) depending on operating radius. Trucking + commercial-auto loss costs are jointly bureau-filed (ISO + NCCI); the per-state ranges shown reflect cross-class WC mechanics rather than 7228 rates specifically. Confirm your specific class-code mapping at quote with your underwriter.
National context — Bobtail insurance overview
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 (III commercial-truck-insurance benchmark 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.
National benchmark figures
Published cost ranges for Bobtail insurance — useful as a national baseline against which the North Carolina filings above signal local direction.
Industry-typical market ranges (national)
Sourced from III, NCCI, ISO, NAIC, BLS, FMCSA, FDA, NRA — government and bureau publications, 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 (III commercial-insurance basics)
- Non-Trucking Liability (NTL) endorsement (when bundled with Bobtail): typically adds $100-$400/year (III commercial-truck-insurance benchmark data, 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.
For North Carolina-specific direction, see the filed-rate table above.
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. III commercial-insurance basics.
- 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.
How to lower your bobtail insurance cost
General levers that apply nationally — North Carolina operators may also have state-specific levers (e.g. non-subscriber WC, multi-jurisdiction permit consolidation).
Get your actual North Carolina quote in 5 minutes
The data above is regulator-filed direction. Your actual North Carolina quote depends on class code, payroll, experience modifier, and the LCM each carrier files.
Get a free North Carolina quote → 📞 Call 1-833-505-2594More North Carolina rate-filing detail
- All North Carolina commercial rate filings (every line, every recent filing) — the broader rate-data view for North Carolina
- Rate filings by state — directory of all 47+ states with active filings
- National Rate Change Tracker — every filing across every state, sortable
Get a real North Carolina quote for bobtail
The data above shows the regulator-filed direction for North Carolina. For your actual quote — based on payroll, experience modifier, and the LCM each carrier files — request a free quote in under 90 seconds.
Get a free North Carolina quote →Related guides
Sources cited (national context above)
- Bobtail insurance for truck drivers — Insurance Information Institute (III), 2024
- Trucking insurance cost + coverage guide — Insurance Information Institute (III), 2024
- Insurance filing requirements (49 CFR 387) — MCS-90 — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 2024
- Non-Trucking Liability + Bobtail glossary entries — International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), 2024
- NCCI Scopes Manual Class Code 7228 — Long-distance trucking — National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), 2024