What is Bobtail?
Bobtail means driving a tractor with no trailer attached, and bobtail insurance covers liability while a leased owner-operator drives that way.
Some insurers use bobtail and non-trucking liability to mean the same thing. Others limit bobtail coverage to times the truck has no trailer, whether or not it is under dispatch.
A lease under 49 CFR 376.12(j) should say who provides it.
Official source
49 CFR 376.12(j) (eCFR), checked Oct 25, 2026.
Related guides
General information, not advice on any policy. We are not licensed in any state yet. Our Michigan license is pending.