What is Temporary Bobtail Insurance?

Non-trucking liability insurance, often known as temporary bobtail insurance, is a cheap commercial insurance policy that can be purchased for 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 10 days, or even 30 days which would depend on the coverage given by the insurance provider.

So, are you a truck driver considering buying a truck and going into business for yourself? Or are you an owner-operator interested in obtaining your US Department of Transportation (DOT) operating authority? Either way, you’ll need bobtail insurance to protect your truck when operating without a trailer.

There are specific commercial truck insurance policies, just like temporary bobtail insurance that meet scenarios in the truckers work life that would undoubtedly make your life easier if you knew what to ask for and how it fits into your overall business circumstances.

Understanding Temporary Bobtail Insurance Policy

Today’s market has a wide range of types of temporary bobtail insurance options. On a tractor or power unit GVW or gross vehicle weight of 26,001lbs and up, you can get commercial temporary truck insurance for a coverage period of 30 days.

The short-term drive-away commercial truck insurance policy offers you, the trucker, a unique benefit. It’s a pretty restrictive strategy, but it’s the cheapest and most efficient solution in the appropriate circumstances.

This policy prohibits you from engaging in any aspect of commerce if you, the insured, are under a dispatch order, have a load on your truck, laden as directed by the bill of lading, moving cargo for hire, for yourself, or for a private carrier.

The acquisition of a temporary policy provides credible insurance coverage in order to legally drive a power unit along public roadways, as required by the DOT, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), lien-holder, or loss-payee.

What Do You Need to Know About One-Day Truck Insurance?

One-day truck insurance, as the name implies, protects your bobtail truck for 24 hours. The majority of carriers sell this product as a short-term truck insurance solution. From the coverage options supplied by the carriers, you can select the policy’s duration.

This insurance is available if you need to transport your truck or send it in for repairs or modifications that will be completed in a single day. It will compensate you for any losses incurred as a result of a liable situation involving your truck.

For many consumers, one-day truck insurance is the most sought-after type of truck insurance in the country. You can get short-term coverage for a few days, weeks, or even months, even if the policy only protects you for 24 hours.

If you need coverage for a longer period of time, getting an annual policy and canceling it when the vehicle is no longer in use may be a more cost-effective option.

This insurance is available from a certified motor carrier. When an owner of a bobtail or any other sort of truck has not driven it in a while, the carrier will allow them to insure their vehicle for one day.

Do You Need Temporary Bobtail Insurance?

Trucks are vulnerable to a variety of hazards and are constantly at risk of accidents. Because of the nature of the trucking industry, it is also a dangerous business to insure for carriers. As a result, if you’ve recently purchased a new truck for your business, acquiring appropriate trucking insurance might be time-consuming.

This is due to the fact that when insuring a commercial truck, carriers assess a variety of factors. As a result, until you obtain suitable insurance, your truck will remain uninsured and vulnerable.

You’ll need temporary bobtail Insurance when you need coverage when you are bobtailing or driving a truck without a trailer. Simply, bobtail insurance protects the tractor when it isn’t hitched to a trailer, regardless of whether the truck is on the road.

Here are some reasons why you’ll need temporary bobtail insurance:

• Bobtail insurance protects you if you use your truck for personal reasons and don’t have a trailer attached, also known as deadhead trips.
• You require assistance in covering the costs of physical damage caused by an accident.
• You can’t afford the cost of a third-party lawsuit or an injury to a third party.
• Bobtail liability insurance is required by your motor carrier.
• Bobtail coverage is typically reserved for drivers who have signed a lease agreement with a motor carrier. As part of your contract, most motor carriers require you to obtain bobtail or non-trucking liability.

Bobtail is normally covered under your primary liability policy if you’re the owner/operator and driving on your own authority.

What Does Temporary Bobtail Insurance Cover?

Bobtail insurance coverage is considered a liability-only insurance policy. What does that mean? Liability policies only cover expenses if you are involved in or responsible for an accident. Bobtail insurance provides coverage in these scenarios.

For example, you complete a haul and your trailer is left at the drop site. You’re driving to pick up your next load and blow a tire, causing you to sideswipe another car. Your temporary bobtail insurance will pay to repair the property damage to the other person’s vehicle, their medical expenses, legal fees, and even the costly settlement if they sue you.

What is Not Covered by Temporary Bobtail Insurance?

Damage to your truck is not covered by bobtail insurance coverage. Those costs would be covered by your trucking insurance. It will also not give coverage for the load you’re transporting. That would be covered by cargo insurance. 

Choose the Right Temporary Bobtail Insurance for Your Needs

You need protection from liabilities whether you’re an owner-operator and work as an independent trucker or have a contract with a motor carrier.

At Strong Tie Insurance, our goal is to save you money while providing you with the liability coverage you require. With more than two decades of commercial truck insurance experience, we can confidently resolve your problems quickly and exceed your expectations and with a lot of benefits.

To request a temporary bobtail insurance quote or quotes, you can contact us at 800-671-5050 at Strong Tie Insurance today!