Bobtail insurance companies cover truckers when they are operating a semi-truck without a trailer for business-related purposes. The best bobtail insurance companies offer several coverage options.
Bobtail insurance providers typically cover physical damage caused to other vehicles, medical fees, legal fees, and other related expenses. It’s important that you choose the best bobtail insurance companies for your needs in order to insure your business, vehicles, and truckers against expenses accrued after a collision.
Keep reading to learn about the details behind the best bobtail insurance companies. And when you’re finished, check out the other articles in our ‘Bobtail insurance’ series:
- What is bobtail insurance?
- How much does bobtail insurance cost?
- Best bobtail insurance companies
Quicklook: Best Bobtail Insurance Companies
- Best For Owner Operators: OOIDA
- Best For Pricing and Discount: State Farm
- Best For Motor Carriers: The Hartford
- Best For Overall Coverage: Progressive Insurance Company
- Best For Single Truck Businesses: Sentry
5 Best Bobtail Insurance Companies
Here are the top five bobtail insurance companies that offer top-tier services.
OOIDA
OOIDA offers bobtail liability insurance in all 50 states. The company also recommends various insurance options that can cover trucking businesses against liabilities using transportation modalities. This insurance company provides a comprehensive range of coverage and policy alternatives specifically for small trucking businesses.
Best For: Owner-Operators
Online Quotes: No
Coverage Options:
- Physical damage
- Rental reimbursement
- Personal property
- Liability
- Trailer interchange
- Medical benefits
- Cleanup and towing
- Gap insurance
Special Features:
- Identity theft management and resolution service
- Truck to success program
Benefits:
- Several economical commercial truck insurance options
- Up-to-date trucking news and information
- Personal property protection
Disadvantages:
- No online quotes
- Must be members of OOIDA to take advantage of insurance options
- Only accepts owner-operators and small trucking businesses
Progressive
Progressive offers insurance for all types of commercial trucks. Also, Progressive offers low prices and customizable payment schedules to make commercial trucking insurance affordable. This insurance provider offers bobtail truck insurance coverage in all 50 states across the U.S.
Best For: Overall Coverage
Online Quotes: Yes
Coverage Options:
- Bodily injury
- Liability
- Medical payments
- Uninsured motorist
- Collision
- Personal property damage
Special Features:
- Customizable policy
- Free state and federal filings
- Specialized heavy truck claims
Benefits:
- Online quote is available
- Customizable policy
- Offers a variety of coverage options
- Available in all 50 states in the U.S.
- Discounts
Disadvantages:
- Varying coverages and features
- Poor customer service
- Potential for travel radius to apply
- No gap insurance
The Hartford
The Hartford is a bobtail insurance company that offers special programs and discounts to fleets. The risk engineering team at Hartford Insurance teaches fleet owners how to increase their safety measures while reducing the risk of accidents. This insurance company received A+ ratings from top credit rating companies A.M. and S&P.
Best For: Motor Carriers
Online Quotes: No
Coverage Options:
- Rental reimbursements
- Collision
- Gap insurance
- Liability
- Medical payments
- Personal injury protection
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist
Special Features:
- Fleet management program
Benefits:
- Fleet management programs
- Discounts
- Insurance coverage in all 50 states
- Special risk engineering services for fleets
Disadvantages:
- Limited coverage options for single customers
- No online quotes available
State Farm
State Farm provides a variety of coverage alternatives that can be combined into a single affordable policy. State Farm bobtail truck insurance is available in 48 states. The company is highly respected for its excellent customer service and affordable auto insurance rates.
Best For: Pricing and Discounts
Online Quotes: Yes
Coverage Options:
- Rental reimbursement
- Collision
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist
- Property damage
- Liability
- Medical payments
Special Features: None
Benefits:
- Coverage for individual or fleet vehicles
- Availability of online quotes
- Several discount bundles
Disadvantages:
- No new policies in Massachusetts or Rhode Island
- No gap insurance
Sentry
Sentry Insurance prioritizes single truck customers even though the company also provides coverage to owner-operators and trucking fleets. However, only designated agencies that specialize in trucking are authorized to offer the sentry commercial trucking insurance.
Best For: Single Truck Businesses
Online Quotes: No
Coverage Options:
- Collisions
- Liability
- Comprehensive
- Medical payments
- Physical damage
Special Features:
- Cyber damage coverage
Benefits:
- Flexible coverage options
- Available in all 50 states
- Specializes in bobtail coverage for owner-operators
- Specializes in personal use liability
Disadvantages:
- Must work with a local agent if you are an individual
What Is Bobtail Insurance?
Bobtail insurance is a type of commercial trucking insurance that solely covers truck owner-operators’ liabilities when they are not actively towing anything. When a truck driver is involved in an incident without a trailer attached, and if the accident then results in property damage or personal harm, bobtail insurance is applied.
How Does Bobtail Insurance Work?
Bobtail insurance only applies when individuals operate their trucks without the cargo trailer attached to and from the terminal. The bobtail coverage is only applicable if the truck is used for business by the individuals listed on the insurance policy. Bobtail insurance protects an insured vehicle from theft, vandalism, fire, and collision.
This insurance covers liability, medical expenses, legal fees, personal property, and others. Some insurance companies refer to a combination of physical damage insurance and non-trucking liability insurance as bobtail insurance. Owner-operators should verify that the insurance company’s policies are a great fit for the policies their trucking business needs.
What Factors Affect the Price of Bobtail Coverage?
Here are three main factors that contribute to the total cost of bobtail insurance:
- Driving History: The more experience a driver has driving a truck, the lower the insurance provider’s monthly premium rate will be.
- Policy Limits: The policy limit determines the maximum amount of money that the insurance provider will pay towards claims on each type of coverage you select. The bobtail insurance cost often increases with the level of coverage you choose.
- Insurance History: If you have a history of frequent claims on your past insurance policies, you will likely pay more for your bobtail insurance.
What To Consider With Bobtail Insurance
There are many factors to consider when looking into your bobtail insurance options, including coverage, types of trucks covered, deductibles, monthly premiums, policy limits and the bobtail insurance company’s financial standing.
Coverage Options
The bobtail coverage option determines which incidents, expenses, and damages will be covered by the insurance provider. Truckers should verify that the insurance company’s coverage options meet their trucking business needs.
Trucks Covered
The type of trucks that a business operates will likely determine the cost and the coverage options that are available to them. Bobtail insurance providers tend to consider the size of the vehicle and the type of vehicle being driven when they are determining the costs of coverage. That said, some insurance providers do not offer bobtail insurance for specific types of trucks.
Deductible
The deductible is the amount of money that a trucking company or a trucking business must pay towards their claim before the bobtail truck insurance coverage will go into effect.
Monthly Premium
A monthly premium is the amount of money that individuals or trucking business owners must pay in order to retain their insurance company policy and the coverage that comes with it. You can think of it like rental payments, but instead of paying for a place to live, you are paying to insure your trucks and drivers every month. Truckers should make sure they are financially able to afford the monthly premium of a certain type of coverage before agreeing to an insurance plan.
Policy Limit
A policy limit determines the maximum amount of money your insurance provider will pay for claims on each type of coverage that you select. You should make sure your selected policy limits completely cover the needs of your business. Doing so will help you avoid additional expenses.
Company’s Financial Standing
A company’s financial standing will affect the type of bobtail insurance coverage level that they can apply for. A company must make sure it can afford the bobtail insurance policy in the long run to avoid experiencing a loss.
Choose The Best Bobtail Insurance Company For You
Selecting the best bobtail insurance company will require you to take a look at your individual or trucking business needs. The best bobtail insurance companies offer coverage for different types of trucks and industries, as well as provide additional features.
Consider one of the best bobtail insurance companies talked about above. The aforementioned options can assist your business, vehicles, and truckers from accruing expenses that result from an unexpected collision.
FAQ
The average cost of bobtail insurance is between $30 and $40 per month.
Bobtail coverage is a commercial trucking insurance that solely covers the liabilities of truck owner-operators when they are not towing anything behind them.
Select a bobtail insurance provider that offers coverage options with features that meet the needs of your trucking business. Register with the insurance provider and apply for their quote.
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