For the miles that aren’t the carrier’s.
Liability coverage for an owner-operator’s truck while it’s leased to a motor carrier but not working for it: personal trips, days off and the time the truck is yours again.
By Sam Alishahi · CA Insurance License #4348151 · Reviewed October 2026 · How this page is researched
The carrier insures its time. This insures yours.
Federal leasing rules set what a lease between an owner-operator and an authorized carrier must say. The carrier gets exclusive possession, control and use of the truck for the length of the lease and takes complete responsibility for operating it, and the lease has to state the carrier’s legal obligation to keep public liability insurance. FMCSA guidance adds that a truck deadheading or bobtailing while in the service of a motor carrier is subject to the federal financial responsibility rules, so that time falls on the carrier to insure.
What’s left is the time the truck isn’t in the carrier’s service, and that’s what non-trucking liability is for. Bobtailing just means driving a tractor without a trailer, but the federal leasing rule uses “bobtail insurance” as its example of the other insurance a lease must assign, and the two names are often used for the same coverage. The real differences sit in the exclusions, so I read the wording, not the label. My comparison page on non-trucking liability vs. bobtail goes further into the gray areas.
- In the carrier’s serviceThe carrier’s liability, loaded or empty, under the federal rules.
- Your own useNon-trucking or bobtail coverage, if you carry it.
- Federal minimum$750,000 for for-hire general freight in trucks rated 10,001 pounds or more.
- Your leaseMust say who provides other insurance, such as bobtail, and any amount charged back.
What underwriters will ask
Having these ready means I can go to market on the first call. The quote form asks for the same things, and anything you don’t know yet can wait.
- Lease: a copy of your lease, especially the insurance and charge-back sections.
- Carrier: who you’re leased to and its USDOT number.
- Truck: year, make, VIN and where it’s parked at night.
- Driver: CDL, years of experience and motor vehicle record.
- Current coverage: any certificate or settlement statement showing what the carrier provides.
- Use: how often and how far the truck moves off dispatch.
Non-trucking liability, answered
What’s the difference between non-trucking liability and bobtail insurance?
Bobtailing means driving a tractor without a trailer, but in insurance the two names are often used for the same coverage: liability for the truck when it isn’t working for the carrier it’s leased to. Two policies sold under either name can be worded differently, so I compare the exclusions rather than the label.
Does non-trucking liability cover me when I’m deadheading for my carrier?
Generally not. FMCSA guidance says a truck deadheading or bobtailing while in the service of a motor carrier is subject to the federal financial responsibility rules, so that time is the carrier’s to insure. Non-trucking coverage is written for use outside the carrier’s business.
Do I need it if I have my own authority?
No. A carrier running under its own authority needs primary auto liability that covers trucking use, at least $750,000 for for-hire general freight in trucks rated 10,001 pounds or more. Non-trucking coverage can’t stand in for it.
Does non-trucking liability cover damage to my truck?
No. It covers injury or damage you cause to other people. Damage to your own tractor needs physical damage coverage.
My carrier deducts insurance from my settlements. Is that allowed?
The lease must say who provides insurance beyond the carrier’s public liability coverage, and if the carrier charges it back to you, the lease must state the amount. If you buy coverage from or through the carrier, the lease must require the carrier to give you a copy of the policy on request and a certificate showing the insurer, policy number, dates, coverage, your cost and the deductibles you could owe.
Do you offer non-trucking liability insurance outside California?
Yes. Clients across the country send the same quote form. Sam Alishahi is licensed in 48 states and Washington, DC and places policies there directly. In Florida and Washington, where Sam's licenses are still being issued, a partner agency in your state helps in the meantime. The shopping across carriers works the same way. Rules, minimums and markets differ by state — see insurance requirements by state.
Send me your lease. I’ll shop the coverage.
Your lease agreement and your truck’s year, make and VIN are enough to start.
Alishahi Insurance · Saman Alishahi, independent insurance broker, California License #4348151. General information, not a quote or a promise of coverage; coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.
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(877) 711-4545Answered 24/7 · CA License #4348151
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