What types of insurance do I need before I can drive my new truck off the lot?

Most lease operators I know furnish their own Bobtail insurance. But if have their name and numbers on your truck, it will mostly be " Mother may I ". That's exactly why I drove to Tennessee and picked up a brand new trailer for a friend. He would have to pay the company he is leased to, to use his own truck to go 400 miles to get the trailer. If you want to be independent get your own authority? But there may be something I'm not in the know about..? Haven't met anyone who knows everything . Be safe out there.

 

Even if you are going to be leasing your truck to a company and using their insurance, you can get separate bobtail insurance to get you home.

I used Progressive and had them write me a policy for liability and physical damage on the tractor. You may need to make a down payment that will be higher than a typical monthly bill, but you’ll be legal and covered.

Once I was ready to get insurance through the carrier I was leasing to, I called Progressive and cancelled that policy.

 

A good resource for insurance is OOIDA, check them out for advice.

OOIDA, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

 

You need a Non-Trucking Use policy or more commonly called “bobtail” coverage. A commercial insurer won’t write one of these though unless you show them a lease agreement with a carrier first. (Or authority paperwork I suppose). Pretty sure you can’t just go buy a truck and bobtail policy. They want to know what you’re going to be doing with the truck first. And the dealer won’t let you drive off the lot without the insurance.

 

Are you planning to lease on, or have you been accepted? If you have a pending lease agreement the company can help you.

If you don't have a pending lease you need liability insurance, as the truck is not being used commercial yet, try to get insurance as a rv and run on the dealer tag.

Or you can pay a drive away company, tow truck or have it hauled on a RGN.

 

You lease to a carrier you have to use their cargo and liability, you can buy unladen liabilty for anyone that meets their requirements, they will offer comp insurance but you can shop and get a better price. Try first guard in Florida.