Trailer interchange coverage
Most programs require trailer interchange or non-owned trailer physical damage insurance at a stated minimum. Ask your agent before your first load.
Power only dispatch services: your tractor, their trailer
No trailer payment and no trailer repairs. We get you set up with power only programs, book the preloaded trailers and drop-and-hook freight, and plan every pickup and return so you're not deadheading to a yard. You approve every load.
MILE02AN EXAMPLE WEEK
What a planned power only week looks like
Tap through the days. This is an EXAMPLE week for one tractor based in Chicago: preloaded trailers, a paid empty return, and a last load that ends near home on Friday. The empty legs are short because each pickup is lined up near the last drop.
MON Pick up a preloaded van at a Joliet drop yard, deliver to Indianapolis, drop it.
WEEK TO DATEEXAMPLE
- Loaded miles
- 210
- Empty miles
- 15
- Gross
- $700
- All-in per mile
- $3.11
No trailer payment, no trailer maintenance. The empty miles are short because each pickup is planned near the last drop.
The example isn't a promise of what any week pays. It shows the planning: the loaded miles are only half the job, and the gaps between trailers are where power only weeks are won or lost.
MILE03WHAT YOU NEED
What power only takes
Program setup
Carrier packets with each power only program or broker: authority, insurance certificates naming them, W-9, sometimes ELD access.
A clean inspection record
Programs look at your safety record. Fresh authorities with clean inspections get approved more easily than older ones with problems.
Questions on coverage costs? Get a rough figure from the truck insurance cost estimator, then confirm with your agent.
MILE04WHERE POWER ONLY MONEY LEAKS
Four leaks in power only
Unpaid empty moves
Hauling an empty trailer back to a yard for free can wipe out a load's margin. We confirm who pays before you accept.
Waiting on trailers
Trailer not ready, not loaded, or not where the system says. We confirm status before you head out.
Yards far from freight
A great load that starts 80 miles away isn't a great load. Pickup distance is part of every offer.
Damage disputes
Programs check trailers at return. Photos at hookup and drop protect you, and we remind you every time.
MILE05THE NUMBERS
Power only by the numbers
| Item | Typical | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Trailers pulled | 53 ft dry vans, sometimes reefers or flats | Programs say which trailers you can take |
| Federal gross limit | 80,000 lb | Preloaded trailers can be heavy; check the BOL weight |
| Your equipment | Tractor with fifth wheel, gladhands, light cord | No trailer to buy, insure or repair |
| Typical paperwork | Trailer interchange agreement, BOL, seal number | Seal numbers matter on preloaded trailers |
Because you don't own the trailer, you don't control how it was loaded. Check the BOL weight and the seal, and if the trailer feels heavy or the seal doesn't match, call before you roll.
MILE06YOUR CALL
Trailer, leg and return, then your yes
Every power only offer shows where the trailer is, whether it's ready, the loaded leg, where you drop, whether there's an empty return and who pays for it, the rate and the broker or program.
You say yes or pass. On a yes, the broker or program sends the rate con straight to you, and you sign it. Passing costs nothing and doesn't count against you.
LOAD OFFER
- EQUIPMENT
- Power only, their 53 ft van
- PICKUP
- Joliet, IL yard · Mon 05:00
- DELIVERY
- Indianapolis, IN · Mon 12:00
- LOADED MI
- 210 (deadhead 15)
- WEIGHT
- 36,000 lb, preloaded
- BROKER
- Credit checked, pays in 30 days
- TERMS
- Drop trailer, empty return included
- RATE
- $700 ($3.33/mi loaded)
YOUR CALL. NOTHING IS BOOKED UNTIL YOU SAY YES.
MILE07HOW WE PLAN
How we plan power only
- 01Build the program list. We get you approved with programs and brokers that move trailers on your lanes, starting with ones that take your authority age.
- 02Chain the trailers. Each drop is planned near the next pickup. The best power only weeks have short gaps, not long loads.
- 03Price the empties. If a load comes with an unpaid empty return, we count those miles before we bring it to you.
- 04Protect your record. Photos at hookup and drop, seal checks and on-time returns keep programs offering you trailers.
MILE08DROP AND HOOK
Why drop and hook changes the week
On a live load you wait while the shipper loads your trailer, sometimes for hours. On drop and hook, the trailer is already loaded and sealed; you hook it, check it and go. At the other end you drop it and leave. That saved time is where much of power only's value sits.
MILE09WHEN IT FITS
When power only makes sense
- You're starting out. Skipping a trailer purchase keeps your startup costs and monthly payments lower while you build your authority.
- Your trailer is in the shop. A week of power only keeps the tractor earning while the trailer gets fixed.
- You live near big shipper yards. Retail and manufacturing hubs with trailer pools have the most power only freight.
- You want fewer hours at docks. Drop and hook trades a little rate for a lot of time back, and that time becomes more loaded miles in the same week.
Waiting on program or broker payments?
Factoring can turn delivered loads into cash in about a day. We refer carriers to a factoring partner and may be paid for referrals. Read how freight factoring works first.
MILE10RATES AND FEE
5% standard, 4% for fleets
One power only tractor with authority older than 6 months runs at 5% of the gross on loads you haul. New authorities pay 7% until month six. Two or more tractors pay 4%. No setup fee, no minimums, no fee on loads you turn down. Every rule is on rates and fees.
Want to test a load before you take it? Run it through the load profitability calculator.
POWER ONLY WEEKNO. 0005
EXAMPLE
- 5 loads, gross
- $4,000
- Loaded miles
- 1,240
- Empty miles
- 70
- Fee 5%
- $200
Kept before costs$3,800
MILE11OBJECTIONS
What owner-operators ask about power only
- "Power only pays less."
- Sometimes per mile, yes. But you're not paying for a trailer, its tires, its repairs or its insurance, and drop-and-hook freight wastes fewer hours at docks. Compare the week, not the post.
- "I'll spend all day chasing trailers."
- Only if nobody plans the gaps. We confirm trailer status and location before you head out and line up the next pickup near your drop.
- "What if the trailer is damaged when I get there?"
- Don't hook it until it's documented. Take photos, report it to the program or broker, and call us. We make sure it's on record before you take responsibility for the trailer, and we push for a different trailer if it isn't roadworthy.
- "The programs won't approve me."
- Some won't at first. We start with the ones that will, and your record with them opens the rest. New authority? Read dispatch for new MCs.
MILE12FAQ
Power only dispatch FAQ
Q01What is power only dispatch?
Booking loads where you supply the tractor and driver and the shipper, broker or a trailer pool supplies the trailer. The dispatcher finds those loads, gets you set up with the programs, and plans pickups and returns so you're not chasing trailers.
Q02How much do power only dispatch services cost?
5% of the gross on loads you haul for one tractor with authority older than 6 months. New authorities pay 7% until month six, and fleets of two or more pay 4%. No setup fee, no minimums.
Q03Do I need trailer interchange insurance?
Usually yes. Most power only programs require trailer interchange or non-owned trailer physical damage coverage, often with a set minimum. Check the requirement for each program with your insurance agent before your first load.
Q04Can a new MC run power only?
Some programs require a minimum authority age or insurance history, others don't. We start with the ones that accept new authorities and add more as your record builds.
Q05Can I run power only with a hotshot?
Not in the usual sense. Power only means a semi tractor pulling someone else's trailer through a fifth wheel. A hotshot pulls its own gooseneck or bumper-pull trailer, so we dispatch it as a hotshot instead.
Q06Who pays for empty trailer moves?
It depends on the program. Some pay for returning empties or repositioning trailers, some don't. We confirm it before you accept, because an unpaid empty move changes what the load is really worth.
Q07Do I approve every power only load?
Yes. Each offer shows the trailer pickup location, the loaded leg, the drop, any empty return, the rate and the broker. You say yes or pass. On a yes, the rate con comes straight to you to sign.
Q08Do I need my own trailer at all?
No. That's the point of power only. Some owners keep a trailer for other freight and run power only between, which we can plan around too.
Q09What do power only programs check?
Usually your authority age, insurance limits including trailer interchange, safety rating and inspection history, and sometimes your ELD. Requirements vary by program.
Q10Is power only freight steady?
It can be, especially with retailers and large shippers that run trailer pools year round. Volume moves with retail seasons like any van freight. We tell you what we're seeing on your lanes.
Own a trailer too? See dry van dispatch and reefer dispatch, or read how we dispatch.
EXAMPLE ROUTE
Hook, haul, drop, repeat
Apply in about 2 minutes. We set you up with programs on your lanes and plan the gaps between trailers. You approve every load.