Drop and hook
The most common power only move. Fast, with the trailer inspection and the seal doing the protecting.
Power only
Power only dispatch services for preloaded trailers you didn't load and still have to sign for.
Power only can be the cleanest freight there is: hook a loaded trailer, drop it, hook the next, no dock time. It can also be the riskiest, because you sign for a sealed box you never looked inside, pulled on tires and brakes you didn't maintain. Our power only dispatcher desk books the clean version and makes sure the paperwork protects you on every load.
Day cabs and sleepers, local shuttles and long hauls, single drops and trailer-pool work. Every load is offered to you first, with the trailer details and the terms.
The preloaded trailer, document by document.
On a preloaded trailer, everything you know about the freight comes from paper. Four records protect you if something is short, damaged or loaded badly: the wording on the bill of lading, the seal, your inspection of the trailer itself, and the photos that tie them together. Tap each one for what to check and what to photograph before you pull out of the yard.
Before you hook up
BOL wording
The shipper prepares it; you sign it.
- Shipper load and count
- Written on the BOL, or added before you sign, so it's clear you didn't load or count.
- Seal number
- Printed on the BOL and matching the seal on the doors.
- Weight
- Close enough to what the trailer actually weighs for you to run legally.
The bill of lading guide (coming soon) explains each box on a BOL in plain words, including .
How power only loads pay.
Power only rates swing with the same markets as van and reefer freight, but the trade is different. You don't wait at docks as much, and you don't pay for a trailer, so some loads pay less per mile and still earn more per day. Other loads carry hidden costs: a long deadhead to a trailer pool, a yard with a two-hour check-in line, or a trailer that needs a tire before it can move.
So we judge a power only load by the whole day: the deadhead to the trailer, the time to hook and inspect, the run, the drop, and what you can hook next. A shuttle between two yards that runs three or four times a day can beat a long load on paper.
Detention still applies when a receiver makes you wait for a live unload, or a yard holds you at the gate. TONU still applies when a trailer isn't ready. We put both on the rate con before you accept.
Live unload at delivery
Some receivers unload while you wait. Free time and detention matter here, the same as on a van load.
Trailer pools and shuttles
Repeat moves between yards or plants, often several a day. Good for staying close to home.
Repositioning empties
Moving empty trailers where they're needed. Light work, usually lighter pay, sometimes the right reload.
What a power only dispatcher checks before the offer.
- Who owns the trailer, and what inspection or interchange paperwork they require
- Trailer interchange coverage on your insurance, when the program asks for it
- Pickup yard hours, check-in rules and whether the trailer is ready
- Drop instructions, including after-hours drops
- Weight against your legal limit, from the BOL or the shipper
- Detention, TONU and any layover terms
When the trailer has a problem.
It happens: a flat tire, a light out, a door that won't latch, or a seal number that doesn't match the BOL. Don't hook up and hope. Call us before you leave the yard. We'll get the broker and the trailer owner to fix it, swap it or note it in writing, so you aren't the one paying for a repair or explaining a problem that was there before you arrived. If a trailer comes back to you damaged from someone else's use, your photos at pickup are what settle it.
Some power only freight comes off rail or ocean containers and has been moved between modes before you see it; our guide to transload freight (coming soon) explains how that handoff works.
Getting set up for power only.
Power only programs and brokers usually want more than a standard carrier packet. Expect questions about trailer interchange coverage, which protects trailers you pull but don't own, and sometimes about your safety record and how long your authority has been active. Some programs also want your drivers registered in their gate or yard systems before the first move.
We collect what each program asks for on the first call, send it to the ones that fit your lanes, and tell you which requirements you don't meet yet, so you can decide whether to add the coverage or skip that program. Nothing gets booked until the paperwork clears and you've said yes to a load.
A power only day, from the cab.
- 05:30Arrive at the shipper's yard, check in, find the trailer.
- 05:50Walk around it, photograph the corners, tires and seal. All good.
- 06:05Sign the BOL with shipper load and count. Send us the photo.
- 09:40Drop at the receiver's yard. Photo of the trailer in its spot and the drop receipt.
- 10:15Hook the next trailer we lined up while you were driving.
Example A made-up morning to show the routine.
Load offer 1 of 2
ExampleKansas City, MO to St. Louis, MO
- Miles
- 249
- Rate
- $780
- Per mile
- $3.13
- Preloaded, sealed trailer
- Shipper load and count on the BOL
- Detention after 2 hrs at receiver
Pickup Fri 09:00
Power only dispatch, with the trailer details in the offer.
Each offer tells you whose trailer it is, where it sits, whether it's sealed, where it drops and what the terms are. You decide. Yes sends the rate con straight to you to sign; no costs nothing.
Tell us whether you run day cab or sleeper, how far you'll deadhead to a trailer, and which yards or programs you'd rather avoid, and every offer is filtered first.
The two made-up offers show the trade: a single sealed load with detention terms at the receiver, or three short yard shuttles with TONU if a trailer isn't ready. One pays more per mile, the other keeps you near home with no dock time. Either can be the right day. You pick.
The fee: the same for a tractor without a trailer.
5% of linehaul and accessorial pay collected for one truck past 6 months of authority; 4% for two trucks or more; 7% for a new MC until month 7. Example A week of shuttles and drops paying $4,600 with $100 in detention carries a fee of $235. Reimbursed tolls never count. More on the pricing page.
Other trucks, same rules: oversize load dispatch and reefer dispatch.
Power only dispatch questions
How does power only dispatch work?
You bring the tractor; the trailer belongs to the shipper, a carrier, a leasing company or a broker's pool. We find loads where a preloaded or empty trailer needs moving, check the trailer pickup and drop details, the seal and paperwork rules and the terms, and bring you the offer. You decide, and the rate con comes straight to you to sign.
What does shipper load and count mean?
It's a note on the bill of lading saying the shipper loaded the trailer and counted the freight, and the driver didn't see or verify it. On a sealed, preloaded trailer it matters a lot: it shows you couldn't have known about a shortage or bad loading inside. Make sure it's on the BOL, or written in, before you sign.
Who is liable for a sealed preloaded trailer?
Carrier liability for loss and damage generally follows federal rules, but a sealed trailer with shipper load and count on the BOL and an intact seal at delivery is strong evidence that a shortage or loading problem happened before you took it. Record the seal number at pickup, keep it intact, and photograph it at both ends. Large disputes may need legal advice.
Can a new MC run power only?
Yes, though some trailer pools and brokers set minimum authority ages and insurance requirements, including trailer interchange coverage for trailers you pull but don't own. We check what each program asks for against your authority and your policy before offering loads, so you don't find out at the gate.
How much do power only dispatchers charge?
We charge the same as for any truck: 5% of linehaul and accessorial pay for one truck past 6 months of authority, 4% for two trucks or more, and 7% while your MC is under 6 months old. Reimbursed tolls and scale tickets are never in the fee, and weeks you don't haul cost nothing.
Can I decline a power only load after seeing the trailer details?
Yes, always. If the trailer's condition, the pickup yard, the drop instructions or the terms don't suit you, say no. It costs nothing. If you find a problem with the trailer when you arrive, call us before you hook up; we'll take it up with the broker before you're responsible for it.
Hook clean, drop clean, paperwork that protects you.
Send the application with your tractor and your insurance details. Your first power only offer comes with the trailer facts and the terms.
You approve every load. No setup fee. No contract.