Power only dispatch services: their trailer, your tractor, your call
Power only means you bring the tractor and someone else brings the trailer, often already loaded and waiting in a yard. It's a natural first step for drivers who bought a tractor before a trailer, and a smart side option for those who own both. Our power only dispatch services find those trailers, keep the bobtail miles short, and bring every load to you for a yes or no. The rate con comes straight to you.
No trailer note, no trailer tires, no trailer repairs. Just your truck, someone else's box, and a plan for the next hook.
PICK YOUR TRUCK
Power only
Your tractor pulls a trailer that belongs to the broker or shipper.
- FREIGHT
- Drop-and-hook trailers, preloaded freight, yard and drayage moves
- CDL
- Yes
OUR FEE
5%
of gross (7% while your MC is under 6 months)
CH 02
Power only dispatch costs 5% of gross
Bring one tractor on an MC past six months and we keep 5% of what each trailer move grosses. In an authority's first half year the rate is 7%, and two or more tractors run at 4% for as long as the fleet rate stands.
The math on power only is a little different from running your own trailer. The rate per load may be lower, but you're not paying a trailer note, trailer tires, trailer maintenance or trailer inspections. Compare by what you keep after costs. The rate per mile calculator helps, and every line of our pricing is on the dispatch costs page.
The fee meter uses the same rules as our invoices. Slide it to a normal week for your tractor. A week you take off costs nothing.
CH 03
A drop-and-hook day, stop by stop
This is an example of a good power only day. Drag the slider or scroll through the stops. Notice how little of the day is spent waiting: no live loads, no live unloads, just drive, drop and hook.
The hidden cost in power only is bobtail: driving the tractor alone to the next yard. A great rate with a long bobtail can be worse than an average rate around the corner. That's why we look for the next trailer near the drop before you've delivered the first one.
Inspection is the other habit that matters. You didn't maintain the trailer, but you're responsible for it on the road. A two-minute walk-around and a few photos before you hook protect you from someone else's flat tire or broken light.
- 5:30 AMYOU
Bobtail to the yard
You leave home or the truck stop without a trailer. The desk already sent the broker your truck number and ETA, so the yard expects you.
- 6:15 AMYOU
Pre-trip the trailer
Walk around the trailer you're picking up: tires, lights, brakes, landing gear, mud flaps and the annual inspection sticker. Photograph any damage before you hook. It isn't your trailer, but once you pull it, problems become your problem.
- 6:40 AMYOU + DESK
Hook and roll
Hook up, check the seal number against the paperwork, and send the desk a photo of the bill of lading. We confirm pickup with the broker while you get on the road.
- MiddayOUR DESK
Check calls handled
Tracking updates and ETA calls go through the desk. Meanwhile we look for your next preloaded trailer near the drop, so you don't bobtail far.
- 1:30 PMYOU
Drop at the receiver
Drop the trailer in the assigned door or spot, get the paperwork signed, and send clear photos. No waiting for anyone to unload: that's the point of drop and hook.
- 2:00 PMYOU
Your yes on the next load
The next offer reaches you: another preloaded trailer a short bobtail away. You say yes or no. If yes, the rate con goes to your inbox.
- EveningOUR DESK
Tomorrow planned
By the time you park, tomorrow's first pickup is lined up. Your weekly report counts loaded miles and bobtail miles separately, so you can see where the empties go.
CH 04
A power only offer, bobtail miles included
Every power only offer from us shows the bobtail miles to the pickup yard as well as the loaded miles, so the all-in rate per mile is honest. Try the example: a preloaded trailer with a short bobtail and a clean drop.
Want only drop and hook? Prefer certain yards or programs? Tell us once and we filter every offer against your rules before it reaches your phone.
CH 05
Tractor vs trailer, in one line, and what that means for you
The tractor pulls; the trailer carries. In power only, you own the first and borrow the second. Tap the hotspots on the rig to see each part, including the fifth wheel where your tractor and their trailer meet.
Because the trailer isn't yours, insurance matters. Many power only programs want trailer interchange or non-owned trailer coverage on your policy, so damage to their trailer while you have it is covered. Ask your agent before you start, and send us the updated certificate so brokers see it.
For a full tour of a tractor-trailer, our guide to the 18-wheeler truck walks through every part. Thinking about adding your own trailer later? Our page on dry van dispatch shows how that side works.
Where power only freight comes from
Power only loads come from brokers and shippers who have more trailers than trucks. Big shippers and retailers often keep trailer pools at their warehouses. Some brokers run trailer programs. Trailer rental and leasing companies move empty trailers between locations. All of them need a tractor more than they need another trailer.
That makes power only lanes different from dry van lanes. The freight tends to cluster around big distribution centers and trailer yards, and the best carriers keep their tractor close to those clusters. We map your home base against those clusters and plan your week so you're rarely far from the next yard.
Power only also works well as a backup. If you own a trailer and it's in the shop, or your lane is slow for your trailer type, a few power only loads can keep the tractor earning. Tell us you're open to it, and we'll mix power only offers in when they beat what's available for your own trailer. You still choose every load.
Power only pros and cons, plainly
- Pro: no trailer costs, and you can start with just a tractor.
- Pro: drop and hook keeps waiting time short.
- Pro: you can switch between power only and your own trailer if you have one.
- Con: you don't control the trailer's condition.
- Con: bobtail miles add up if loads aren't planned.
- Con: some programs have extra insurance or authority-age requirements.
If the cons sound manageable, power only can be a lean way to run, especially in your first year when cash is tight. If you want full control over your equipment, your own trailer may suit you better. We dispatch both.
CH 06
Power only dispatch questions
CH 01How does power only dispatch work?
You run your tractor without a trailer of your own. We find loads where the broker, shipper or a trailer pool supplies the trailer, often already loaded. You bobtail to the pickup, hook their trailer, deliver it, then pick up the next one. Each load comes to you as an offer first, and the rate con goes to you.
CH 02Do I need my own trailer to run power only?
No, that's what power only means: you supply the power unit, someone else supplies the trailer. Some carriers own a trailer too and run both ways, taking power only loads when they're better and their own trailer loads when those pay more. We can dispatch either, as long as we know which you have.
CH 03What is a tractor vs a trailer?
The tractor is the truck: engine, cab, drive axles and the fifth wheel that couples to a trailer. The trailer is the part that carries freight; a semi-trailer has no front axle and rests on the tractor when hooked. In power only, you own the tractor and pull trailers that belong to someone else.
CH 04Can a new MC run power only?
Often, yes, but some power only programs set their own requirements on authority age, insurance limits, trailer interchange coverage and safety record. Have your insurance certificate show trailer interchange or non-owned trailer coverage if you can. We start you with brokers and programs that accept new authorities and add more as your MC ages.
CH 05How much do power only dispatchers charge?
We charge 5% of gross for one tractor with authority older than six months, 7% while the MC is newer, and 4% for fleets of two or more on our limited-time fleet rate. No setup fee, no minimum, and nothing on loads you turn down. Cancel with 30 days notice.
CH 06Does power only pay less than dry van?
Sometimes per load, since you aren't providing the trailer, but you also don't pay for one: no trailer note, tires, repairs or inspections. Power only can also mean less waiting thanks to drop and hook. Compare by what you keep per mile after costs, not by the rate alone.
CH 07Do I confirm each load?
Yes. Every load comes to you as an offer with the pickup yard, the trailer type, the miles and bobtail distance, the drop location and the rate. You say yes or no, and a no costs nothing. When you accept, the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you to sign.
18 wheels · 1 dispatcher · your call on every load
Hook your next trailer without the empty miles
Tell us where your tractor is based and which trailers you pull. We'll find the preloaded freight, and every load waits for your yes.