Power only dispatch services: one payment, more loads
Power only means your tractor pulls a trailer owned by the shipper, the broker or a trailer pool. You skip the trailer note. Our power only dispatchers find those loads, set up the interchange paperwork and plan the empty miles to each trailer.
Power only in one screen
- Your tractor, their trailer
- No trailer payment, no trailer repairs
- Trailer interchange coverage on your policy
- Empty miles to the trailer pool planned in
- Every rate con sent to you to sign
One payment or two: what dropping the trailer saves
Switch between owning a trailer and running power only. The trailer note and its insurance go away; trailer interchange coverage and the empty miles to pick up trailers come in. Use your own payments and ask your agent for real premiums.
- Tractor payment$2,000
- Trailer interchange coverage$90
- Empty miles to pick up trailers$475
Fixed cost a month
$2,565
$205 less than owning a trailer, on these numbers.
- Trailer interchange agreement signed with each trailer owner
- Drop yards and trailer pools on your lanes
- Pre-trip on every trailer you hook
EXAMPLE numbers and ASSUMPTION premiums. Ask your insurance agent what interchange coverage costs for your operation.
Price your running costs per mile with the trucking cost per mile calculator, then put that number in the box above.
Setup checklist for power only
Power only has a few extra steps that a van carrier never thinks about. We walk you through each one before the first load:
Your own authority and insurance on file. the same as any carrier: USDOT, MC, BOC-3 and liability filed with FMCSA.
Trailer interchange coverage. covers physical damage to a trailer you pull under an interchange agreement. Many power only programs require it.
Carrier setup with trailer pool programs. large brokers and shippers run their own approvals, and some ask for months of authority history.
Interchange agreements. signed with each trailer owner, spelling out who pays for what if a trailer is damaged.
A pre-trip routine for trailers you do not own. tires, lights, brakes, doors and seals, with photos, every time you hook.
How power only loads work
Most power only freight starts at a drop yard or a shipper's lot. You hook a loaded trailer, deliver it, and drop it at the receiver or the next yard. Some loads are live: you hook an empty, wait while it loads, and go. Pay is usually by the mile or a flat rate per load, much like dry van.
The hidden cost is the empty miles to reach the trailer. A load that pays well can lose its edge if the pickup yard is far from where you just dropped. Our power only dispatcher plans the hook-up miles into every offer and tells you the real rate after them.
If you sometimes pull your own van too, we can mix both. See how dry van dispatch works for the weeks you run your own trailer.
What owner-operators ask about power only
Is power only steady enough to rely on?
On the right lanes, yes. Volume depends on the trailer pools near your home base. We check what is moving there before you commit, and we tell you if your area runs thin.
What happens if a trailer breaks down on me?
You call the trailer owner first, as your interchange agreement sets out, and we coordinate with the broker. Your pre-trip photos protect you if damage is disputed later.
What our power only dispatcher handles
Power only adds paperwork that van carriers never see. We handle it:
- Carrier setup with trailer pool programs and brokers
- Interchange agreements and insurance certificates sent before the first hook
- Load searches with the empty miles to each trailer worked in
- Rate negotiation and appointment setting
- Check calls, delivery confirmations and detention claims
- A weekly report of loads, loaded and empty miles, and gross
A power only week, EXAMPLE
Monday: hook a loaded trailer at a drop yard 30 miles from home and deliver it two states away by evening. Tuesday: drop the empty at the receiver's yard and hook a loaded trailer from the same pool for the run back toward home. Wednesday: a live load at a shipper, with detention logged after the free time ran out. Thursday and Friday: two short drop-and-hook runs between yards.
This is an example of planning, not a promise of loads. The key is that every hook-up is planned with the next one in mind, so the empty miles to trailers stay small.
Questions to ask any power only dispatcher
Power only has its own traps. Ask any dispatcher these before you sign:
Which trailer pool programs do you work with?. Ask whether those programs take new authorities and what they require.
How do you count empty miles to trailers?. A good desk plans hook-up miles into every offer instead of hiding them.
Who handles interchange paperwork?. Agreements and insurance certificates should be sent before the first hook.
Who signs the rate con?. You should, in your company name, after you see the pickup and the miles.
What is the fee charged on?. Gross, linehaul only or flat. Get it in writing before your first load.
When power only is not the right fit
Power only works best near busy drop yards and trailer pools. If your home base is far from them, the empty miles to pick up trailers can eat the savings from skipping the trailer payment. Some owners also prefer owning a trailer so they can take their own direct freight.
We will tell you honestly if your area runs thin. Owning a trailer is sometimes the better deal, and we dispatch both.
Inspecting trailers you do not own
When the trailer belongs to someone else, a damaged one can turn into your bill. Before you hook, walk the trailer: tires, lights, brakes, mud flaps, doors, seals and the floor if you can see it. Take dated photos of anything worn or broken.
If something is unsafe, report it before you leave the yard and do not pull it. We back you up with the broker and the trailer owner, and your photos settle any dispute about when the damage happened.
You choose every power only load
- 1Dispatcher finds and negotiates
- 2Broker sends the rate con to you
- 3You sign it, or you say no
We bring you the pickup yard, the empty miles to get there, the delivery and the rate. If you take it, the broker sends the rate con to your email in your company name. You sign it.
If the hook-up miles make the load a loser, say no. It costs you nothing, and we keep looking.
Power only dispatch pricing
7% of gross while your MC is under 6 months, then 5% for one truck or 4% for two or more trucks. Power only pays the same schedule as every rig we dispatch.
No setup fee, no minimum and no long contract. See the pricing page for every detail.
- 7%MC under 6 months, any fleet size
- 5%1 truck, MC 6+ months
- 4%2+ trucks on one MC, MC 6+ months
- Of gross load revenue. No setup fee, no minimums, month-to-month, 30 days notice, no haul no pay.
Power only dispatch questions
How does power only dispatch work?
Is power only cheaper to start than dry van?
Can a new MC run power only?
What insurance do I need for power only?
How much do power only dispatchers charge?
Do I have to take the loads you find?
Pull more loads with one payment
Tell us your home base and your authority. A dispatcher calls you back.