Link 01Power only
Power only dispatch services, from program setup to drop yard
Power only means you bring the tractor and someone else brings the trailer. It can mean steady freight without the cost of a trailer, or a week of chasing trailers that aren't ready. The difference is mostly setup: which programs you're approved on, how your insurance is written and what the interchange agreement says.
Our power only dispatch services cover that setup and the daily booking that follows. We help you get approved on trailer programs, then find and negotiate loads, check the broker, and send each one to you to confirm. The broker sends the rate con to you, you sign it, and the broker pays you directly.
A power only load, in four pieces of paper
Interchange agreement: who's responsible for the trailer while you have it.
Certificate of insurance: showing interchange or non-owned trailer coverage, naming the right parties.
Rate confirmation: sent from the broker to you, with pickup yard, drop location and terms.
Trailer inspection photos: taken at hook and at drop, your proof of condition.
Link 02Program setup: yourself vs with us
Program setup: what you have, what's missing, and who does the work
Power only freight mostly comes through programs: brokers with trailer pools, shippers with drop trailers at their plants and distribution centers, and one-off loads posted by regular brokers. Each kind asks for a slightly different set of things. Tick what you already have to see what's missing for each.
Broker power only programs5 missing
Brokers that own or lease trailer pools and match tractors to preloaded trailers.
- · Auto liability at the level programs commonly ask for
- · Trailer interchange or non-owned trailer coverage
- · Cargo coverage
- · ELD that can share location with a program or broker
- · Smartphone ready for program apps and photo uploads
Shipper drop-trailer programs6 missing
Large shippers and their logistics partners with trailers parked at plants and DCs.
- · Authority older than 6 months
- · Auto liability at the level programs commonly ask for
- · Trailer interchange or non-owned trailer coverage
- · Cargo coverage
- · ELD that can share location with a program or broker
- · No unsatisfactory safety rating, clean recent inspections
One-off power only loads3 missing
Single loads posted for a tractor to move a trailer, often through regular brokers.
- · Auto liability at the level programs commonly ask for
- · Trailer interchange or non-owned trailer coverage
- · Cargo coverage
- Common requirements only. Each program publishes its own rules and limits, and they change; we check the current ones before applying for you.
| Step | Doing it yourself | With us |
|---|---|---|
| Finding programs that fit | Searching program pages and calling around | We know which programs suit your lanes and equipment |
| Applications and packets | One application per program, often with different forms | We prepare and send each packet, you review and sign |
| Insurance certificates | Calling your agent for each certificate holder | We request certificates with the exact names each program needs |
| Interchange agreements | Reading each one alone | We flag the clauses that matter before you sign |
| App onboarding | Learning each app between loads | We walk you through it and watch the load board inside it |
| Daily booking | Checking each app and broker yourself | We check all of them and send you offers to confirm |
Most of this overlaps with regular broker setup. Our guide to new carrier setup explains what brokers check and why packets get rejected.
Why programs turn carriers down
The most common reasons are simple: a certificate of insurance that doesn't list interchange coverage or names the wrong certificate holder, an authority younger than the program allows, an ELD that can't share location, or a safety record the program's screening flags. Some programs also limit how many carriers they approve in a region. A rejection usually isn't permanent. Fix the reason, wait out any age requirement and apply again, and in the meantime run one-off power only loads with regular brokers.
Programs plus brokers, not one or the other
Relying on a single program means its slow weeks become your slow weeks. The steadier approach is two or three programs in your region, plus regular brokers for one-off power only loads and the occasional backhaul. We check all of them for every truck, every day, and send you the offers that fit your lanes and floor rate. You don't have to watch three apps between stops.
Link 03Interchange and insurance
Trailer interchange and insurance, explained plainly
When you hook someone else's trailer, two questions matter: who is responsible if the trailer is damaged, and what insurance covers it. A trailer interchange agreement answers the first. It's a written contract that hands responsibility for the trailer to you from hook to drop, often with terms about inspections, damage reporting, tires, lights and how long you can keep it.
Trailer interchange coverage pays for physical damage to a non-owned trailer you're pulling under such an agreement. Non-owned trailer coverage is a related option that works differently. Programs say which one they accept and at what amount. Your auto liability and cargo coverage still apply as usual.
The certificate is where most setups stall. Each program wants to be listed as certificate holder in its exact legal name, sometimes as an additional insured, with the interchange limit shown. A certificate with a missing line or a misspelled name sends the application back and costs days. We send your agent the exact wording each program asks for, check the certificate when it comes back, and only then submit it. When you renew your policy, we make sure every program gets the new certificate before the old one expires, so your approvals don't lapse in the middle of a good week.
Clauses we flag in interchange agreements
- Who pays for tires, lights and minor repairs found at hook
- Per diem or late fees if the trailer isn't dropped on time
- What inspection proof is required at hook and drop
- Liability for theft or damage while the trailer is parked
Link 04Preloads, drop and hook, detention
Preloaded trailers, drop and hook, and detention
Preloaded trailers
The best power only loads are truly preloaded: the trailer is sealed and waiting, you hook, inspect and leave. We confirm the trailer is actually loaded and released before you drive to the yard, because an empty slot or an unreleased trailer burns hours.
Drop and hook
At delivery, drop the loaded trailer and, ideally, hook an empty or another preload. We plan that next trailer before you arrive, so you don't leave bobtail when a reload was sitting in the same yard.
Detention
When a trailer isn't ready or a live unload holds you, detention depends on the program rules or the rate con. We get it written in before you confirm and send your timestamps the same day.
Inspect the trailer like it's yours
With a non-owned trailer, the condition at hook is your evidence. Walk around it, check tires, lights, brakes, mud flaps, doors and the seal, and take timestamped photos of all four sides and the seal number. Report anything wrong before you leave the yard. A five-minute walk-around protects you from paying for damage you didn't cause, and it's also what keeps you safe on the road.
Is a load worth it?
Power only rates can look lower than van rates on the same lane, because you're not supplying the trailer. Compare on what you keep after your real costs, not the gross. The load profitability calculator does that math with your cost per mile, deadhead to the yard and expected wait time.
Who power only suits
Owners who don't want to buy, insure and maintain a trailer yet. Carriers whose trailer is in the shop for a week. Small fleets with more tractors than trailers. Drivers who prefer drop and hook to sitting at docks. It suits less well if you want full control over your equipment, or if your area has few programs and long deadheads to the yards. We'll tell you honestly on the first call whether power only looks workable from where you're based, and how it could sit next to the trailer you already own.
Link 05Fee and questions
What power only dispatch costs
7% of the rate con gross while your MC is under 6 months, 5% after, and 4% per truck for fleets of two or more. No extra charge for program setup. Billed weekly on delivered loads, with no setup fee and no minimums. See what we charge and how we work.
Ready? Apply for power only dispatch and tell us which programs you're already on.
In the first week we collect your certificates and ELD details, list the programs that fit your region, start applications and book one-off power only loads with brokers who already have you on file while approvals come through.
Power only dispatch FAQ
Questions carriers ask
How much does power only dispatch cost?
What do I need to haul power only?
What is trailer interchange insurance?
Do you work with power only programs?
Who pays detention on preloaded trailers?
Can I turn down a power only load?
Approved on the right programs, then booked every week
We handle the setup paperwork and the daily search. Every load still waits for your yes.