Power only dispatch services: start with a tractor, skip the trailer note
A trailer is one of the biggest costs a new owner-operator takes on before the first load. Power only lets you start with the tractor alone and pull trailers that already sit at shippers or in broker trailer pools. Our power only dispatcher finds those loads and brings each one to you to confirm or pass.
License line
Tractor pulling a semitrailer: Class A
No endorsement for general freight. Pulling doubles needs T; placarded hazmat needs H. States can add rules.
Source: 49 CFR 383.91(a)(1) · checked Oct 2026
Source: 49 CFR 383.93, 383.153 · checked Oct 2026
What power only dispatch is measured against
There's no widely published national average for power only rates, so we won't invent one. The honest benchmark is dry van, the freight most power only loads move in, and the cost of running a truck.
Power only loads usually pay below the van rate on the same lane, because the shipper or broker is supplying the trailer. Your job, and ours, is making sure the gap is smaller than what you save by not owning a trailer. Drop and hook helps: a load that takes 30 minutes at the dock instead of four hours is worth more than its rate says.
Drop and hook mathExample
Load A pays $2.10 a mile for 400 miles but waits four hours for a live unload. Load B pays $1.95 for the same miles and drops in 30 minutes. Load A grosses $60 more, but Load B gives back three and a half hours of your 14-hour day, which can be the difference between reloading today and tomorrow.
Want the full picture for van freight? See dry van dispatch.
Dry van benchmark, June 2026
- Spot, all-in
- $3.00
- Minus fuel
- $2.37
- Contract
- $2.89
Source: DAT Freight & Analytics, national averages for June 2026 (released July 9, 2026) · checked Oct 2026
Average cost to run a truck, 2025: $2.336 per mile
That industry average includes trailer costs. Power only removes some of them from your side of the ledger.
Source: ATRI, An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking, 2026 update (2025 data) · checked Oct 2026
First-truck cost comparison: your own trailer vs power only
The trailer costs don't stop when the trailer sits. You pay the note, the physical damage coverage, the tires and the brakes whether you hauled five loads that week or none. With power only, most of that moves to whoever owns the trailer, and you carry coverage for damage to trailers in your care instead.
Every number below is an EXAMPLE. Replace each one with your quotes. When you know your all-in costs, run them through the trucking cost per mile calculator to set your floor rate.
- Trailer payment
- $650
- Trailer physical damage insurance
- $120
- Trailer tires, brakes, repairs
- $220
- Trailer plate and inspections
- $25
- Trailer cost per month
- $1,015
Plus the cash or credit to buy or lease the trailer in the first place.
- Trailer payment
- $0
- Trailer upkeep
- Owner's job
- Trailer interchange coverage
- $110
- Trailer cost per month
- $110
Rates usually reflect that you aren't supplying the trailer.
Difference: $905 a month less in fixed trailer costs with power only, in this example. Compare that with how much less power only loads pay in your lanes before you decide.
Power only on a brand-new MC
Trailer pool owners are protecting expensive equipment, so many ask for more than a load broker would: months of authority history, trailer interchange coverage at a set limit, and a clean inspection record. Some accept new carriers; many don't. In the first months we combine the power only programs that will approve you with regular broker freight, so you aren't waiting on one program to say yes.
Who power only fits, and who it doesn't
It fits drivers short on startup cash, carriers testing lanes before committing to a trailer, and anyone who values drop and hook over live loads. It fits less well if you want reefer, flatbed or specialized freight, need total control over what you haul, or run lanes where trailer pools are thin.
Where power only loads come from
Brokers and shippers that keep trailer pools, preloaded trailers waiting at warehouses, and carriers that need a tractor to move their own trailers.
What to check before you hook
Trailer inspection: lights, tires, brakes, mud flaps, door seals and the annual inspection sticker. Photos at pickup protect you at drop.
When to buy a trailer
When steady freight you want needs your own trailer, or power only rates in your lanes stop covering the difference. There's no rush to decide in month one.
Power only dispatcher fee and questions
Power only dispatch pays the same percentage as every other equipment type: 7% while your MC is under 6 months, 5% after, 4% for 2 or more trucks (limited time). No setup fee, no contract, and no fee when you don't haul. Pricing and terms.
To dispatch power only well we need a few details: your tractor's fifth-wheel setup, whether you can pull reefer or flatbed trailers as well as vans, your trailer interchange limit, and how far you'll deadhead to pick up an empty or a preload. With those on file, offers only come from programs and brokers you actually qualify for.
Every load is your call: you confirm or pass, and the rate con comes from the broker straight to you. We dispatch owner-operators with their own authority; company drivers are dispatched by their carrier.
How does power only dispatch work?
You supply the tractor and the driver; the shipper, broker or another carrier supplies the trailer. We find loads where a trailer is waiting, often preloaded at a shipper or in a trailer pool, negotiate the rate and offer it to you. You hook, haul and drop. The broker's rate confirmation still comes straight to you, and you can pass on any load.
Is power only good for new owner-operators?
It can be a cheaper way in, because you skip the trailer payment, trailer repairs and some insurance. The trade-offs are lower rates, less control over freight types, and dependence on brokers and shippers who run trailer pools. Some of those want more authority history before they'll let a new MC pull their trailers.
Does power only pay less than dry van?
Usually, yes, because you aren't providing the trailer. How much less varies by lane, season and who owns the trailer. Many power only loads are drop and hook, so they can save dock time, which partly makes up the gap. Compare loaded rate per mile and hours per load, not just the rate.
What insurance do I need for power only?
Your usual auto liability filed with FMCSA, plus cargo coverage, plus coverage for damage to a trailer you don't own, usually called trailer interchange or non-owned trailer physical damage. Brokers and trailer pool owners set their own minimums, so check their requirements before you buy a policy.
How much do power only dispatchers charge?
We charge the same as for every other equipment type: 7% of gross while your MC is under 6 months, 5% after, and 4% for 2 or more trucks (limited time). There's no setup fee or minimum, and a week without loads costs you nothing.
Start power only dispatch with just your tractor
Apply in about 2 minutes. We look for drop and hook and preloaded trailers in your lanes, and send every load to you to confirm or pass.