Power Only Loads: Where to Find Them and What They Pay in 2026

Power Only Loads: Where to Find Them and What They Pay in 2026

Power only means you pull a trailer you do not own. You bring the tractor. The shipper, the broker, or a drop trailer program brings the trailer. You hook to it and go. You do not wait for a live load or a live unload. You drop your empty, grab a loaded one, and roll.

That is the whole idea. It saves hours every day. It also changes what you are paid for and what you are responsible for.

Who posts power only freight

Big networks post most power only freight. Think JB Hunt, Schneider, and Hub Group. They run drop trailer programs across their lanes. They need owner operators with clean tractors and solid safety scores. They hand you a preloaded trailer. You take it to the next yard or customer. You drop it and grab another.

Freight brokers post power only too. They match a customer who owns trailers with a carrier who owns trucks. The customer keeps a trailer fleet at their docks. You shuttle loaded trailers out and empties back. Retail chains, grocery distributors, and paper companies all run this way.

Amazon Relay also has power only work in some regions. You grab an Amazon trailer from a yard and move it between Amazon buildings.

Typical rates versus dry van

Power only usually pays less per mile than a dry van load that includes the trailer. That is because you are not providing the trailer. The trailer owner covers trailer maintenance, tires, and registration. You cover the tractor and the fuel.

On a normal dry van load you might see $2.00 to $2.40 per mile all in. Power only commonly pays $1.50 to $2.00 per mile. The range is wide. Short shuttle moves pay more per mile than long highway turns. A 35 mile yard to yard move might pay $80 to $120 flat. A 500 mile run might pay $1.60 per mile.

The tradeoff is time. A drop and hook power only lane can turn two or three loads in the time a live load takes for one. More turns at a lower rate can beat one high rate load. Do the math on daily gross, not just the per mile number.

The pros

Drop and hook is the biggest one. No dock wait. No lumper. No sitting three hours because the receiver is behind. You back under a trailer, check the seal, and leave.

Less deadhead is another. Drop trailer networks are built around yards and lanes that repeat. You learn the route and the yards. Your empty miles shrink.

Detention mostly disappears. If you are not waiting on a dock, nobody owes you detention. That sounds bad until you remember you are not waiting in the first place.

The cons

Trailer condition is your problem in a different way. You do not own the trailer, but you are the last person who moved it. If a light is out or a tire is low, you catch it at the yard. Some programs ding your score for trailer damage found after you drop. Take photos at hook and at drop. Every time. A two minute photo walk saves a $1,200 repair argument.

The trailers are not always ready. A yard might hand you a trailer with a flat or a bad door. You lose time swapping it. Good programs credit you for that. Bad ones do not.

You also depend on the network for volume. When their freight slows, your board goes quiet. Power only is steady work, but it is still their freight, not yours.

How to get started

You need a tractor, usually 2014 or newer for the big networks. You need a clean MVR and a decent CSA score. Most programs want 6 to 12 months of recent tractor trailer experience. You need a TWIC card for ports and many rail yards. Some programs want you to pass a road test at their terminal.

Then you onboard. That means paperwork, insurance certificates, and a safety orientation. It can take a week or two. Do not quit your current work until the program says you are active.

How OpenBook fits

OpenBook watches the boards and the direct load posts for you. It finds power only freight that fits your lane and your hours. It bids on loads automatically using the rates you set. You wake up to a dispatched trailer instead of a screen full of loads you have to sort.

Power only works when you turn loads fast. OpenBook keeps the next load lined up so you drop and go instead of sitting in a yard with your thumb on your phone.

Ready to run power only without babysitting a load board? See how OpenBook finds and bids power only freight for you at /power-only-dispatch. Or check flat simple pricing at /pricing.