Truck Driver Power Only Trucking

Tractors and trailers are detachable, which brings a unique opportunity for both shippers and drivers. Power-only trucking allows more flexibility for both parties and is an integral part of the trucking industry.

What Is Power Only Trucking?

Power only trucking is when a carrier provides just the truck and driver (called a power unit) to a shipper rather than the truck, driver, and trailer.

Often companies own or lease their own fleets of trailers, so all they need are the tractors and the drivers to haul them. They can hire these power units through third-party brokers and sometimes carriers whenever they need their shipments hauled or simply need additional manpower during busy shipping seasons.

The food industry, for example, has to ship a significant amount of time-sensitive product that often goes through seasonal ebbs and flows. Even if companies have their own fleets of trucks, they may need to hire power units to haul the trailers they don’t have enough drivers for.

Other companies may have freight that they can load into trailers, store it there for as long as necessary, and then hire power units to haul them whenever it’s time for them to be delivered.

Advantages of Power Only Trucking

Power only trucking brings several advantages to companies and drivers who choose to take this route:

1. It speeds up the shipping process. When companies load their trailers themselves, it maximizes drivers’ time, as they simply need to show up, hook up the trailer, and drive.

   Since the loading of the trailer doesn’t cut into drivers’ HOS time, this means companies get faster shipping for their money, and drivers get to get on the road immediately instead of waiting around for their trailer to be loaded.

2. It keeps the supply chain on track. When shippers have a backlog or surplus of freight, power units allow them to expand their shipping capacities and keep the supply chain moving.

   This not only benefits the companies, but also keeps materials and products getting where they need to go on time.

3. It saves companies money. When power only trucking is an option, companies don’t have to buy and maintain their own truck fleets. They may choose to buy trailers, but those require far less maintenance than tractors do, and they don’t have to hire drivers full-time.

   Even companies who do have their own fleets of trucks save money when they use power units to help them keep up with their shipping demands instead of falling behind and taking the hit in revenue.

4. Owner-operators don’t have to care for their own trailers. Many owner-operators choose to take power only trucking jobs, as there is usually no shortage of work, and they don’t have to buy or maintain their own trailer.

   Plus, these professionals can work for a variety of clients and haul a variety of freight, which many drivers find more interesting and fulfilling than working for a carrier directly.

Disadvantages of Power Only Trucking

As with anything, power only trucking has its disadvantages as well:

1. Shippers have to maintain the trailers. This can be a disadvantage for both the shippers and the drivers. For the shippers, trailers may not cost as much to maintain as trucks do, but they still have some costs associated with them. Plus, they have to have the facilities to store them and the equipment to move and load them.

   Drivers also often don’t care for this aspect of power only trucking, as they get no say in how the trailers are loaded and maintained. This not only can cause problems as they drive, but it can also result in them getting in trouble for safety violations that are outside of their control.

2. It takes a lot of extra work to handle the logistics of power only trucking. Shippers have to remember that even after they send a trailer to its destination, they usually need to get it back somehow.

   If they can’t do this with freight in it, they’ll be throwing money down the drain as they pay to have it returned. This is why companies need to have a thorough logistical strategy that will allow them to make the most of every trailer, which usually means finding a way to ship something back in that same trailer.

   This can be difficult for drivers, too, as they also have to figure out a way to get home – ideally without having to drive back unpaid and on their own dime.

3. It can get expensive. Yes, power only trucking can save shippers a significant amount of money, but only with good planning. Last-minute loads can cost a lot, so many shippers who use power only trucking regularly will negotiate rates with a transportation provider or broker to help cut down on these costs.

   They’ll also work to lengthen the lead time between asking for a power unit and needing it to show up, as this will cut down costs as well.

Power Only Trucking FAQ

1. What does power only mean for trucking?

   Power only means that just the tractor and the driver are needed, not the trailer. Shippers that own or lease their own trailers can hire these tractor and driver sets (called power units) to haul their freight.

   Third-party transportation providers or brokers often handle matching power units with shippers, or some shippers go to drivers they know and trust whenever they need someone.

   Power only trucking is most effective for companies who need to fill holes in their fleets when they’re running behind on shipments or have a temporary increase in freight. It can also be effective for companies that simply don’t want to manage the cost of having a fleet of tractors, drivers, and trailers instead of just trailers.

2. What are power only shipments?

   Power only shipments are shipments that are usually already loaded in a trailer and simply need a truck and a driver to deliver them. Shippers can either use their own trailers or lease some and then they can use a third-party transportation provider to find a driver-and-truck duo, called a power unit.

   Many shippers use this option when they have a seasonal increase in the amount of freight they need to send out or when they don’t want to pay to purchase and maintain their own fleet of trucks.

   Power only shipments are often a great option for owner-operators since they don’t have to buy a trailer, maintain it, and wait for it to be loaded – they can simply show up, hook up the trailer, and go.

   Some carriers will also do power only shipments if they have the drivers and tractors available.

3. Is power only profitable?

   Yes, power only is profitable. There is little overhead for the power units and the third-party transportation providers who manage power only shipments for companies.

   This plus the facts that those providers can charge a premium for short lead times and fast turnaround (which can be common in this industry) and no shortage in freight that needs hauling means that it’s typically a profitable industry.

   Owner-operators can also make some good money in power only trucking – they just have to be careful to plan their trips to they have as few deadhead miles as possible, and they need to be prepared to have less-than-ideal trailers since they aren’t maintaining the trailers themselves.

By - Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job.

His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.