Last updated November 2026. Reviewed by Vickie Roberts, Director of Sales at Porter Freight Funding.
In This Article
Power only trucking means a carrier provides only the tractor and driver, and the shipper, broker or 3PL provides the trailer. The driver hooks to a preloaded trailer, hauls it to the receiver and often drops it there. Because you don’t buy or lease a trailer, your startup costs and maintenance stay lower.
Power Only Trucking at a Glance
| You supply | Tractor, driver, authority, insurance |
|---|---|
| They supply | The trailer (van, reefer or flatbed, depending on the program) |
| Typical loads | Preloaded drop trailers, drop and hook freight, trailer repositioning |
| Rate range | Below the dry van spot rate, since you aren’t supplying the trailer. DAT’s national dry van rate was $2.26 per mile in October 2026. |
| Startup cost | Lower than a standard carrier: no trailer purchase or trailer payment |
| Best fit | New authorities, owner-operators and small fleets that want to haul without owning trailers |
How Power Only Trucking Works
- Get set up. Run under your own MC authority or lease onto a carrier, with the insurance the program requires.
- Join a trailer program. Brokers, 3PLs and shippers keep trailer pools and vet the carriers who pull them.
- Book the load. Find power only loads through broker programs or load boards that tag them.
- Hook the trailer. Pick up a preloaded trailer at the shipper or a drop lot, so you skip the wait at the dock.
- Deliver and drop. Drop the trailer at the receiver or a yard and pick up the next one if it’s ready.
- Invoice. Send the rate confirmation and signed bill of lading to the broker, then wait on their terms or factor the invoice.
Pros and Cons of Power Only
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No trailer to buy, insure or maintain | Usually pays less per mile than hauling with your own trailer |
| Less dock waiting with preloaded trailers | You depend on the program’s trailer supply and freight |
| Haul van, reefer or flatbed freight without owning each trailer | You still own the pre-trip inspection on a trailer you didn’t choose |
| Faster way to get a new authority moving | Deadhead to and from trailer pools can eat into margin |
Power Only Rates in 2026
Power only pay moves with the van market. DAT’s national dry van spot rate was $2.26 per mile for the week ending October 17, 2026, linehaul only, up $0.58 from a year earlier (DAT Dry Van Report). Power only loads usually pay below that because you aren’t supplying the trailer. Short runs usually pay more per mile than long hauls, but deadhead to and from the trailer pool can eat the difference, so price the round trip, not the loaded miles.
Run your numbers before you book. Our guide to calculating your trucking cost per mile walks through it.
How to Start Power Only Trucking
- Authority: a USDOT number and MC authority, or a lease onto a carrier. See How to Get a Trucking Authority.
- Insurance: auto liability and cargo, plus trailer interchange coverage, which most programs require when you pull a trailer you don’t own.
- Loads: broker and shipper trailer programs, and load boards that filter for power only.
- Broker checks: check a broker’s credit before you haul, and watch for double brokering.
Day Cab or Sleeper for Power Only?
Your tractor decides which power only loads you can take. A day cab keeps you local and home every night. A sleeper lets you book multi-day runs and chase freight across the country. Pick based on how you want to live, then choose programs that fit.
| Factor | Day Cab | Sleeper Cab |
|---|---|---|
| Where you sleep | At home or in a hotel | In the truck, with a bed, storage and power |
| Typical radius | Local or regional, usually under 250 to 300 miles | Regional or over the road, 500 miles and up |
| Cost | Lower purchase price, lighter, better fuel mileage, cheaper to insure and maintain | Higher upfront cost, heavier tractor, more fuel, APU to maintain |
| Payload | About 2,000 to 4,000 pounds lighter, so you can haul slightly heavier loads under federal weight limits | Less payload headroom |
| Maneuverability | Shorter wheelbase for tight city yards | Longer wheelbase needs wider turns at tight docks |
| Power only fit | Short relay runs and single-shift blocks that start and end near your home yard | Multi-day tours, cross-country routes and back-to-back spot loads across states |
| When freight dries up | You wait it out or pay for hotels to chase loads elsewhere | You deadhead to a stronger market and stay out until rates improve |
Most new power only carriers start with a day cab because it costs less to get rolling. If you plan to run long trailer-pool lanes, a sleeper pays for itself in load options.
How to Get Paid Faster on Power Only Loads
Power only carriers turn loads fast, so waiting 30 to 60 days on a broker can stall the next one. Freight factoring pays you on the invoice instead. With Porter, power only carriers get:
- Same-day funding by ACH, wire or fuel card
- Up to 100% advances on approved invoices
- A 1.5% introductory factoring rate for the first 60 days*
- Paid at pickup: up to 50% of load value per truck through PorterWallet 24/7 Advances, once your docs are submitted
- Instant broker credit checks before you haul, once you’re a Porter customer
Every Porter account comes with support from our Account Resolution Team, access to 24/7 Advances through PorterWallet, and the option to enroll in our PorterFuel Card.
*The 1.5% introductory rate applies to your first 60 days and requires a 1-year recourse contract with a 95% advance rate. It does not apply to Sprinter Vans or Box Trucks. Advances on approved invoices, subject to underwriting approval.
“Before you sign up with a drop and hook relay, find out who pays you and how fast. Some of the biggest programs don’t work with factoring companies at all, and that changes your cash flow on day one.”
Vickie Roberts, Director of Sales, Porter Freight Funding
One thing to know before you choose a program: Porter does not factor Amazon loads, so if you plan to run Amazon Relay, those invoices won’t qualify. Porter is based out of Birmingham, Alabama. Carriers with an existing MCA loan are typically declined, and we don’t factor carriers based in CA, PR, HI, AK, Canada or Mexico.
Know another power only carrier? Refer them to Porter and get paid when they fund.
