Your tractor. Their trailers. Zero wasted dock hours.
Power only means you bring the tractor and the network brings the trailer: preloaded dry vans and occasionally reefers staged in trailer pools by large shippers, 3PLs and digital brokers. Since the pandemic reshaped retail logistics, the big networks have invested heavily in pool capacity, and they need reliable tractors to keep those trailers cycling. For an owner-operator, it removes a $700–$900/month trailer payment plus maintenance from your cost sheet entirely.
The economics read differently than standard van work, and we're straight about it: the per-mile rate typically runs $0.20–$0.40 under comparable live-load van freight. What the rate line hides is that power-only runs are overwhelmingly drop-and-hook — you're not burning two hours at a dock on each end, detention disputes mostly disappear, and consistent round-trip tours are common. Measured in revenue per working hour rather than per mile, well-planned power only frequently beats the van board.
The operational catch is trailer condition and interchange liability: pull a pool trailer with a bad tire or lights out, and the roadside inspection goes on your record. Our dispatchers confirm trailer interchange terms up front, make sure your insurance carries non-owned trailer coverage (usually $20K–$30K limits are specified), and we document trailer condition at hook with photos so damage claims land where they belong — not on you.
// Typical 2026 power-only ranges: ~$1.80–$2.30/mi, offset by near-zero dock time and dense round-trip tours. Estimates — tour programs are priced as packages, not single loads.