Sometimes you need more flexible options when it comes to shipping. Power only trucking is a type of freight transportation that only provides the truck and driver. The trailer is owned or leased by a third-party logistics provider (3PL) or shipper and is considered separate from the truck and driver, which is also known as the power unit. Separating the power unit from the trailer can create more flexibility in your transportation schedule.

How Does Power Only Trucking Work?

Power only trucking is a full truckload capacity solution when a carrier provides only the driver and tractor, which is known as the power unit. Trucks and trailers are considered separate assets and since they cannot be broken apart, can create unique shipping options. In this type of shipping, the driver does not bring a trailer but hooks up to a trailer that is leased or owned by a 3PL or a shipper. It is often used for smaller shipments that involve a certain type of cargo. The ideal shipper for this type of transportation is a large, established company that often transports goods. Power only trucking uses advanced freight-matching technology to source the truck separately from the trailer.

Every carrier can offer power-only transportation options, depending on how they allocate their trucks and drivers. Power-only carriers can haul different trailer types including:

• – Flatbed
• – Dry vans
• – Refrigerated trailers
• – Shipping containers

Drop Pools and Trailer Leasing

Power only trucking often uses drop pools to leave multiple trailers at a customer’s location. This reduces the wait times with live loading and unloading. The customer can pre-load the trailer before it is picked up, which is an efficient solution for facilities that have consistent volume. The carrier can easily drop a loaded or unloaded trailer at the receiving location and hook up another trailer that is there.

To run this process efficiently, there need to be more trailers than trucks, but it is more cost-effective to lease them. During peak shipping season, for example, it makes economic sense to lease equipment that they may only need for a couple of weeks. Trailer leasing companies or 3PLs can assist with leasing trailers to create shipping solutions.

Benefits of Power Only Trucking

Utilizing a power only unit allows businesses to have a wide range of benefits, including cost savings over traditional trucking services. Being able to combine the power only to a leased or owned trailer allows for flexibility that a traditional paring might not be able to offer. Whenever a shipment needs to go out, even if it is last minute a 3PL can help to find a power only carrier to haul it. Power only transportation gives you flexible drop capacity no matter what you need it for.

Power Only Shipping Options

There are two main ways to use power only transportation.

1.) Power Only and Trailer Leasing Shipping Option.

A 3PL can lease trailers depending on the shipper’s needs and use their large network to source the carrier’s power only unit. The 3PL coordinates with the carrier to drop trailers at the shipper’s facility and the shipper can coordinate with the 3PL to pick up the loaded trailer and deliver it. This is different from an asset-based carrier drop pool because a 3PL is not limited to a single carrier. Instead, a 3PL can lease more trailers and source power only carriers from their vast network.

Power only trucking and leased trailers give shippers the ability to control the carrier assets and the flexibility and scalability of a 3PL. This type of shipping is ideal for peak shipping season, just-in-time shipping, warehouse moves, surges in demand, or consistent lanes that need drop trailers. And when volume returns to a normal level, the 3PL can scale back the capacity.

2.) Power Only and Private Fleet Shipping Option. This type of shipping can also be used with the private fleet of shippers.  While shippers usually use their fleet drivers to haul their own trailers, it might not always be the most cost-effective method of shipping. A 3PL can help shippers find power only capacity when needed, such as facility or warehouse moves, pre-peak trailer positioning, network imbalances, and seasonal or weekend volume surges.