Brokers with trailer pools vs regular brokers
A power only brokerage is any broker that books loads where the carrier brings only the tractor. They come in two kinds:
- Brokers that control trailers. Some large logistics companies keep their own trailer pools at shipper docks. Their brokerage side books outside tractors to pull them, often through an app. These look a lot like carrier programs, and our guide to power only carrier programs covers how those approve carriers.
- Brokers booking a shipper's trailers. A shipper with its own trailers (a manufacturer, a retailer, a trailer dealer) hires a broker to find tractors. The broker negotiates each load and passes along the shipper's interchange terms.
To you, the difference shows up in three places: who signs the trailer interchange agreement with you, who you call when the trailer isn't ready, and how negotiable the rate is. Pool brokers often post fixed prices; shipper-trailer brokers usually negotiate.
Setup and the carrier packet
Every broker sets you up once before your first load. The packet usually asks for:
- MC and USDOT numbers. They check your authority and safety record.
- W-9.
- Certificate of insurance, naming the broker as certificate holder. For power only, many brokers also want proof of trailer interchange or non-owned trailer coverage. Federal minimum liability for general freight is $750,000 (49 CFR 387.9); brokers often ask for more.
- Signed broker-carrier agreement. Read the parts on payment terms, double brokering, claims and detention.
- Trailer interchange agreement for whoever owns the trailers.
- Payment details, or a notice of assignment if you use a factoring company.
Setup speed varies from minutes on automated portals to days where a person reviews everything. Keeping one clean, current packet makes every setup faster, which is one of the things a dispatcher handles for you.
Vetting a broker
Brokers vet you. Vet them back before you hook their trailer:
| Check | Where | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Broker authority | FMCSA registry (SAFER and the licensing pages) | Active property broker authority under the MC they gave you |
| Bond or trust fund | FMCSA registry | A BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust fund on file; federal rules require $75,000 (49 CFR 387.307) |
| Contact details | Registry vs the email and phone you're using | Same company name, domain and phone. Call the number on file, not the one in the email |
| Payment history | Your own records, credit tools you subscribe to, other carriers you trust | Pays on the agreed terms |
| Rate con | The document itself | Matches the conversation: pickup, delivery, pay, detention, interchange terms |
The bond matters more now than it used to. Under the rule in 49 CFR 387.307 that took effect January 16, 2026, the surety must tell FMCSA within two business days when a payment drops a broker's bond below $75,000, and FMCSA moves to suspend the broker's registration unless it restores the bond or settles the claims. A broker whose authority or bond has lapsed is a broker who may not pay you.
Red flags
Power only fraud is common because one fake booking can steal a trailer and its freight. Stop and verify when you see:
- An email domain that doesn't match the broker's real website, or a free email account for a large company.
- Pressure to take the load right now at a rate well above the lane.
- A pickup address that changes after booking, or instructions to hook a different trailer.
- Requests for money: deposits, "trailer fees" or anything you pay to get a load.
- A broker MC with very new authority offering high-value loads with no setup process.
- Requests to pay a third party or to send the load "under your MC" for someone else (double brokering).
If anything feels off, call the broker using the phone number on its FMCSA record and confirm the load ID before you move. FMCSA posts current fraud alerts on its registration pages.
Going direct to shippers
Some carriers want to skip brokers and work with shippers directly. It can work for steady lanes, but shippers with trailer fleets usually buy capacity through programs and brokers because they need many tractors at once. Retail drop-trailer networks are a separate case covered in our Amazon Relay and Walmart power only loads guide.
Where to go from here
Brokers post power only freight on public boards too; see power only load boards for how to filter and what to watch. If you are still setting up your authority, start with how to start a power only trucking business.
Price every broker load on all-in miles before you accept it, using the power only load profit calculator. And if you'd rather have a desk that handles setups, vets brokers and negotiates every load for you, that is our power only dispatch service. The freight we book is on the power only loads page.
FAQ
Who are the best power only freight brokers?
We don't rank brokers. The best one for you has steady trailers on your lanes, pays on time, puts detention and interchange terms in writing, and has active broker authority and a bond you can verify. Judge by your own loads with them over a few months.
What is the difference between a power only broker and a trailer-pool program?
A trailer-pool program is usually run by a company that owns the trailers and posts its own loads in an app. A broker may control trailers too, but often books a shipper's trailers and negotiates each load. Many large companies do both.
What does a broker need to see before booking me?
Usually your MC and USDOT numbers, a W-9, a certificate of insurance with the broker as certificate holder, a signed carrier agreement, and for power only, proof of trailer interchange or non-owned trailer coverage and a signed interchange agreement.
How do I check a broker's bond?
Look the broker up by MC or USDOT number on FMCSA's registry and check that its broker authority is active and that a BMC-84 bond or BMC-85 trust fund is on file. Federal rules set the amount at $75,000.
Sources
Checked October 2026. Official pages first; company facts only from each company's own site.
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