Power only intermodal loads

Power only intermodal loads are the container side of power only trucking. You bring the tractor and the driver; a steamship line, railroad or leasing company owns the container, and a chassis pool or equipment provider owns the frame it sits on. You pull both from a port terminal or rail ramp to a warehouse, or back, or between terminals.

The freight is real and steady near ports and rail hubs, but it is a closed door until you clear a few extra requirements. This guide covers who can take it, what it pays, and what to check on equipment that has passed through a lot of hands.

How intermodal power only differs from a pool trailer

On a regular power only load you hook a broker's or shipper's 53-foot trailer out of a yard. On intermodal you hook a chassis with a box on it, and three parties are involved in the equipment instead of one.

Three owners, one move

1. PART 1ContainerOcean carrier, railroad or leasing company
2. PART 2ChassisChassis pool, equipment provider or ship line
3. PART 3Tractor and driverYou, under your own authority

Requirements to haul power only intermodal loads

None of this replaces the basics: you still need your USDOT number and MC authority for interstate for-hire freight. On top of that:

UIIA participation

The Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement (UIIA), administered by the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), is the standard contract most equipment providers use to hand containers and chassis to motor carriers. You apply through IANA, pay its annual fee (set by IANA; ask them for the current amount), and then each equipment provider decides whether to approve you.

Insurance the UIIA asks for

IANA's published UIIA requirements, checked October 2026:

That auto limit is higher than the $750,000 federal minimum for general freight, so check your policy before you apply. Our power only insurance guide explains each coverage.

General information, not insurance or legal advice. Check the cited source and your own advisor before you act.

Port and terminal access

• TWIC card. Unescorted access to secure areas of maritime facilities regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act requires a Transportation Worker Identification Credential from TSA. Truck drivers are one of the groups TSA lists. Rail ramps don't use TWIC, but they have their own gate registration.
• Terminal registration. Most terminals require the trucking company to be registered in their gate system, with an appointment for each move.
• State drayage rules. California has separate drayage truck registration and emissions rules for ports and rail yards, and they have changed several times. Check the California Air Resources Board before you take California port or rail work.

How power only intermodal pays

Drayage is usually priced per move, not per mile, because the miles are short and the time goes into gate lines and waiting. A typical rate has:

• Line haul for the move, often quoted per container from terminal to door.
• Fuel surcharge, as a percentage or per mile.
• Accessorials: chassis usage or split fees, pre-pull (pulling the container early and storing it), yard storage, overweight, waiting time at the terminal or customer, and a dry run if the container isn't released.

Run the same numbers through the power only load profit calculator with your fuel and waiting time to see profit per hour.

Checking a chassis before you leave the terminal

Intermodal equipment has its own federal inspection list. Under 49 CFR 392.7(b), before you take intermodal equipment on the road you must check the brakes you can see, lamps and conspicuity marking, wheels, rims, lugs and tires, air lines and couplers, the kingpin upper coupling, rails or support frames, tie-down bolsters, locking pins, clevises, clamps or hooks, and sliders or the sliding frame lock. Driving it out is treated as proof you found them in good order.

The two that cause most trouble on containers:

• Twist locks and locking pins. Every corner of the container must be locked to the chassis. A box that isn't locked down can come off in a turn.
• Tires and lights. Chassis pass through many hands; flats and dead lamps are common. Refuse the chassis at the gate rather than on the shoulder.

When you return the equipment, 49 CFR 396.11(b) requires you to report known damage and defects to the equipment provider. Our pre-hook trailer inspection checklist has a printable sheet you can use for chassis too.

Where to find intermodal power only freight

• Drayage brokers and intermodal marketing companies that need tractor-only capacity near ports and ramps.
• Shippers and importers with their own dray needs, usually after you have a track record.
• Load boards, for a slice of it. Filter power only and read the notes for "container" or "chassis." Our guide to power only load boards explains how to search.

Expect the setup to take longer than a normal broker packet: the equipment provider has to approve you before a load can be tendered.

Is intermodal right for your truck?

It suits carriers within reach of a port or rail hub who want home every night, don't mind gate lines and can carry the higher liability limit. It suits long-haul sleepers less well, since most moves are short and paid by the move.

Many power only carriers mix the two: container moves on slow trailer-pool days, pool trailers when the terminals are backed up. A dispatcher who knows both can keep the truck busy across them, which is part of what our power only dispatch service does once you have the approvals.