Power only tow away vs load out

Definitions

Tow away vs load out

Tow away

Trailer is empty: new from a manufacturer or dealer, or repositioned between yards. Light weight, paid per move.

Load out

Trailer leaves loaded or carries other cargo. Full weight, seal and bill of lading, priced closer to normal freight.

Tow away (also written towaway). You hook an empty trailer and move it. The most common version is new equipment: a trailer manufacturer finishes a batch of trailers and needs them delivered to dealers or fleets. Others are repositioning moves, where a leasing company or a large carrier needs empties moved from a yard with too many to a yard with too few. DAT, which lists tow away as its own equipment type (Power Only Towaway, PT), defines it as an empty trailer that cannot be loaded with additional freight.

Load out. You hook a trailer that is loaded, or that carries other cargo, and deliver it. DAT lists it as Power Only Load Out (PL): a loaded trailer you pick up and deliver to the destination. On the board, you will see load outs from plants, distribution centers and dealers. A load out is closer to a normal freight load: there is a bill of lading, often a seal, and a receiver waiting for what is inside.

The name "load out" confuses people because it sounds like the trailer gets loaded with you there. In practice the key point is that the trailer goes out full, so weight, seals and cargo claims are all in play.

How each is paid

Two things drive the real value of a tow away. First, where it ends: dealer lots and trailer plants are not always near reloads, so the empty miles after delivery can be long. Second, extras: new trailers sometimes need special routing or permits, and someone has to pay tolls. Ask who covers each before you agree to a rate.

Load outs are easier to compare with any other load. Use the all-in rate per mile: pay divided by deadhead plus loaded miles. Then check the hours: a load out from a busy plant can involve waiting.

Inspection before hooking

Every trailer you pull has to meet the same federal rule: under 49 CFR 392.7 you need to be satisfied that brakes and trailer brake connections, lights and reflectors, tires, wheels and rims, and coupling devices are in good working order. On these two moves, add:

Tow away (new or empty trailer)

• Temporary registration or tags and any transit paperwork are in the trailer or given to you.
• Every light works; new trailers sometimes leave the line with wiring not fully tested.
• Tires are inflated and lug nuts are torqued.
• Doors close and latch so they don't swing open on the highway.
• Any existing scratches or dents are photographed before you leave the lot.

Load out (loaded trailer)

• Trailer number and seal number match the bill of lading.
• Gross weight looks plausible for the commodity; ask for a scale ticket if in doubt.
• The load is secured if you are allowed to see inside.
• Delivery appointment and detention terms are written on the rate con.

A power only carrier still carries its own liability insurance, at least $750,000 for general freight under 49 CFR 387.9. On load outs, your cargo coverage applies to what is in the box. On both, the trailer interchange agreement usually makes you responsible for the trailer itself.

Tow away load board searches and other sources

On DAT One you can search the two types directly with the PT and PL equipment codes; other boards and broker portals usually label them in the notes. Our guide to power only load boards explains how to filter for each. Many tow away moves also come straight from trailer dealers and leasing yards to carriers they already use.

Some smaller trailers, such as utility or equipment trailers, are moved by pickup trucks rather than semis. That is a separate niche; see hotshot power only. If you are new to the idea of pulling someone else's trailer, start with what is power only trucking.

Pricing a move before you say yes

Put the move into the power only load profit calculator with the deadhead to the lot and the miles after delivery to the next reload. A tow away that pays well but strands you 200 miles from freight is worth less than it looks. Our power only dispatchers book both kinds of moves and plan the reload before you drop, and the full set of load types we book is on the power only loads page.