One truck, your own MC
Power only owner operator dispatch
You have the tractor and the authority. As a power only owner operator you don't need the trailer: brokers, shippers and trailer pools supply it. We find those trailers, negotiate the pay and keep your week planned, for 6% of gross.
What are you running?
= a power only carrier. Trailer: theirs.
NO-TRAILER ECONOMICS
Trailer or no trailer: what it costs you each month
Owning a trailer means a payment, insurance, tires and plates every month whether it moves or not. Power only swaps those for trailer interchange coverage and some extra empty miles to reach other people's trailers. Slide in your own numbers.
Monthly trailer cost
Power only costs about $535 less per month on these numbers.
That is only half the picture: owning a trailer can open van freight that power only can't reach, and rates differ between the two. Defaults are EXAMPLE numbers; put in your own.
This only compares monthly trailer costs. Freight access and rates differ too; our guide on power only vs owning a dry van, reefer or flatbed covers the rest.
OWN AUTHORITY
Power only with your own authority: what you need
Power only loads with own authority work like any other for-hire freight: you are the carrier on the rate con. That means these five boxes are checked before a broker or program books you. Links go to the official source for each.
Still setting up? Our guide on starting a power only trucking business puts them in order.
- 01
USDOT number and MC operating authority
Interstate for-hire freight needs both. FMCSA registers them; your MC must be active before anyone books you.
Official source - 02
BOC-3 process agent filing
Required before FMCSA activates your authority. A process agent accepts legal papers for you in each state.
Official source - 03
Insurance on file
At least the federal minimum liability for general freight ($750,000, 49 CFR 387.9), plus cargo, plus trailer interchange or non-owned trailer coverage for power only. Programs may ask for more.
Official source - 04
ELD
Hours of service on an electronic logging device, and a phone that runs broker and program tracking apps.
Official source - 05
IRP plates and IFTA
Apportioned plates (IRP covers vehicles over 26,000 lb running in two or more jurisdictions) and an IFTA fuel tax account through your base state.
Official source - Sources checked October 2026. General information, not legal or insurance advice.
TWO WAYS TO GET FREIGHT
Power only contracts vs spot power only loads
Power only contracts for owner operators usually come from trailer-pool programs or shippers that want the same truck on the same lane. Spot loads come one at a time. Here is how they compare in practice.
| Program or contract lane | Spot power only loads | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A dedicated lane or a set number of loads with one program or shipper, at an agreed rate | One-off loads booked day by day from brokers, boards and program apps |
| Pay | Steady, agreed ahead of time; rarely the top of the market | Moves with the market; can be higher or lower week to week |
| Home time | Predictable if the lane fits your base | Flexible, depends on reloads |
| Getting in | Usually needs a track record, authority age and clean safety numbers | Open sooner, including to newer authorities with many brokers |
| Risk | A lane can be cut or rebid; you depend on one customer | More time finding loads; more empty miles if planned badly |
Which programs run trailer pools, and what they publish as requirements, is covered in our power only carrier programs guide. For the spot side, see how to vet and work with power only brokers.
HOW DISPATCH HELPS
Mixing program loads and broker loads in one week
A program lane keeps the truck moving. Broker loads fill the gaps, move you toward the next pool and sometimes pay better than the program that day. The hard part is timing: the program load posts at 6 a.m., the broker wants an answer by 7, and you are driving. That is the job we take off your hands.
Our desk does not replace your program account. You keep your own approvals; we watch them alongside broker freight and pick the better option with you.
- MonProgram loadPreloaded trailer from a program pool on your home lane
- TueProgram loadSecond leg on the same lane
- WedBroker spot loadHigher paying live load that repositions you toward a better pool
- ThuBroker drop and hookPreloaded trailer back toward home
- FriTow awayShort empty trailer move that ends 20 miles from your house
EXAMPLE week. Blue = program freight, red = broker freight.
Owner operator power only: the honest pros and cons
Why owner-operators like it
- No trailer payment, trailer insurance or trailer repairs
- Preloaded drop and hook freight means less time waiting at docks
- Access to trailer-pool freight that never hits a public board
- Easy to start: the tractor and authority you already have
What to watch
- Empty miles to reach trailers, which you must price in
- Responsibility for trailers you don't own under interchange agreements
- You depend on trailers being where and when they should be
- Some programs want authority age or a clean safety record before approval
FEE AND ONBOARDING
6% of gross, and you approve every load
For one truck the dispatch fee is 6% of the load pay, charged only on loads you haul. On a $1,800 load that is $108. No setup fee, month-to-month, 30 days notice to leave. If you add a second truck, both drop to 5%.
See the full pricing, the onboarding steps, or model a month in the dispatch fee calculator. Back to the power only dispatch overview.
Owner-operator questions
Can a power only owner operator with own authority book loads directly?
Yes. With an active MC and USDOT number, the right insurance and an ELD, you can book power only loads directly with brokers and apply to trailer-pool programs under your own name. That is the only setup we dispatch: your authority, your tractor, their trailer.
Are power only contracts better than spot loads?
Neither is better on its own. Contracts give steady lanes and predictable home time; spot loads give flexibility and sometimes better rates. Most of the owner-operators we dispatch run a mix: a contract or program lane as the base, spot loads to fill gaps and reposition.
Do I need to own a trailer at all?
Not for power only. The broker, shipper or trailer pool supplies the trailer. Some owner-operators keep one trailer for their own customers and run power only between those loads; we only dispatch the power only side.
What happens if I damage a trailer I don't own?
The trailer interchange agreement you sign with the trailer owner decides that, and it usually makes you responsible. That is why trailer interchange or non-owned trailer coverage matters. Read each agreement and confirm the limits with your insurer.
Should I lease on to a carrier's power only program instead?
Leasing on means running under the carrier's authority and their rules, which can be simpler but gives you less control over rates and freight. We only dispatch carriers with their own authority, so leased-on drivers would not use our service.
Next load starts here
Your tractor, your MC, our desk
6% of gross for one truck, 5% for 2+ trucks. No setup fee, no contract, and no fee on weeks you don't haul.
What are you running?