As a carrier, power-only trucking allows you to keep your tractor running and your schedule full. You just book and hook. Between the overhead reduction in trailer maintenance, and the time saved by avoiding live loads, here’s how including power-only freight in your operations can lead to more earnings with less hassle.
What is power-only trucking?
You bring the truck, we provide the trailer.
Power-only trucking (or drop-and-hook) means the carrier is responsible for the truck and driver, while the trailer and its cargo are managed by the shipper. It’s quick and simple: The carrier’s driver rolls up to the shipping facility in their tractor (power unit), connects to a trailer on-site, and hits the road. No need to wait for the trailer to load up - it’s pre-loaded and waiting for the drivers to arrive.
Once a driver drop offs the trailer to its destination, they can pick up another load or head home (there’s typically no wait for unloading either). So even if your fleet includes trailers, power-only trucking is still a great option for filling schedule gaps.
Why carriers choose power-only
You’ve got goals – whether you’re an owner-operator looking to maximize your rig’s potential or a fleet owner aiming to scale. Whatever drives you, power-only loads offer a practical path forward.
- More time driving, less time waiting: Pre-loaded trailers mean faster stops, so power-only loads can offer greater flexibility in your operations and increase the number of loads you can handle.
- Lower equipment investment: Without a trailer’s purchase, registration, maintenance, and storage, you’re free to focus on steady miles, reliable income, and keeping your tractors in top condition. That’s why power-only hauls let new carriers hit the ground running (you can always rent trailers for those high-volume periods).
- Consistent access to work: Because you’re not tied down to one trailer type as a power-only carrier, you can be hauling dry van today and reefer tomorrow. Not only are you able to easily diversify your business – you can also take advantage of the soaring tractor demand during seasonal rushes. When you’re looking for high volume and varied load types – that’s where HAQM comes in.
How to book power-only freight on HAQM Relay
Whether we’re moving trailers between facilities or positioning them for peak season, most of HAQM’s loads are power-only spot freight. Here’s how onboarded Relay carriers can book it.
- Load board: Filter power-only loads by rates, mileage, cities, times, and more to find the best fit for your business. With cancellation replacements and reload recommendations, Relay’s load board simplifies the process of finding suitable one-ways and roundtrips for your tractor.
- Post A Truck: Tell us when and where you want to haul. Once you post your tractor’s availability and your minimum payout, Relay can automatically book any available criteria matches for your business.
- Contracts: Combine the convenience of power-only loads with stability. Full- and partial-week contracts offer dedicated lanes that can run for a single week up to six months.
Looking to haul your own equipment? Relay also offers trailer-required work, and an equipment marketplace to lease your trailers to HAQM.
Sign up for power-only loads
Power-only freight gets you moving. And with nationwide facilities, and thousands of pre-loaded trailers across our network, HAQM Relay can supply power-only loads near you. Start your application on your desktop or in our app on iOS or Android. But first, check out Relay’s carrier requirements to make sure HAQM is the right fit for your business.
Disclaimer: HAQM does not tender loads through any third-party load boards. Any HAQM loads posted on third-party load boards will only be tendered directly to approved and onboarded carriers via the Relay web portal or Relay mobile app. If you are interested in hauling loads for HAQM, sign up and book directly on relay.haqm.com.
