Power-Only Trucking: A Smarter Way to Solve for Freight Capacity

Logistics optimization can be a powerful tool for driving business growth. When you find more efficient methods of transport, costs go down, flexibility increases, and customer service tends to improve. That’s what makes power-only trucking worth considering. It’s a logistics solution that can help you manage seasonal surges, specialized loads, and unusual client requests more efficiently. 

If you’ve never heard of it, you’re in the right place. Discover how Jones Logistics (JoLo) can help your company unlock more value with a customized power-only trucking strategy.

What Is Power-Only Trucking?

Power-only trucking is a freight arrangement in which a carrier provides the tractor and driver, while the shipper supplies the trailer. In other words, your team loads the trailer at your facility, and a driver from a third-party logistics partner arrives on your schedule to haul it away. This can be useful for a variety of businesses, but power-only trucking is ideal for:

• Companies with their own trailers: Using power-only trucking can save you a lot of money if you own your own trailers. It also reduces your dependence on outside fleets.
• Seasonal shipping needs: When you need fast, flexible freight capacity, you can find it quickly and affordably through a power-only trucking service.
• Specialized and oversized equipment: Some industries, like construction and manufacturing, use specialized trailers to move oversized freight. Power-only trucking allows you to outsource the transportation of these goods without the burden of finding a company that has the right trailers for your unique products.

Benefits of Power-Only Trucking

Many shippers like power-only trucking because it gives them control over loading without the ongoing challenges of full fleet ownership. Some of the other key benefits include:

• Cost savings and flexibility: When you don’t own and maintain tractors, your logistics overhead goes down. This leaves you with more money to apply elsewhere and makes it easier to scale up or down as seasonal demand changes.
• Reduced risk: The carrier you hire will take on responsibility for risks like breakdowns, vehicle depreciation, and compliance burdens. This can save you a substantial amount of time and protect you from several common logistics challenges.
• Faster deployment and capacity access: Power-only trucking streamlines operations by separating loading and hauling. Your team can load and stage trailers in advance, then immediately move on to the next task while a hired driver hooks and goes. This keeps your freight moving with minimal downtime.

That being said, you’ll need to find the right partner to truly unlock these benefits. When you rely on a third party to deliver your shipments, they need to be extremely reliable, or your brand’s reputation could take a hit. Explore JoLo's dedicated and equipment services for more details.

Challenges of Power-Only Trucking

While power-only trucking offers cost savings and flexibility benefits, it also comes with a few challenges. By understanding these challenges upfront, your business will be better prepared to recognize and overcome them. Here are three key examples of these challenges:

Trailer Compatibility and Equipment Matching

Matching the right trailer to the right tractor is essential. The type of trailer you need depends on your freight. For example, refrigerated units require different specs than specialized lowboys.

To ensure compatibility, you’ll need to share your freight requirements with carriers upfront. This gives them time to plan and accommodate your needs.

Skipping this step can cause costly delays and damage your reputation. For example, with the the wrong tractor-trailer setup, you might miss your escort window for an oversized load, forcing you to pay for lead vehicles twice.

Scheduling and Coordination

Another challenge you may face is coordinating your in-house logistics team with third-party drivers. Drivers often need to be scheduled in advance, yet freight issues can arise unexpectedly.

Without precise scheduling, you may encounter bottlenecks that can disrupt your workflow, increasing labor costs and delays. That’s why it's crucial to work with a partner who provides drivers who are flexible enough to handle unexpected issues that may arise.

Carrier Availability

Finally, there’s an ongoing shortage of truck drivers, which can affect carrier availability in your area. This means you may need to schedule even further in advance or pay an additional fee for priority power-only trucking service.

Carrier availability is often worse during peak seasons. At these times, you might need to supplement your power-only solution with other logistics options to keep freight moving smoothly.

The Role of a Power Truck Driver

Power-only trucking services are staffed by skilled drivers who are capable of handling a variety of trailer types and operating conditions. These employees are typically responsible for:

• Hooking and hauling preloaded trailers
• Conducting vehicle inspections
• Ensuring that every move complies with safety and regulatory requirements
• Driving trailers to their destinations on time

Just like regular truck drivers, power-only drivers must hold a valid CDL and follow all relevant FMCSA regulations. They have hours-of-service rules and vehicle safety standards they must follow to maintain their licensing. Distribution and warehouse teams follow similar standards.

Is Power-Only Trucking Profitable?

Power-only trucking can absolutely be profitable. It can reduce your overhead and improve the efficiency of your logistics operation at large. The benefits stem from separating trailer ownership from tractor operations. This lets you avoid the expense and challenges of maintaining a full private fleet.

The key to maximizing your profitability will be partnering with the right provider. As you research power-only trucking companies in your area, try to focus on those with a proven track record of success in your industry.

That’s exactly what we offer at JoLo. With more than 26 years of trucking industry experience, we have the reliability and expertise to turn your power-only strategy into a competitive advantage. 

Visit our service page to learn more about how we can help.