Thanks to online shopping, there are a high number of items being shipped throughout the nation on a daily basis. Because of this, companies are always looking for ways to ship their products efficiently, and one method is power only freight. Power only freight is an extremely beneficial method of shipping goods for companies who have their own trailer and goods ready to go, but no driver or tractor available. This method of shipping differs from traditional freight in the sense that you only have to provide the trailers and goods, not the trucker or driver.
In order to fully understand why people choose to ship with power trucking, it is important to understand what it actually is. This method of shipping requires two shipping companies to work together in order to fulfill the order. One company provides the trailer, the goods and the logistics of the operation. The other company simply provides the driver and the truck to haul the freight.
Power only trucking offers a number of advantages, it really depends on the company if this option is worth it to them.
- Buying and maintaining trucks in the trucking industry is extremely expensive and time consuming. The more time spent on maintaining the trucks, the less time one has to actually complete the orders. If a company does not have to worry about the trucks, and only on the trailer and shipping their goods, they will be saving a lot of money by going through a third party for the truck and driver.
- Speaking of the truck driver, by going through a power freight only, where you don’t have to supply the driver, you are cutting a huge cost on your payroll. Drivers not only take a large salary, but also their benefits can be costly.
- Going along with the drivers, using power freight shipping will create a more efficient supply chain since they are able to avoid the policies of a truck driver being limited to a 14 hour work window. Instead of the load having to shut down if going a long distance, the company is able to get a different driver along the route in order to continue the transport seamlessly.
- Finally, the advantage of using another company to provide the trucking service is that they are equipped with adjustable fifth-wheel hitches, ensuring the ability to tow a wide range of freights to meet your needs.
While power only trucking is excellent for companies who do not want the hassle of handling both the truck and trailer/inventory side of things, there are a few distinctive disadvantages of this method of shipping.
- One of the main disadvantages is that the shipping company is relying on another company to fulfill the shipping needs. Of course this may be seen as an advantage in many scenarios, but it could become a problem if the company you are working with is not working properly.
- Another disadvantage is that it could become too costly to rely on another company to supply drivers or trucks if the need is short notice.
- Finally, this process could complicate the supply chain logistics if there is a need to switch drivers or trucks along the route.
There are many different ways power only trucking may be used.
- Power Only with Leased Trailers
- This scenario gives shippers the control of the asset carrier and the flexibility, responsiveness and scalability of a 3PL.
- The 3PL will lease trailers based on the shipper’s needs.
- The 3PL will coordinate with a carrier, or multiple carriers, to drop trailers at the shipper’s facility.
- The shipper will load at the trailer when they are ready, coordinating with the 3PL who will source power only capacity to run the drop pool, picking up loaded trailers and delivering
- This method is extremely helpful when there are major warehouse moves, peak shipping seasons, weekend surges, and special shipping projects.
- This scenario gives shippers the control of the asset carrier and the flexibility, responsiveness and scalability of a 3PL.
- Power only with Shipper’s Trailers
This scenario is common when a shipper does not have enough drivers for the trailers they have going out.
Power only trucking is applicable to many different companies, but companies that ship open deck or dry van freight are most susceptible to using power-only trucking. Furthermore, companies that have an ample amount of trailers at their disposal, but no trucks or drivers to haul them.
With dry van freight, which offers a “pick-up-and-go” benefit where they are able to remain fully loaded on the trailer while the company looks for a driver to transport their goods. Furthermore, companies that have plenty of space to hold their trailers will also benefit from this method of shipping. Because power only trucking is great for companies without drivers or trucks to haul their goods, perishable or raw goods are not excellent candidates to be shipped through this method.
Overall, using power only trucking to complete your shipping needs offers a variety of advantages and disadvantages, it really depends on the company you are running and what you want to be responsible for. If you are the type of person who needs to be in charge of every aspect of your delivery service, this method would not be the choice for you since you are not in control in a major aspect – the trucking. However, if you prefer to worry more about having the trailers and goods to ship, this is a great way to conduct your business.
Give Ship A Car, Inc (aka SAC) a call today at (866) 452-3657 to get your free shipping estimate.
