Is this legal?

Lots of carriers I’ve worked for did this even with brand new trailers.

 

yes they are called load out trailers.. @gekko1323 has experience with it

 

Yes, load-outs are part of the gig. People need to move their trailers without having to pay through the nose. So instead of paying the normal lane rate, they will let you use the trailer for a specified period of time. Because they know a carrier will not do a load for 40 cents a mile.

I've had agreements ranging from 3 days to 14 days, and have been paid as little as $150 to as much as $1100. Right now I have a reefer that I'm using, delivering it in Dallas on Wednesday. It's a 7-day load-out that I got in Denver.

As far as fines, some brokers will let you slide a day, maybe two, as long as you communicate. Others will fine you as much as $200 a day for being late.

 

You're supposed to have coverage for unowned trailer, and trailer interchange. I have $50,000 coverage, but most loadouts only require $30,000. I'm surprised they didn't ask you for this. They usually require you to put them as loss payee on your COI.

 

you do need the trailers owner's permission, correct?

we had company drivers do that where I used to work and the company had a major hissy-fit!. lol

 

Used to be shaky ground. I had my truck leased as a "power only" to pull RR wagons. It was EXPRESSLY forbidden to reload an empty wagon and resulted in immediate dismissal. It wasn't worth it anyway. By the time you screwed around with a load, you could have hooked on to another preloaded rail load.

 

I do power only hauling for Menard's. I don't know if it is illegal but Menard's expressly forbid's it. That said, I am fine with it as they pay whether loaded or not. I am paid the same taking a loaded trailer to a store and then the same rate to bring it back empty ( or sometimes the store will send back empty pallets).

 

Loadouts are usually offered by the owner via brokers. If not, they would have to pay linehaul rates just to move their trailer. The owner can be a Wabash production plant that needs to move inventory, or a trailer dealer that needs to deliver the trailer to the buyer. These are just examples.