Is this legal?

There are also what's called "tow-away" trailers. These pay more to move, but you can't book loads with them. You have to deliver straight through. Sometimes they have a seal or even a camera to make sure you don't book loads with them.

 

Several years ago before they bought a gazillion of their own trailers we used to do this on Amazon power onlys that we booked. It was a given and understood everyone booking those loads did it this way. Great way to maximize earnings.

Back then Amazon had thousands upon thousands of mega-carrier and mid-sized carrier trailers and your load from point A to point B paid a round trip or better rate in the busy season, if you were smart it did. So you went point A to B with your loaded trailer, dropped, hooked to an empty for the trip back to A. You could go home empty and still make good money but we would always tried to book something going back. Sometimes even making great money on that load too.

But Amazon did as they all do to cut costs. Bought a bunch of their own trailers. I think they even forbid that practice. And they have a captive audience of carriers that willingly and eagerly haul those light weight loads super cheap even during the busy season. Impressive how they manage that.

 

I saw a power only load on the board. It included 7 day use of the Trailer. Apparently it’s common, and considered part of the negotiation. Met a Lady recently who did power only. She was Leased onto Someone else and not doing very well.

 

The mega carriers also got cranky about Amazon using their trailers for free.

 

In my cornhusker moter lines days we would occasionally go to the great Dane plant at Wayne Nebraska and pick up a new reefer ...bring it to omaha and put a dry load on it going to the Chicago area and deliver it.
From there the trailer would go to the Dane dealer at Hudsonville Michigan and be dropped and inspected for damage.
One unit had kemlite damage that I pointed put to the dealer and he was completely unconcerned.

 

I’d be pretty upset if I had ordered that trailer……..