Snowbird toy transport
Power-Only Transport
You own the trailer; a carrier supplies the truck and driver.
Overview
How power-only transport works
Power-only is industry shorthand for a simple idea: you already own the trailer, and you are hiring the truck and the driver. The carrier brings the power. Your trailer carries the load.
For snowbirds, this is how most boats, travel trailers, fifth wheels and utility trailers actually move south. It is generally the least expensive method, because nothing has to be lifted, loaded or transferred.
What has to be true for your trailer to qualify
The trailer must be legally and mechanically fit to travel on public roads: sound frame, tires with tread and reasonable age, serviced bearings, working lights, functioning brakes if the weight requires them, a hitch that matches available equipment, safety chains, and registration where the state requires it.
What disqualifies a trailer
Rotted tires, seized or unknown bearings, a cracked or rusted-through frame, non-functioning brakes on a heavy unit, missing or mismatched coupler hardware, or the trailer simply not being registrable in time. In those cases the load goes on a carrier's flatbed instead.
How it differs from hauling
On a hauled move, the carrier's own trailer does the work and your item rides on it. Power-only puts the miles, wear and risk on your equipment — which is exactly why the trailer inspection at pickup is not a formality.
Quoting
What we need to quote your shipment
- Trailer type and dimensions
- Loaded and empty weight
- Coupler or hitch type: ball size, gooseneck, fifth wheel, pintle
- Brake type and condition
- Tire age (DOT date codes)
- Bearing service history
- Registration status
- What is on or in the trailer
Enterprise Auto Transport is a licensed broker (USDOT #2273104, MC #774106). We arrange transportation with qualified motor carriers whose equipment and authority fit the shipment — we do not own trucks or employ drivers.
Before pickup
- Have the bearings serviced if you cannot say when they were last done
- Replace tires older than about six years even if the tread looks fine
- Test all lights on an actual seven-pin or four-flat plug
- Verify brake function and the breakaway switch and battery
- Confirm the coupler latches, locks and matches the ball size you reported
- Keep registration and any title paperwork with the trailer
From experience
What commonly goes wrong
- Power-only puts road wear on your equipment. A trailer that is 90% ready is a trailer that strands your load in Georgia.
- Not every truck has every hitch. The wrong coupler is the most common re-dispatch we see on these moves.
- A driver can and will refuse an unsafe trailer at pickup. That refusal is protecting you.
Questions
Power-Only Transport FAQs
Is power-only the same as tow-away?
In everyday use, yes — most customers hear "tow-away" and "power-only" describing the same arrangement: a carrier's truck towing your trailer. Freight companies use the terms with finer distinctions, but for a recreational move they mean the same thing.
Is it cheaper than hauling?
Usually, because no loading equipment is required. If your trailer needs $900 of tires and bearings first, the math can change.
Who is responsible if my trailer breaks down?
The trailer is your equipment. Carriers cover the transport, not the pre-existing condition of your running gear. That is the tradeoff for the lower price.
Before pickup
Condition and repair responsibility
Tires, brakes and anything that rolls: the owner's responsibility
- Anything that rolls or tows on its own wheels — boats, RVs, campers, utility and enclosed trailers, equipment trailers — must be roadworthy before pickup. That means sound tires with tread and no dry rot, correct air pressure, working bearings and hubs, functioning brakes and lights, a good coupler, safety chains and a spare if one is available.
- Equipment that has been parked for a long season is the most common problem. Tires that look fine can be dry-rotted and years past their date code, and bearings that have not been greased will run hot. If your boat or trailer has been sitting, have the tires and bearings checked before transport.
- The customer is responsible for the cost of any repairs needed to make the unit safe to move — tires, wheels, bearings, brakes, lights, couplers or anything else that allows the unit to roll or operate.
- If a tire blows out, a bearing fails or the unit becomes disabled in transit, the customer is responsible for the cost of towing to the nearest service facility and for the parts and labor to repair it. Roadside service on the highway costs considerably more than doing the work in advance.
- Repairs made on the road can add days to the delivery window. Enterprise Auto Transport is a licensed broker and is not responsible for the mechanical condition of the equipment, for the cost of repairs or towing, or for delays caused by them.
Get started
Request a quote for this shipment
Not sure what kind of hauler you need?
Don't worry. You don't have to know whether you need a power-only truck, flatbed, enclosed trailer, RV driver or specialized carrier. Just tell us what you're moving, its approximate size, where it's going and when you need it moved. We'll review the shipment and determine what type of transportation is appropriate.
Please note: Anything that rolls on its own wheels must be roadworthy before pickup. The customer is responsible for repairs — tires, bearings, brakes, lights — and for towing and repair costs if the unit becomes disabled in transit.
Ready to move your boat, RV or toys?
Equipment-specific quoting on dimensions, weight and trailer condition — with a coordinator who answers the phone.