Drop and hook means the driver drops a loaded trailer at the shipper or receiver and hooks up a different, ready trailer; live load or live unload means the driver waits at the dock while the trailer is loaded or unloaded. Drop and hook usually means less waiting.
Drop and hook
With drop and hook, the facility already has a trailer loaded (or a spot for yours). You disconnect your trailer, connect to the next one, do your inspection and roll. The time at the facility is short and predictable.
Live load and live unload
With a live load or unload, you back into a dock door and the trailer is loaded or emptied while you wait. How long that takes depends on the facility, the freight and the appointment schedule.
Why it matters to drivers
- Wait time: drop and hook usually cuts time sitting at docks.
- Planning: shorter, predictable stops make it easier to plan your day and your hours of service.
- Detention and layover: when delays happen, how a carrier pays for them matters.
How Global Runners Logistics handles it
Our freight is 53' dry van, mostly electronics, with a mix of drop & hook and live load / unload. "No wait time" is one of the top reasons our drivers give for staying, because dispatch plans loads ahead. When a layover happens, it pays $250.
Questions
Yes. Layover pays $250.
53-foot dry van freight, mostly electronics, with a mix of drop & hook and live loads.
Published 2026-11-03 · Updated 2026-11-03 · By Global Runners Logistics LLC, Las Vegas, NV