(1) An empty car, or (2) a passenger (or off-duty crew member) riding free on a pass; or (3) a locomotive traveling without cars.
This term when used in truck transportation - refers to the condition in which a truck is moving without a load. This movement is usually a return to a point of origin where its intial load was made or back to "home terminal" where it will await instructions for its next haul of material. Trucking companies attempt to avoid deadhead situations because they increase their costs without resulting in any revenue. To counteract deadhead movements, trucking companies attempt to "backhaul" movements. Backhaul is not always back to the initial point of origin but may be a move in the general direction or into a geographic area where another load may be found. We should look upon "deadhead" as an empty truck moving on the highway. Deadhead, in railroad parlance, means a load moving without the assessment of freight charges (usually "company material").
a train or bus or taxi traveling empty
The distance that a moving company's driver has to drive empty to pick up a load from a paying customer.
The return of an empty transportation container to its point of origin. See: backhauling.
The movement of a transit vehicle without passengers aboard; often to and from a garage or to and from one route to another.
A tractor pulling an empty trailer, or the freight loaded on the trailer does not generate any revenue (deadhead freight sometimes can be company materials or goods).
A trailer moving empty. A shipment moving without charges. A ride-along driver.
Originally a noun, now a verb meaning to fly the return leg of a trip without cargo or passengers. Originally coined during the infancy of the major airlines, the term was pejoratively applied to company employees or spouses, who were strapped into otherwise empty seats to give the appearance of high business volume.
The hours or miles a vehicle travels when out of revenue service (i.e., not available for travel by the general public). Deadhead includes leaving or returning to the maintenance garage or storage yard facility and when the vehicle is changing routes.
A non-revenue vehicle marked as "not in service".
One leg of a move without a paying cargo load. Usually refers to repositioning an empty piece of equipment.
Empty truck miles traveled; normally to pick up a load.
The movement of an empty unit from one zone (area) to another.
Empty (unloaded) miles traveled by a driver in order to move his or her truck to pick up a paying load.
Miles and hours that a vehicle travels when out of revenue service. This includes leaving and returning to the garage, changing routes, etc., and times when there is no reasonable expectation of carrying revenue passengers. However, it does not include charter service, school bus service, operator training, maintenance training, etc. For non-scheduled, non-fixed-route service (demand-responsive), deadhead mileage also includes the travel between the dispatching point and passenger pick-up or drop-off. (FTA)