noun / verb
deadhead
Travel or transport that earns no revenue.
The driver deadheads back to the depot with an empty truck.
Etymology
Deadhead earlier named someone admitted or carried without payment. Transport applied that nonpaying status to trips made without fare-paying passengers or revenue-producing cargo.
More examples
- The return trip is a deadhead because the truck carries no freight.
- Two pilots deadhead to Denver to crew another flight.
- The bus deadheaded across town before picking up its first passengers.
Forms
deadhead · deadheads · deadheaded · deadheading
Similar words
- reposition
- Emphasizes moving a vehicle where needed, regardless of revenue.