<PAGE>   1
 
                                                                      EXHIBIT 24
 
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY
 
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that the undersigned Director or officer of
Builders Transport, Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Stanford M. Dinstein, John R. Morris, T. Michael
Guthrie or Robert E. Lee Garner the true and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact
of the undersigned with full power and authority in each of said agents and
attorneys-in-fact, acting singly, to sign for the undersigned as Director or an
officer of the Company, or as both, the Company's 1996 Annual Report on Form
10-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C.
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and to sign any amendment or
amendments to such Annual Report, including an Annual Report pursuant to Form
11-K to be filed as an amendment to the Form 10-K; hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts taken by such agents and attorneys-in-fact as herein
authorized.
 
DATED: February 6, 1997.
 
                                               /s/  DAVID C. WALENTAS
 
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                    David C. Walentas
<PAGE>   2
 
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY
 
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that the undersigned Director or officer of
Builders Transport, Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Stanford M. Dinstein, John R. Morris, T. Michael
Guthrie or Robert E. Lee Garner the true and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact
of the undersigned with full power and authority in each of said agents and
attorneys-in-fact, acting singly, to sign for the undersigned as Director or an
officer of the Company, or as both, the Company's 1996 Annual Report on Form
10-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C.
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and to sign any amendment or
amendments to such Annual Report, including an Annual Report pursuant to Form
11-K to be filed as an amendment to the Form 10-K; hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts taken by such agents and attorneys-in-fact as herein
authorized.
 
DATED: February 6, 1997.
 
                                             /s/  STANFORD M. DINSTEIN
 
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                   Stanford M. Dinstein
<PAGE>   3
 
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY
 
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that the undersigned Director or officer of
Builders Transport, Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Stanford M. Dinstein, John R. Morris, T. Michael
Guthrie or Robert E. Lee Garner the true and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact
of the undersigned with full power and authority in each of said agents and
attorneys-in-fact, acting singly, to sign for the undersigned as Director or an
officer of the Company, or as both, the Company's 1996 Annual Report on Form
10-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C.
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and to sign any amendment or
amendments to such Annual Report, including an Annual Report pursuant to Form
11-K to be filed as an amendment to the Form 10-K; hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts taken by such agents and attorneys-in-fact as herein
authorized.
 
DATED: February 6, 1997.
 
                                                /s/  JOHN R. MORRIS
 
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                      John R. Morris
<PAGE>   4
 
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY
 
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that the undersigned Director or officer of
Builders Transport, Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Stanford M. Dinstein, John R. Morris, T. Michael
Guthrie or Robert E. Lee Garner the true and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact
of the undersigned with full power and authority in each of said agents and
attorneys-in-fact, acting singly, to sign for the undersigned as Director or an
officer of the Company, or as both, the Company's 1996 Annual Report on Form
10-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C.
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and to sign any amendment or
amendments to such Annual Report, including an Annual Report pursuant to Form
11-K to be filed as an amendment to the Form 10-K; hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts taken by such agents and attorneys-in-fact as herein
authorized.
 
DATED: February 6, 1997.
 
                                                  /s/ T. M. GUTHRIE
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                      T. M. Guthrie
<PAGE>   5
 
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY
 
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that the undersigned Director or officer of
Builders Transport, Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Stanford M. Dinstein, John R. Morris, T. Michael
Guthrie or Robert E. Lee Garner the true and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact
of the undersigned with full power and authority in each of said agents and
attorneys-in-fact, acting singly, to sign for the undersigned as Director or an
officer of the Company, or as both, the Company's 1996 Annual Report on Form
10-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C.
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and to sign any amendment or
amendments to such Annual Report, including an Annual Report pursuant to Form
11-K to be filed as an amendment to the Form 10-K; hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts taken by such agents and attorneys-in-fact as herein
authorized.
 
DATED: February 6, 1997.
 
                                                 /s/ ARTHUR C. BAXTER
 
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                     Arthur C. Baxter
<PAGE>   6
 
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY
 
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that the undersigned Director or officer of
Builders Transport, Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Stanford M. Dinstein, John R. Morris, T. Michael
Guthrie or Robert E. Lee Garner the true and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact
of the undersigned with full power and authority in each of said agents and
attorneys-in-fact, acting singly, to sign for the undersigned as Director or an
officer of the Company, or as both, the Company's 1996 Annual Report on Form
10-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C.
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and to sign any amendment or
amendments to such Annual Report, including an Annual Report pursuant to Form
11-K to be filed as an amendment to the Form 10-K; hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts taken by such agents and attorneys-in-fact as herein
authorized.
 
DATED: February 6, 1997.
 
                                               /s/ FREDERICK S. MORTON
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                   Frederick S. Morton
<PAGE>   7
 
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY
 
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that the undersigned Director or officer of
Builders Transport, Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Stanford M. Dinstein, John R. Morris, T. Michael
Guthrie or Robert E. Lee Garner the true and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact
of the undersigned with full power and authority in each of said agents and
attorneys-in-fact, acting singly, to sign for the undersigned as Director or an
officer of the Company, or as both, the Company's 1996 Annual Report on Form
10-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C.
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and to sign any amendment or
amendments to such Annual Report, including an Annual Report pursuant to Form
11-K to be filed as an amendment to the Form 10-K; hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts taken by such agents and attorneys-in-fact as herein
authorized.
 
DATED: February 6, 1997.
 
                                                 /s/ PIERSON G. MAPES
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                     Pierson G. Mapes
<PAGE>   8
 
                        BUILDERS TRANSPORT, INCORPORATED
 
                            SECRETARY'S CERTIFICATE
 
I, Robert E. Lee Garner, hereby certify as follows:
 
        1. I am the Secretary of Builders Transport, Incorporated, a corporation
     duly organized and existing in good standing under the laws of the State of
     Delaware (the "Company"), and as such I am authorized to execute and
     deliver this certificate.
 
        2. Attached hereto as Annex I is a true, complete and correct copy of a
     resolution duly adopted on November 18, 1996, by the Company's Board of
     Directors; said resolution has not been altered, amended or repealed; said
     resolution has been in full force and effect at all times since the date of
     its adoption; and said resolution is in full force and effect as of the
     date of this certificate.
 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand as of this 25th day of March,
1997.
 
                                               /s/ ROBERT E. LEE GARNER
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                   Robert E. Lee Garner
                                                        Secretary
                                             Builders Transport, Incorporated
<PAGE>   9
 
                                                                         ANNEX I
 
RESOLVED, that in connection with the preparation and filing of the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission, each of
the Company's officers and Directors who may be required to execute said Form
10-K or any amendment thereto (whether on behalf of the Company or as an officer
or Director thereof or by attesting the seal of the Company or otherwise) be,
and he hereby is, authorized to execute a power of attorney appointing the
Company's Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Vice Chairman of the Board of
Directors and Chief Executive Officer, President, Treasurer or Secretary his
true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact to execute in his name, place and
stead (in any such capacity) and as attorney and agent for the Company said Form
10-K and any and all amendments thereto, and all instruments necessary in
connection therewith, to attest the seal of the Company thereon, and to file the
same with the Securities and Exchange Commission, said attorney-in-fact and
agent to have full power and authority to do and perform every act whatsoever
necessary, appropriate or desirable to be done in the premises as fully and to
all intents and purposes as any such officer or Director might or could do in
person.