<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, Robert Y. Fox, 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 1995 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: March 15, 1996.
 
                                          /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 David C. Walentas, John R. Morris, Robert Y. Fox, 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 1995 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: March 15, 1996.
 
                                          /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 David C. Walentas, Stanford M. Dinstein, Robert Y. Fox,
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 1995 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: March 15, 1996.
 
                                          /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 David C. Walentas, Stanford M. Dinstein, John R.
Morris, Robert Y. Fox, 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 1995 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: March 15, 1996.
 
                                          /s/  ARTHUR C. BAXTER
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                     Arthur C. Baxter
<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 David C. Walentas, Stanford M. Dinstein, John R.
Morris, Robert Y. Fox, 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 1995 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: March 15, 1996.
 
                                          /s/  FREDERICK S. MORTON
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                   Frederick S. Morton
<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 David C. Walentas, Stanford M. Dinstein, John R.
Morris, Robert Y. Fox, 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 1995 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: March 15, 1996.
 
                                          /s/  T. MICHAEL GUTHRIE
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                    T. Michael Guthrie
<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 David C. Walentas, Stanford M. Dinstein, John R.
Morris, Robert Y. Fox, 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 1995 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: March 15, 1996.
 
                                          /s/  ROBERT Y. FOX
                                          --------------------------------------
                                                      Robert Y. Fox
<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 10, 1995, 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 27th day of March,
1996.
 
                                          /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.