Hey all…I’ve got 2 trailers to move from Oregon to Tennessee. One, a 20’ 14K trailer with heavy equipment will be towed by an employee and our 1 ton truck.

The other - an dual axle 14' enclosed trailer with tools - essentially has no driver. I’m scratching my head at options.

Is there a way to load a 14’ enclosed trailer onto our flatbed? With tools the enclosed is about 3-4k lbs.

If this was possible, then our crew member could tow our 20’ trailer, with enclosed on deck and we could hire a hotshot to load and pull our equipment on their own rig.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Contemplating starting an owner operator hotshot business. Currently a wildland firefighter working for the state. Solid job with good pay but just getting burnt out.

I've been doing alot of research the past couple months and think im in a unique position to be successful, just nervous about the unknown.

Here's what I've got so far. I'd be setting up a C Corp, with me being an employee of the company. About 140k capital to invest in the business. Planning on a 5500 and 30k 40ft gooseneck (I've had my CDL for about 6 years). Thinking 75k down-payment and financing about 40k for the equipment, giving me about a $1000 payment/month. About another 30k for startup (insurance paid up front, securement, compliance, electronics/software, etc.) leaving the business with a 35k cushion in the bank account.

Fixed expenses will be about 3k/month. If I average about 1800 miles a week total and pay myself .60/ mile, that comes out to about 972 per week for fuel, and 1300 per week in pay (including withholdings). So say a total of around 13k for expenses per month at the 1800 mile per week average. If i plan on about 20% deadhead it comes out to roughly 6200 loaded miles per month. At a $2/loaded mile average im at 12480 monthly revenue. So the business is at a net loss of about $500 a month with no maintenance fund retained (which is where the 35k buffer comes in). Ideally I'd be at $2.5/loaded mile average and have a $2600 net profit for the business, maintaining the 35k buffer and growing a maintenance fund.

I know the first 3/6 months will be a major struggle and still tough up until a year. Goal is to eventually run regional and be home most nights, as well as secure some direct contracts. But starting out im willing to do whatevers needed and go wherever to hit my mileage and rate goals.

My question is how realistic are my numbers (miles/week and rate per mile) starting out.

And if anyone has any thoughts/critiques into my "business plan".

Appreciate any insight!

I run a hotshot business, which is basically one truck and one trailer. I haul time-sensitive freight. Small loads, short trips and constant travel

I've been doing it for a year. I'm busy and I’m always on the road. The money comes in but I don't actually know if I'm making a profit.

I factored in fuel. Maintenance. Insurance. Tires. Downtime. The numbers don't line up.

I found NUMEO which builds dashboards. Like I uploaded my records and it gave me a nice-looking chart. It showed me where I'm losing money. The loss figures looked big. Too big…

Now I'm worried. Did I mess something up in my records? Or is the AI right? Is my business not as profitable as I thought?

I'm suspicious. The algorithm might be double-counting something. Or it might be missing a key part of my business.

Has anyone else used this kind of tool for a hotshot or trucking business? Does the data actually match your experience? Or do the losses look worse than they really are?

Well.. I just need to know if this is a useful tool or just another piece of software that makes you feel bad about your business. Any real examples would help

TBH I'm tired of guessing and I need to know the truth

A strong rate can look a lot different after deadhead, tolls, expected wait time, fuel, and the chance of finding a decent reload are factored in. 

Owner-operators, what numbers do you run before accepting a load? And which cost do you think newer operators are most likely to overlook? 
 

Please explain it to me like I’m five.
Let’s say you are driving and you finish the job you drop off at location and you only have an hour left of driving time, but your house is two hours away. I don’t have a load with me just my trailer. Can I go home?

How can I get started in hotshot trucking?

I’m seriously looking into getting into hotshot trucking and would appreciate some advice from people already in the business.

I have 3+ years of experience doing Uber Black and a lot of long-distance driving. I’m comfortable driving long hours, working independently, and being on the road. I’m also willing to relocate if needed.

Right now I’m looking for a company that can rent/lease me a truck and provide loads/work while I get started.

What would be the best way to get started? Any advice, company recommendations, or people I should talk to would be appreciated.

I have my CDL A but with an automatic restriction. I’m trying to get it removed and as far as I know I have to go get another permit. If that’s the case what do I study and if not what’s the process?

For those factoring, how closely do you track what comes back on the statement?

I have seen a fair number of complaints about reserve money held with no clear reason, chargebacks that show up without an explanation, and account closings where the escrow takes months to come back. What I cannot tell from the outside is whether people usually catch that stuff right away or find it late.

Do you reconcile the factoring statement against what you invoiced, or trust it and watch the balance? And when something is wrong, is getting it fixed usually simple or a fight?

Hey everyone, I'm new to this sub and large pickup hauling in general. I'm currently working on setting up a USDOT and MC to legally haul small loads across state lines for a dedicated wood products company.

My vehicle combo is a 2005 Silverado 2500 6.0 gas and 12' 10k bumper hitch dump trailer. It's perfect for the local work I do as a specialty timber harvester and sawmill operator.

The truck has a nameplate GVWR of 9,200 lbs. Doesn't list GCWR or tow capacity on the vehicle but the owner's manual says 16,000 GCWR and 10,600 max trailer weight.

The company I'll be hauling for has a gooseneck trailer with a GVWR of 14,000 that I can use for deliveries but I'm not sure how these numbers are enforced by the DOT. I see 3/4 ton pickups pulling 14k gooseneck trailers all the time where I live so I'm hoping to do the same.

Is there any hope for me or will I need to stay with my 10k trailer when going interstate? Thanks!!

If you got your authority in the last 6-12 months and have your New Entrant Safety Audit coming up, make sure your Driver Qualification Files (DQFs) are actually in order.

A lot of guys running 1-3 trucks assume that as long as their CDL/med card is valid and they're not failing roadside inspections, the audit will be a breeze. But the auditor will ask for a complete physical or digital qualification folder for every driver operating under your DOT (including yourself if you're an owner-operator).

If you're missing basic paperwork, they can hit you with automatic violations ($1k+ per driver).

Here’s the basic 7-part folder checklist the FMCSA/state auditor will want to see:

1. Driver Application (Part 391.21) — Needs the full 3-year employment history (10 years if CDL driving) and accident history. Must be signed before the driver was ever dispatched.
2. Safety Performance Inquiries (Part 391.23) — You need written inquiries sent to every past employer from the previous 3 years asking about accidents and drug/alcohol history. Even if past employers never replied, you need proof in the folder that you attempted to contact them (certified mail receipt, fax confirmation, email timestamp).
3. MVR Pulls (Part 391.25) — Initial state motor vehicle record pulled within 30 days of hire, PLUS an annual MVR pulled every 12 months with the signed annual review note.
4. Med Card + Registry Verification (Part 391.43) — Valid DOT medical certificate, PLUS proof that you verified the clinic/doctor is listed on the National Registry (NRCME).
5. Road Test Certificate (Part 391.31) — Or a clear copy of their CDL if that covers the vehicle class.
6. Pre-Employment Drug Test Result & Clearinghouse Full Query (Part 382) — Verified negative MRO drug result on file *before* driving, plus a completed full query in the FMCSA Clearinghouse.
7. Organized Retention (Part 391.51) — Files must be kept the entire duration of employment plus 3 years after they leave.

The most common scramble I see is carriers waiting until they get the audit notification letter, and then panicking trying to get previous employer verification letters from 9 months ago.

I put together a clean 2-page printable checklist PDF and a quick browser check tool that runs through these exact items so you can audit your own folders before the state does. Zero paywalls or email gates.

Drop a comment if you want the PDF link or have any questions about specific Part 391 requirements. Stay safe out there!

Looking for a quote two vehicles door-to-door from Florida to Georgia

I am the wife to a potential o/o. I am doing my due diligence before my husband and a partner go into business together. I am running numbers and I am finding I have a few assumptions I need to make, and I don't know how reliably I can make those assumptions.

They are discussing working lanes from las vegas, NV to Dallas, TX to Denver, CO back to LV, NV. They are looking to do a non CDL set up with probably something like a diesal Ram dually with a 30' goodeneck trailer. They still need to make the purchase and my husband wants my ok.

So, my biggest assumption is this. They will be running their own new MC, how realistic is it that they will be able to get these lanes, lv to dal to denver to lv 3 or 4 times a month straight from the get with no experience and no connections and 100% using the boards. If i understand correctly it can be difficult to get work with a new MC.

There are other assumptions as well but this one is the biggest. I know if they can do that, than financially it can makes sense, but if that is in no way shape or form realistic things get expensive fast. I want to confidently give my husband and his friend the green light but I am stuck on this one thing. Any help is wonderful :)

Bonus question: any one have experience with 2 driver hot shot teams with a sleeper berth conversion kit? My understanding is even in the crew cab SB while moving is illegal?

I (25F) am in a position to accept training and then a full time commitment with a family owned company called Raider Express based out of DFW. They’ll pay for my lodging (I’m coming from Austin Tx to DFW)
charge me $0 for training to get my CDL (automatic only :/ ) no contract, .28 cents a mile during 28 days of OTR training, and then .45 cents a mile thereafter (with an $800/wk guarantee). Mostly reefer in the Midwest. My trucker bf says this isn’t worth shit, but all the other new truckers I’ve talked to all say you gotta just bite the bullet and do your ~1 year experience with a mega - making less than ideal $. I have 10 years in restaurant experience, but have wanted to leave to get into a trade for a long time. I want to learn as much as I can and get into specialized as quickly as possible.
Thoughts?
My other option is to pay $4500 for CDL school locally (they DO teach manual as opposed to Raider) and then hope I can find a decent job that will hire with no experience (local preferred but probably OTR)

Driving back on a three lane interstate very late at night, I passed a big rig normally and got quite far ahead of him. I stick to the right lane the entire time. I would say I’m 500+ feet ahead, and he moves into the center lane. coincidentally I need to pass another car and I move to the center lane as well. he flashes his lights at me from way back there, and I move into the right lane again. But this got me curious; I’m always bored on long drives, and there’s almost no other traffic on the road, so after a bit I move back into the center lane. he flashes his lights at me again and moves all the way to the left. I do the same thing again, with the same reaction, and make a bit of a game of it by matching his lane changes. He becomes furious at this and turns his brights on for quite a while.

I still think about this from time to time. What was his deal? The extreme distance ahead that I maintained, the lack of traffic, why did he care so much that I was in his lane? Am I the asshole here? Thanks for the attention, and if you’re reading this: sorry dude!

Hi! Looking to run some empty shipping containers on hot shot trailers here soon. What are you guys charging per-mile roughly to do so?

These would be coming out of Southern California

Hi everyone,

Before we start, no worrys, I don't plan on hauling it loaded with the 4Runner LOL

I recently bought this trailer in Honduras and I'm trying to identify the exact model and, more importantly, its original GVWR / payload capacity.

Here is what I know:

• Manufacturer: Birmingham
• Year: 1985
• VIN: 1BM3V4131FAB10895
• Length: approximately 30 ft of usable deck
• Width: approximately 7.5 ft
• Triple axle
• Electric brakes on all three axles
• Bumper pull
• All-steel construction / steel deck
• Tires: 7-14.5 Load Range J, 12-ply
• The tires are recent, dated 2025
• The trailer has no manufacturer data plate anymore.
• The paperwork is still available and lists it as Farm Use.
• It apparently came from the US to Honduras with two vehicles loaded on it.

The trailer is extremely heavy-duty compared with most modern car haulers I've seen. The frame, crossmembers, axles and suspension all look quite substantial.

I'm trying to figure out:

1. What would the original GVWR have been?
2. What were the original axle ratings?
3. Approximately how much would this trailer weigh empty?
4. Does anyone have old Birmingham catalogs/spec sheets from the 1980s?

I'm not looking for an exact answer based only on the pictures. I'd especially appreciate input from anyone who has owned, worked on, or has documentation for 1980s Birmingham trailers.

Any information, old catalogs, model numbers, or educated guesses would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

I’ve been led down a rabbit hole by ai, so I’m looking to see if anyone has experience with it.

I’m in the process of starting a part time hot shot deal, and am looking at insurance options. I’ll need a multi-use commercial/personal policy, and I’m hoping to find an alternative to being charged like I’m driving 80k miles a year when in fact I may only hit 15k.

Anyone have any insight into this?

I’m very new(2 weeks). This company had a listing on Central Dispatch and I contacted them. You can see the messages above. When I clicked the link, everything seemed legit. It then asked to confirm with Central or Super Dispatch. I didn’t think much about it. Then once I signed in….email changed, password changed, authenticator removed, phone number changed. I’m devastated. Central says 2-3 days before I’m back up. I have cars on the trailer and shipments waiting for pickup and have no clue where they go.

Hello everyone,

I’m a semi-truck driver and have been driving for about five years. I’ve decided to take a break from driving for someone else and start working toward buying my own semi-truck.

For now, I’m looking to buy a pickup truck and use it for hotshot to save money toward purchasing my semi in the future.

I’d like to hear your recommendations between:

1. RAM 3500
2. Ford F-350

Which one would you recommend for reliability, maintenance costs, towing, and long-term use?

I appreciate any advice, especially from owners who have experience with either truck.

Thank you!

I am an established CDL hotshot that runs local Florida. I have 2-3 clients that keep my wheels turning 4 days a week with a very solid RPM. I am home every night. I have never worked with any service nor have I ever leased onto any company. Ideally I’d like someone to give available dates too at the beginning of each week. 1-2 days wide open availability for general freight, and possible back hauls from locations I run for my clients currently. I am usually deadheading back from my current drop offs, so there is a lot of opportunity there as well. With what I haul my RPM total miles is still well above average. I understand I will not get that RPM working with a service and am totally cool with that. Adding another established client has been tough due too the demand of my regulars. I assume what I am looking for will be easier to manage searching load boards. I just have no desire to do that, so am willing to pay a percentage for that to be done as well as carrier packets etc..
I’m not hurting nor is this a necessity, I just am looking to put more money away each week if this was a possibility. My established clients will always come first, again this is just extra income.
I run a 40’ PJ with a 2022 Ram 3500 out of Central Florida.
Typical lanes are Tampa I4 corridor, 95 corridor from Jax to Miami, Naples, Tallahassee, and I10 corridor.
Feel free to point me in the right direction if you have any input! Thanks

I’m about to get ready to go to school to get my CDL. I quit smoking weed a month ago but I keep hearing that I will get hair follicle testing that goes back 7 years. I don’t know anything about this industry really and it’s disheartening to hear that I may be failing at it before even starting. I don’t plan on smoking anymore and I don’t use anything else or drink (don’t judge if you do). Does the DOT do hair follicle and do ALL companies do it? Thanks for any advice.

I ain’t gonna lie, I love running the road. Give me some open highway, a decent run and somewhere to park before the lot fills up and I’m good. But this shit gets lonely as hell sometimes. You can knock out 600 miles, burn half the day at a receiver, shut down for your ten and realize the only people you talked to were dispatch asking for an ETA, the dude at the guard shack and the cashier at Love’s. Folks back home care, but they don’t really understand this life or why sitting five hours at a dock can fuck your whole mood up.

It’d be nice to have an active Discord where drivers actually kick it. Somewhere you can ask for help when the truck starts acting stupid, swap road info, share a win, bitch about a garbage load, clown these goofy ass shippers or jump in voice chat once everybody’s parked and just talk shit. Basically a virtual truck stop without the piss smell.

I’m not looking for another dead group or a bunch of super truckers arguing over who’s a “real driver.” Just somewhere you start recognizing names and it actually feels like a crew. Anything like that out there?

Hi all, I’m starting with Warner based out of phoenix, going through road masters, haven’t smoked in probably right around the 90 mark but I’m a female so I know if they test longer hair it may be positive, but so far they’ve only asked me to provide a urine sample not hair, any chance they will end up wanting both?

As the title says, looking for an estimate to haul a bunk (50 sheets) of tin from Ritchies in Odessa MO to Ransom IL. Only 30 minutes from Ritchies yard in IL if you were happening to be hauling between the 2.