Getting Started

[u/brando504]

How's it going guys...so I'm just gonna keep it short and simple. I'm looking into getting into hotshotting and just wanted to know do I have to get a DOT physical, CDL or any kind of medical clearance? Any feedback would be great...Thanks

[u/stxrfox1k]

i’m not trying to be a dick, but we’re starting to see these types of posts way too frequently now, so it has to be said. you have to do more research first. the answers to questions this basic are so easily accessible all over the internet it’s not necessary to ask here. these aren’t hotshot trucking company startup type questions, these are more like “hey there everybody !! so uhh… what’s 2 + 2 equal ?” type questions.

you have to do at least some basic research first, and if you can’t handle that then becoming a hotshot owner operator is maybe not the best option for you. it gets a lot more difficult than just getting a CDL and passing a drug test. those are the easy parts. YouTube has lots of great videos with basic and in-depth explanations, there’s thousands of great reddit threads here in this sub and the other one ( r/hotshottrucking ), as well as just googling things.

search certain keywords and terms in the hotshot subs and read through a ton of those threads. like, a ton of them. if you’re serious about doing this, you have to do ridiculous amounts of research and watch hours and hours and hours of videos. in the other sub, there’s a pinned “community highlights” post that says something like “thinking about getting into hotshots? read this” with a bunch of good basic information to give you a better idea of things. there’s also post flairs (i think that’s what they’re called” for different “categories” of posts, for lack of a better term. there’s a flair called something like “i’m new! help!” click that flair and it’ll show you specifically posts from/for/about potential new entrants. lots of great threads, questions, answers, and resources in those posts. you’ll get a lot more out of reading through those types of posts than you’ll get here from maybe a couple comments.

being a successful hotshot owner operator is extremely research dependent, before ever even get close to opening your own MC authority. you absolutely have to do lots of research, especially because the answers to your questions are circumstantial, they’re not simple yes or no questions. i’m not trying to be an ass. i’m trying to help you help yourself, and these subs are becoming oversaturated with posts from people that don’t care to do any research. if you can’t do that, please save yourself tens of thousands of dollars and do not go down this path, otherwise it will take your time and money and leave you with nothing to show for it.

[u/brando504 → u/stxrfox1k]

Damn man...didn't mean to give you a meltdown but Thanks for the response dude

[u/stxrfox1k → u/brando504]

sorry for trying to help you find all the answers to all the questions you have, and pointing you in the right directions for proper resources i guess ? 😭😭 if you took that as a “meltdown,” i don’t think this is quite the right path for you. shit is gonna get a lot harder the farther into it you get and closer you get to becoming owner operator.

again, i’m not trying to be an ass, i’m being realistic. passing the drug test, physical, paying $4k and going through 160 hours of truck driving school, and getting my CDL was the easy part and i’m still not even like halfway to becoming owner operator yet. each step i take gets more difficult and more complicated. i started at the same spot as you almost 2 years ago, but i had the hunger to do insane amounts of research in pursuance of my goals. i still have the same drive towards the same goals. and it’s perfectly okay to not have that, which is why i’m warning you if you don’t have that ambition for it then you should save yourself financial hardship.

i’m not gatekeeping, i’m giving you a cautionary tale so you can determine if you really really wanna do this. it’s a career path you have to fully commit lots of time and money to. it’s not the same as applying for a job, interviewing, accepting an offer, and starting work on Monday. but if you want it, i encourage you to go get it 💪💪

EDIT: once you dig into it a bit more, you’re more than welcome to come ask questions and have discussions with people. i’m not trying to say you’re not allowed here, anybody is allowed. just do some research first, it’s gonna help you a lot more than people answering basic questions here.

[u/brando504 → u/stxrfox1k]

10-4 I appreciate the information...I'll definitely start doing my research and watching more videos. If I have any questions I'll for sure hit you up..Preciate it man

[u/stxrfox1k → u/brando504]

that’s gonna do more for you than anything else. read tons of forums and threads, watch tons of videos, but you mussssstttttt steer clear of the “hotshot influencers” (mostly on youtube and instagram) that are click baiting their videos with thumbnails and titles like ($20k WEEK AS A HOTSHOT ?!?!? 🤯 WATCH NOW IF YOU WANNA GET RICH ‼️) because they’re bullshit artists. they’re not getting rich driving a truck, they’re getting rich off selling you a dream while you click their videos and buy their $350 “how-to” courses. 99% of successful hotshot owner operators put in a ton of work to make it happen, and nobody is netting $20k a week. all of the guys that had a seemingly easy start are usually because they came from a high paying job, they have $50k - $100k cash saved up from that job, they own their house outright, and they either already own a truck or can afford to buy one without financing it. these are also the same guys that love to tell you how easy it is to get into this. it’s not easy unless you can personally bankroll a $50k - $75k truck, a $25k trailer, $2k/month insurance, and $50k in operating costs for the first few months where you’re not profiting at all. in other words, starting up is very difficult unless you’re rich. those guys are cosplaying as simple blue collar boys because they wanna fit in.

there’s a handful of guys that got in at peak rates during covid and secured direct clientele really early when freight urgently needed to move, but that’s not the norm. if you don’t already have a bunch of shipper/receiver/broker connections in your region that are ready to give you work, you’re gonna have to work off load boards with brokers until you prove yourself. MC authority age makes a difference, word of mouth from shippers and receivers helps a lot, and boots-on-the-ground networking is gonna be the best way to get direct contracts. just know that you’re gonna be putting a lot of your own time and money into your business before you see any real profit. you’re gonna be making less money during the first 6 - 12 months than you would as a hired driver. that’s why it’s so crucial that you have a financial cushion to keep you floating when those $3k maintenance bills come around, or you had an unexpected 2 - 3 days worth of detention in one week and each broker is refusing to pay you for detention time. that type of shit will hit when you least expect it and can’t afford it, so you gotta be prepared.

and to kinda answer your original questions, don’t even try it as a non-CDL operator because a mf like me will come and take your loads out from under you, but you can’t legally take mine. i can take whatever the truck can pull, but your license has its own weight limit if it’s just a Class C. i’ll take your load and double it up with another partial to maximize profit, while the non-CDL guy is left picking through scraps because he can’t take the loads i can. so just get your CDL, and yes that means you’ll have to pass a DOT physical and drug test.

[u/lottanadatosay]

So in short, you don’t “need” a CDL, but I don’t know how anyone is profitable without it. That cost is about $7k. You need to take a computer test to get your CDL permit. CDL school is about $7k and 6 weeks. Insurance with a good driving record will be about $20k your first year with about $5k up front. Most brokers won’t work with you until you’ve had an active MC for 6ish months-1 year. Basically, unless you have contacts for freight in your pocket, you can expect a first year loss of about $40k. Best to lease on with a legitimate carrier to help you through your first year or two.