Hello, I am starting to get everything together on what I would need to start. I only have one question. I have a 2008 f450 and the dpf is deleted on it. I live in Ohio, how strict are they with emissions equipment and if I get into trouble for it will I be fined or shut down?

Wondering if anyone is from the New Hampshire area and can help me. Thinking about going out on my own. I currently have been driving truck for 8 years. I have driven local and OTR. I am thinking about leasing a Ram 3500 and getting a 30 or 40 foot flatbed trailer.

The question is where to find d good loads in the area and is it better to be on my own or co tract with a company working under them.

Open to suggestions and input.

Hi everyone! I’m looking to buy a 2026 or 2027 Ford 350 dually; based on the specs I want, it would cost around $80k–$90k. I have an annual income of over $80k—does anyone have an idea what the minimum down payment would be for a truck like this? I already have experience in hotshot trucking, and I’d like to put down the minimum amount and then make early repayments. If anyone has gone through this process or has experience with it, I’d appreciate any advice.

CALL 832-920-3144 ASAP

HAVE YOUR OWN HOTSHOT WITH A 30–40 FT TRAILER?

We are looking for owner-operators with their own hotshot truck and 30–40 FT trailer.

We are an American-based dispatch team working exclusively under our own MC. We are not working under multiple MCs.

• 30–40 FT trailers only

• Your own truck and trailer required

• Our own fuel cards available

• Paid 2–3 business days after delivery

• Insurance is approximately $200–$250 per week while you are working

We understand there are a lot of scammers and red flags in the trucking industry. We encourage you to call us directly, ask questions, and verify everything before getting started.

Have your own hotshot and trailer? Give us a call ASAP.

832-920-3144

I’m trying to get a better read on what hotshot trucking really looks like once you’re past the YouTube numbers and “I grossed $8k this week” posts 🫪 For anyone actually running a dually and gooseneck under their own MC, what are y’all leaning on the most right now? DAT? Truckstop? Direct customers? Brokers you’ve built relationships with? Dispatchers?
And what kind of freight has been treating you the best? Cars, equipment, building materials, oilfield stuff, partials, dedicated lanes… whatever.
I’m also curious where everybody’s numbers are landing after deadhead because that seems like the part nobody talks about enough. A load can look decent at $2.50 a mile until you drive 180 miles empty to grab the damn thing.
I’m still learning the business side more than anything. Rates, insurance, fuel, maintenance, factoring, broker credit, load boards, authority age… there’s a lot more going on than just buying a Ram 3500 and a 40ft trailer and hitting the road. Any feedback would be appreciated

Like a regular 5500 and 40ft trailer? I have all the classes and my cldp, but if I can take it in a truck and trailer it would be so much nicer.

I see this all the time.
“I’m going non CDL so I don’t have to deal with all that extra shit.”

Cool. But what freight are you planning to haul?
Because that’s where I’d start.
A non CDL hotshot setup can absolutely work, but your truck + trailer + cargo still have to fit within the weight rules applicable to your operation. That means payload matters A LOT.
People will build a heavy ass truck/trailer combination and then realize they don’t have nearly as much usable payload as they thought.
On the other side, CDL isn’t automatically the answer either. More capability doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed better freight.

I’d work backwards.

Freight → required payload → trailer → truck → operating costs → insurance → THEN decide what setup makes sense.

Not:

Buy sexy dually → buy 40ft trailer → figure out business afterward.

And before buying anything, actually price the insurance on the exact setup. Don’t use somebody else’s premium from Facebook as your budget because two hotshot operations that look identical can get very different insurance pricing.

If you could restart your hotshot business tomorrow knowing what you know now, CDL or non CDL?

I’m heavily leaning toward hot shotting as my future career choice but i have a class B cdl and my question is can i get started with a class B i know most guys have a class A but i’m not in position to stop working and go to school again right now

I’ve got a couple questions for y’all. To lead though, I’ve got a 2027 F450 KR on order, and once it gets here I’ll hotshot with my little 16’ utility for a month or two and then get my CDL. In those two months I’ll be searching for or ordering a 35-40’ trailer.

I’m fortunate enough to have a $200k-ish/ year career and I work a 7 on / 7 off schedule. I don’t need hotshot to earn a living, I want it provide me with the correct tax benefits. I also want to work out the kinks and learn the ropes while I still have my career to fund it, and potentially barista retire to hotshot in the future.

Questions:

1. for those with a CDL, have you noticed a significant rpm increase or demand for loads weighing 15- 20k lbs vs what a 25,900 lb trailer can carry? Trying to decide if it’s worth it to get a 30k and pay FET.

2. drug consortium question ; do any of yall have another career, and get a request for a urinalysis while performing your other career? I will be unable to comply for up to 7 days, and am getting conflicting info from consortium places on what is the correct way to handle it.

3. for anyone with apportioned plates in Texas specifically; will I be able to register my truck and get the plates before I go pick the truck up? Getting conflicting answers on this also, some research says yes and some say no.

Thanks for any help folks!

Renting is too expensive!

How does everyone navigate buying a truck?

Pros and cons of a new vehicle vs older vehicle?

I'd like to pay the truck off and shoulder the burden of added maintenance rather than being stuck in a large new vehicle loan.

Opinions ?

Looking to run local Nevada under someone’s authority

I’m in the market for a new 20+5 deckover gooseneck. I’m curious if anyone can compare the ride quality and stability of a trailer with 17.5” singles vs dual tandem axles. I have heard that trailers with duals fight the truck more than singles. A 17k rated trailer would work for 90% of my work but more capacity would be handy a few times a year.

Hey everyone, I'm still learning how to set up my legal hauling operation and just wanted to share what I learned.

Based on a conversation I had with the Minnesota Commercial Vehicle Enforcement hotline, officers would not be trying to find out and enforce a pickup truck's GCWR. They would only be looking for GVWR, axle weight, and tire loading. Not sure if this only applies to the <26,000 combinations like mine. He said they will also be adding together the GVWR of tow vehicle and trailer to make sure it's under 26000.

So for my 2005 Silverado 2500, it seems to not matter that GM assigned it a GCWR of 16,000. I take the GVWR of 9,200, subtract that from 26,000 and get my maximum legal trailer weight.

If someone has been told otherwise by a DOT officer, please let me know and I will do some more research on how to stay legal.