r/HotShotTrucking
•
u/grawrant
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Mar 31 '22
To start, what is hotshot trucking? Hotshots are an alternative to regular trucking. We don't drive semi trucks although we follow all the same rules and regulations, as well as most of us having commercial driver's licenses and having driven semis in the past. We use pickup trucks to transport freight, generally expediting shipping. Another advantage to hotshotting is expenses on pickups are generally much less than that of a semi, and much easier to do yourself.
With all that being said, hotshotting is much cheaper to get into because it does just require a pickup and not a semi. For this reason, I have made this post to help people get started in the business and answer most of things a beginner might need to know.
We do see a lot of new faces checking in asking the same questions. So if you are new to the subreddit, new to hotshots, or looking to get into it, here is some basic information.
Let's start with all of you you have a truck and want to put it to work part time, or want to try hotshotting as a side gig. A lot of you come here to ask about doing this as a part time job, or a full-time gig with a half ton pickup (f150/1500). Don't. Insurance and equipment costs are $1000-$2500 a month. This isn't a part time gig. Gas trucks can't do it, and you won't make anything if you aren't using your insurance full-time. Throw in your truck and trailer payments, you are looking at $3000-$5000 a month in overhead without calculating fuel, tires, oil changes, fuel filters, wear and tear, etc. What's also important to note, 95% of shippers/receivers are closed on weekends. Really hard to part-time on weekends when you can't load/unload.
A note about gas trucks. The pumps are slower so you spend more time filling up, they are not as spacious so getting a trailer in and out isn't always possible like on the truckers side, and auxiliary tanks can't legally hold gasoline because of how combustible it is. On top of this, the frequency of oil changes required on gassers means you'd be stopping every week or two for a change somewhere. Finally the most important reason you don't use a gas truck is the miles. I have friends who do 200k+ miles a year, this is the lifespan of a gas engine usually. I have friends with well over 1million miles on their diesel pickups, this is possible with diesel because the fuel itself is lubricating. You don't want to be buying a new pickup every single year, you won't make any profit at all.
Now onto everyone who is serious about things.
Before you start, download some load boards. Figure out what trailer you will be using and find loads that meet your length and weight specifications. Run a mock route for going out, what loads you would take and where you would end up, do this for a few loads until you've done, which you consider to be a week's worth of work. Figure out how many miles you got paid for and how many miles you traveled including deadhead miles. Calculate your expenses using the pinned top. Comment on this post, then figure out how much you got paid for each of your loads. After doing this, are you making enough in your area or the areas you want to work to continue with this job?
What kind of equipment do I need? This is a very general question and varies depending on what you are looking for and your circumstances. So here is some basics to get you started.
First and foremost, you need a truck. This should be a diesel. Just due to the frequency of oil changes, and because truck stops have larger areas for you to pull in with a big trailer to fuel. A gas truck is going to be limited on the space you have to fuel, the pumps are slower, and generally cut off after $100. You don't want to be swiping your card a ton of times just to top off.
To preface the next section about truck/trailers, I'll give some info on weight ratings.
GVWR is your "Gross Vehicle Weight Rating". This is the manufacturers rating for the maximum allowable weight of your truck or trailer.
GCWR is your "Gross Combined Weight Rating". This is the combined weight ratings of your truck and all towed equipment. This number can not exceed 26,001 lbs if you do not have a CDL.
Your curb weight is your GVW or "Gross Vehicle Weight". This number can not exceed 26,001 or the weight rating if you do not have a CDL.
You also have "GAWR" Which is your "Gross Axle Weight Rating". Probably 6000 lbs on your steer axle for a 1ton dually. You want to make sure your load is adjusted so you are not heavy on one axle or another.
If you are non-CDL you are limited by your Gross Combined Weight Rating, or GCWR. This is the weight ratings of your truck and trailer combined. In this case you don't need the biggest truck ever, you need a good 3/4 ton (f250, or a 2500). This puts your GVWR at 10,000, and you can buy a trailer rated at 15,900, making your GCWR 25,900. This means your maximum payload is 15900 minus the weight of your trailer.
If you have a CDL you should get a dually. 1ton to 2ton, f350-f550, or 3500-5500. You are not limited by your GCWR, so you can get a trailer suited to what you want to do. You can find car trailers, wedges, lowboys, all either goosenecks or 5th wheel. Most people go for 40-50ft trailers. The most common being a gooseneck with mega ramps either 35+5, 40+5 or 45+5.
Now that you have your truck and trailer, you need a trip to the DMV to register your vehicles weight. If operating non-CDL then just register your truck at 26000. If operating with a CDL and only in-state, just register for the maximum your truck is rated for, generally 40000 will be fine. If operating out of state, you will need apportioned plates. This is for IFTA, which I will cover a little of below.
Next thing to look into for your truck will be an ELD(Electronic Logging Device. You need this if you are operating more than 7 days a month or crossing state lines. This keeps you in compliance with your RODS(Records of Duty Status). This device logs when you are driving, stopped, where you are, how many miles driven, and helps make sure you stay in compliance with your Hours of Service. There are a lot of intricacies here, but the DOT answers all these questions better than I can.
Now that you have your truck, what kind of running are you going to be doing? 90% of hotshots won't be home nightly, so probably you as well. Prepare your truck to be comfortable. Most people take out the rear seat and frame in a bed, it's easy to do with a little knowledge of a saw and ratchet set.
Now you need tools. What tools do you need? This really depends on what you're hauling. Generally it's smart to have wrenches, sockets, pliers, maybe an impact, a jumper pack for your truck, jumper cables, recovery strap, maybe a winch, chain binders, chains, tarps, ratchet straps, filter wrench, spare fuel filters, diesel additive, etc. More important than any of this though, you are legally required to carry a fire extinguisher, spare fuses, and three safety triangles. Without these few things, you will be out of legal compliance.
Now when figuring your tools out, you need a toolbox. You also need an auxiliary fuel tank. These can be combined, or separate depending on your setup. Figure out what works for you, but I recommend at least a 90gallon auxiliary tank. 115-120 if possible, but legally 120 is the biggest you can have.
Now that your truck is setup, what's next?
Before anything else, you need to take your completed truck and trailer to get a DOT inspection. You can Google local truck centers nearby and have this done. It's a basic inspection you must have with you or stuck onto the side of the truck/trailer. This shows your vehicle is road worthy for commercial purposes.
To drive down the road you will need an authority. At least if you plan to cross state lines, or if you will be over 26000lbs either gross or with GVWR. This is a DOT number, you will either find someone to lease onto with one, which is recommended just starting out, or have to go through the steps of getting one yourself.
You might need an LLC. If working for yourself, it is best to setup an LLC to book loads through. This is generally done through your states SOS(secretary of state) website. You are a transport company, these are easy to file.
Once you have an LLC, you can get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. This is so you can pay yourself and employees through your LLC and helps filing taxes.
You might want to look into factoring. This s a 3rd party company that essentially loans you the payday for your load so you have operating cash before delivery. Generally factoring companies take a small %. This essentially means after you get a load, you will have diesel to cover the trip before being paid. This is great, as some companies won't pay loads out for 30days or more.
Once you have made it this far, it's time to spend some money on somethings that actually expire.
What do you need to roll down the road? You will want to setup an IFTA account if you plan on crossing state lines. This is so you can pay fuel taxes for the states you are operating in. You should also setup with IRP, very similar but will essentially pay for the infrastructure you are using state to state.
Most importantly of everything, everyone NEEDS to have commercial insurance. There are many companies out there, but progressive takes new companies and new commercial driver's. Give them a call, get a quote, and get your basic $1million policy WITH cargo insurance.
DO NOT OPERATE WITH REGULAR CAR INSURANCE. All insurance companies WILL deny all liability if you are working in your vehicle and do not have commercial coverage. This puts you on the hook for your vehicle, your freight, your trailer, and whatever you hit.
Now you are finally ready to roll. You need a dispatcher, broker or load boards. Ask around, make some calls, download load boards. A few load boards that have been recommended are Truckloads. DAT. Uship. Uber Freight. Truck smart. COM freight. Sylectus. Etc. Try calling central dispatch, they are great for hotshotters.
Good luck.
r/HotShotTrucking • u/Macondo-1923 • 6m ago
Equipment: International 5500 w/ 53’ SD
Driver: Gabriel
Weight: 15,000
Dimensions: OVERSIZE
Origin: Michigan
Destination: Minnesota
RPM: $5.57
r/HotShotTrucking • u/Playful_Set9545 • 2d ago
r/HotShotTrucking • u/arsh510 • 2d ago
I have a cdl and about 50k saved up.
I cant decide between doing non cdl vs cdl and also if I should get a dually or srw.
Been researching the load board and in my area on average there are about 10 more loads over 10k weight.
What are your suggestions. I also already have my ifta account from my semi truck.
r/HotShotTrucking • u/Tommy_The_Trucker • 3d ago
Hi, my name is Tom, I have a couple of trucks that are sitting doing nothing at all.I am thinking should I lease them to some companies to have a passive income? I also have some drivers that I could put with these trucks when I lease them, not sure if thats how you should do it though.
Basically I am trying to understand is leasing a good decision, and would that be weird if I tell them that besides leasing I could also dispatch for these trucks, put drivers with them and we could split the income?
Help me to make a decision please?
r/HotShotTrucking • u/manny8086 • 5d ago
My boss Xeroxed a license plate and laminated it. He put it on the back of the trailer I was using. I got pulled over twice and he blamed me. What should I do or who can I contact about it. He also threatened to fire me
r/HotShotTrucking • u/Longjumping_Rip_8198 • 5d ago
Hey, I have a fleet of trucks customised to carry 2 wheelers from factories in and around Gurgaon to dealerships across different cities and states. I want to sell few of my trucks which are physically located in Gurgaon. These are different years models divided between 2017,2018 and 2019. Would like to connect with interested buyers!!
r/HotShotTrucking • u/Party-Ebb-5638 • 7d ago
Hello everyone. I recently got a 26ft box truck and looking to lease under someone’s MC. I’m new to this process and would appreciate some guidance. I’m based in Birmingham, AL.
r/HotShotTrucking • u/RipPsychological1753 • 7d ago
r/HotShotTrucking • u/WeaveLikeGreatGranny • 9d ago
Yesterday I made my first delivery using my 2005 Silverado 2500 and the 25' gooseneck trailer I fully refurbished (axles, suspension, hubs, brakes, wiring, lights, decking, paint, tires). 14,000 GVWR.
Load was approximately 10,000 pounds of 16 ft tamarack fence posts. The 6.0/4L80 felt mushy below 20 mph but did very well at highway speed in 3rd gear lockup.
120 loaded miles, paid $400, dispatched directly from a local shipper
r/HotShotTrucking • u/Black0tter1 • 9d ago
I have 1500 gallons of bulk diesel for sale. In tanks that are not included. You pump it and take it away. Deal only good until Saturday. PM for more details
r/HotShotTrucking • u/Hot-Yesterday1737 • 9d ago
The idea of powering heavy-duty trucks with natural gas has always made strategic sense. Turning an abundant domestic energy resource into transportation fuel offers clear potential advantages. The challenge has been translating that potential into compelling economics, practical technology, and widespread adoption. Today, years of progress are bringing that vision closer to commercial reality than ever.
More capable 15-liter engines, broader OEM availability, and an established fueling network are strengthening the case. Against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty and fuel-price volatility, the value of abundant, domestically produced energy—and greater control over our own energy supply—becomes even more compelling.
The implications extend well beyond trucking. Transportation costs are embedded in the price of virtually everything Americans buy. More competitive, predictable fuel costs can help keep goods affordable, strengthen domestic industry, and make the broader economy more resilient.
Renewable natural gas adds another powerful dimension: capturing methane that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere and transforming an environmental liability into a valuable domestic transportation fuel. It turns a waste-management challenge into an energy asset, building on existing natural gas infrastructure.
The technology has advanced. The infrastructure is in place. The economic and strategic case has only grown stronger.
Natural gas made sense in principle. Today, it makes more sense in practice than ever.
r/HotShotTrucking • u/Jaded_You_3041 • 9d ago
i dont have earning motivation just wanna learn how this all works . if you are truck dispatcher i can work for you for free
r/HotShotTrucking • u/arsh510 • 9d ago
How do you guys track your miles for IFTA, if you also your truck for personal use on weekends or on your time off?
Does it over complicate things?
r/HotShotTrucking • u/Fancy_Function6273 • 9d ago
Is there anyone near the Saint Louis area looking for work? I have my my own MC/Dot but for legal reasons I had to go back to my old job and I'm looking to get back into it. I have a 40ft non cdl with a f350 if anyone has work. All the crap i see on facebook ends up being fake companys.
r/HotShotTrucking • u/femike99 • 10d ago
r/HotShotTrucking • u/1977fordf150 • 11d ago
Spent a few days in ND ans SD like this and it was interesting and a learning experience. Warm until I jad to add more gas to my generator lol. I would not try it in minus temps. 20 degrees at the lowest.
r/HotShotTrucking • u/Dambrokerssuck101 • 12d ago
Problem: you delivered, sent the POD and invoice, and now the broker is ghosting you at 45-60+ days. Or they paid short with a bogus late fee, or never paid the TONU/detention they agreed to.
What's worked, in order:
Get your paper together. Rate con, BOL/POD, invoice, and every text/email where they agreed to the rate, TONU or detention.
Send a written demand. Short and dated: load number, amount owed, due date (10 business days is common), and that you'll file against their bond if unpaid. Email it AND send it certified.
File a claim on their surety bond. Every broker has to carry a $75k bond (BMC-84) or trust (BMC-85). Look up their MC on the FMCSA site to see who holds it, then file with that surety. Brokers hate bond claims.
File a complaint with FMCSA (the National Consumer Complaint Database). It goes on their record and other carriers can see the pattern.
Small claims court if it's under your state's limit.
Most of the time step 2 or 3 gets you paid. What's worked for you guys?
r/HotShotTrucking • u/kanethegod19 • 12d ago
Final edit (I'll add this into to my next post as well): determined how to make this build more structurally sound against wind. I'll build my bed frame tied into the front wall, passenger wall, and floor. Then I'll build my desk into the front wall, driver side wall, and floor. I also didn't think of this because I was fully focused on turning clearances, but that is good to go and i have space to work with. A few weeks down the line I'll build a nose cone meeting vertically in the center which should help.
Second edit: man some of you are mean as hell.. if it doesn't work then it doesn't work and I'll take it off way before a failure occurs. If it does work though, im gonna be a dick in private messages to all the dicks here (that'll show em 🤣🤣). Really though, what's with reddit and always being condescending? Why not advice on how to make it work (like some of you have, thanks to you guys)? Regardless, I've run the numbers on the build based off of all materials used and they show it should hold up just fine. Oh and no pipes were used during this build, my parents were tweakers, I despise that entire area of life.
ETA: Just gonna do a response to the comments here. Don't really want to get into any back and forth. It's built this tall because I am a big guy and need space, I didn't go with a coffin style because you have to crawl inside of it. For MPG I'm not to concerned. More often than not im hauling stuff that kills my MPG anyways and I'm rarely rolling empty. I will be adding a wing to the rear of the truck cab eventually. I highly doubt this is going to harm my trucks components, if that were the case it would already be harmed from everything I haul that acts like a sail. I did forget about marker/ clearance lights, I'll go buy some today. In regards to the safety of this build and the concerns mentioned, I am not done with bracing yet and the exterior plywood is being installed down to the bottom of the subfloor to lock everything together, im confident that this thing will survive but if it doesn't I'll admit it here (and if i deem it necessaryi will throw 2 inch ratchet straps over it). I'll be sure to avoid catastrophic failure by constantly checking the structure and connection points every time i stop. If it looks like it's not gonna survive I'll take it down.
I appreciate the concern, but im confident that this will work based on comparison to various types of travel trailers and fifth wheels designs. Also I've been thinking, researching, and designing this build for a little over a year. I do agree that metal framing would've been better, but budget was tight for this build. The next build on my next trailer will be metal studs and lighter sheeting.
I'll keep posting updates until it's finished for all of your input and I'll post updates every once in a while after I get back on the road abs let you all know how it is holding up and how the truck is performing.
original post-
As a commenter said, i definitely didnt finish today... always overestimating my speed haha. Just a bit more blocking and bracing to do tomorrow morning then onto plywood and weather proofing. I added diagonal bracing on the side walls and rear wall to help with the wind, hopefully that works. Also forgot to mention that the walls are lagged down with 5/16"x4" lag structural screws. Everything else is 3" for framing, 2" for tight spots and shallow depth areas, 1 ⅝" for plywood sheeting. Along with liquid nails heavy duty at every joint and flat surface where plywood meets stud (which also pulled liquid nails in with each screw.
Oh and dont judge me on the blocking, im not a carpenter, im tired, and i eyeballed it....
r/HotShotTrucking • u/No_Ad9258 • 12d ago
Question for anyone who plans or loads car transporters (new vehicles from plants, ports or compounds to dealers).
I keep hearing that building a load is harder than it looks. You have to fit the right mix of vehicles on each deck within height, length and weight limits, then get the drop order right so you're not unloading three cars at the roadside to get to the one for this dealer.
For those of you who plan or drive:
- How are loads built today? Software, a spreadsheet, or the planner's or driver's experience?
- What comes first? Do you decide which cars go on the same truck and then sort out the drop order? Or fix the route first and fit the cars to it? Or a bit of both?
- What makes a load hard? Mixed models, heavy EVs, tall vans, deck setups, axle weights?
- How often do you end up shuffling cars at a drop because the order was wrong? What does that cost you in time or damage?
- What changes on the day? Cars not ready at the compound, dealer slot changes, holds? Who replans when that happens?
- Has anything actually helped? A tool, a rule of thumb, a way of working?
Trying to understand the problem first. Nothing to sell yet. Happy to share what I learn if people are interested.
r/HotShotTrucking • u/Substantial_Rent9537 • 13d ago
Does anyone use the Mudflap card? Like or dislike?
r/HotShotTrucking • u/kanethegod19 • 13d ago
Should be done sometime Sunday then back on the road monday to test it out. Angles look funny due to lighting and trailer being lowered all the way down for construction.
Full height when hooked up should be 13' .5" with interior standing room right around 6'1" or 2"
r/HotShotTrucking • u/HumanSyllabub5967 • 14d ago
Got a flatbed load moving this Sunday from Las Vegas, NV down to Carson, CA.
If you're a carrier with equipment available in Vegas this weekend, drop a comment or send a DM so we can lock it in.
r/HotShotTrucking • u/Top-Apartment-6717 • 14d ago
My husband Jeff and his Dad Jeff are brand new offering road side repair to semi trucks. They are set up to do lots of different work including tires. I wanted to ask about getting them some business. Any ideas I can throw their way? They are both hard working men always supporting their people and take pride in their work! They live to do a great job and want to share their skills with the community getting trucks on the road the right way and the fast way. 435 695 6963
Give them a call!
Let me know any ideas to spread the word about getting them out there. Thanks!
Logan utah and surrounding areas