
#Hot shots trucking full
It’s very important to remember that a hot shot won’t be driving a full trailer unless they’re really desperate for a load. And these trucks are powerful and affordable.Ī newer truck has a base rate of $33,000 for a 2016 – so the investment is much smaller.Ī hot shot business allows for lower start-up costs, and you won’t burn through fuel in the same way that a larger truck will.
#Hot shots trucking drivers
You’ll find that a lot of drivers choose a Ford F450/550 Super Duty. The truck that you choose is very important. You’ll need to have a dually or 1-ton truck. It doesn’t make sense for a large trailer to carry small loads that are better off hauled by a hot shot driver. Hot shot trucking is a lot of fun, and it allows you to haul loads that most freight trucks don’t want to haul. It was a great time for truckers because they had loads consistently, and a lot of money exchanged hands at this time.īut we have all seen what has happened to the oil industry. There would be truckers driving even normal trucks waiting outside of oil part manufacturers for a part to be completed before zooming down the interstate directly to the oil well. If you go back to the 70s, this is where real hot shot loads were born. The issue? The pay per load is often less than what a typical load would offer. While not a “true” definition of hot shot, these drivers are finding loads on a daily basis. You’ll find many owner-operators using their rigs to haul freight like this. Some loads are 100 miles away, while others are on the opposite side of the country.


Hot shots, in their true form, are medium-duty or one-ton trucks that pull trailers and get time-sensitive loads to their destination on time. They are similar in nature, but expedited trucking deals with time-sensitive freight that is delivered with: vans, T/T’s and straight trucks.Įxpedited trucks are always on standby, and there are no set lanes available. Hot shots are often confused with expedited loads. Let’s take a look at what this type of trucking is before diving into pay and working on load boards. Many agencies will work with hot shot loads as a way to boost revenue and keep a steady client base.įor owner-operators, you’ll find that hot shot trucking does take a chunk of the commission, but they also supply you with leads you would have otherwise not been able to handle on your own. The highest rates are when you’re in a spot that there are more loads than trucks.Hot shot trucking allows you to be your own boss. Because there are so many trucks, the rates get pushed down. For example, in the winter, when so many trucks want to stay south of the I-40. Or if you land where there are a bunch of other trucks looking for loads. If you land in a location that has no freight - well, guess what? You, my friend, have to deadhead out of there. This is why it’s super important that you consider your location when running. So they just sit on the low rate and wait. Some truck is going to take the lower rate, just to move. But if there are more trucks than loads, the rates goes down.

If there are lots of loads and few trucks, well then the truck gets to push the rates up. It means, how many loads are at that location versus how many trucks are at that location. The L/T density will affect the rate you get.
