Hot Shot Trucking Pay
Since I know nothing about trucking I have a question that maybe someone out thier may have some knowledge in. I'm thinkin that what I may want to do because it seems as though it will give me freedom and it will pay decently is do Hot Shot Services around Tex OK and LA. I was told by one hot shot company that thay had more work than they have trucks. Especially if I pulled a 40' flatbed and had a Haz Mat endorcement. Of course I'd have to buy my own equipment but he said that I could make $1600 a week. It would be on a contract basis so, I wiuldn't have any benefits, but heck $5000 + a month ain't bad and I could negotiate and bid for my own.
Hot shot loads ltl that may pay something directly from the shipper to the broker pay nothing to the hotshot driver. I was at azz galvenizing in ft worth 2 days ago and there was 5 dodge 3/4 ton and 1ton trucks with 40ft trailers and no dot markins, and thats what happens when u use load boards people have to run illegally in order to make it.
I know it sounds rosy so maybe someone who's been thier and done that shed some light on the reality of doing this. If all you're making is $1600 a week you'd better get some dirt cheap, fuel efficient equipment. To haul a 40 footer you need a Ford F-650, minimum. Think Ford F-750 if you want air brakes. Plan on spending $60,000+ for one half way decently equipped. Commercial is far from cheap, especially on a new truck. Maybe, on a good day you can squeeze 10 mpg out of the truck.
Staying out overnight? Food and a motel room. Then theres the inevitable flat tire, that eats money quick. Then theres downtime if you have an accident, right now my Pete 379 is making me $0 sitting in a shop because some moron put an excavator bucket in the front end. Yeah, this deal sounds like a train wreck.
I'd do an F-650 for $1.20 a mile, minimum if I have to pay for everything. That $1600 per week had better be after all expenses. I can see you burning more than that in fuel some busy weeks. Boilermaker seems to have it covered, but I would use his $1.20 as your cost, and figure if you deadhead with non pay 25% of the time making that $1.50 per paid mile minimum. Pulling a 40 foot flatbed you are looking at some serious weight possibly. With a tandem axle truck I would not run local for less than $3.00 per paid mile with only 50% of miles paid.
If I had a round trip I would give a price break. By the hour local running would be $65 per hour here in Maine. A good day would bring in $650 or more.
I wouldn't turn the key for much less than that. $1600 per week wouldn't entice me AT ALL. $1600 per day would be nice. Actually it is posslble here in Maine. Two drivers, one truck, two 12 hour shifts, $800 gross per shift.
You just need a local 24 hour industry. One last thing: If you are going to be 'bidding' on your freight that is a sure way to work cheap. The freight will go to the lowest bidder. The other component of that is if you take a load to point X you will need to underbid a load leaving there, or have sufficient resources to deadhead back home. Good point, I was thinking highway on an F-650. Running around town with stops and starts wears on a truck faster than running down the highway with the cruise on.
Uses more fuel to get that load going too. If you're making a lot of runs in town then yeah, $1.50 per mile minimum. I run my dump truck on a combination of hourly and mileage. I make a lot of short trips, but I also spend a lot of time sitting with the engine off waiting to load, unload, for the job site to untangle itself.
Still get paid for sitting in my cab listening to the radio. So far I have 3 solid contracts for my services: 1. $28.35/hour $2.00 per mile 2.
$35.00/hour $2.75 per loaded mile $1.75 per deadhead mile 3. $38.00/hour $4.00 per loaded mile $3.00 per deadhead mile I'm in the process of negotiating a few more contracts for my services. This is for a Pete 379 tridem drive 25 foot dump. Big truck + lots of experience = $$$. With a big truck comes a lot of expense, that 550 horse 3406 requires lots of go juice and TLC. An F-650 would be significantly cheaper to run, provided you don't go nuts on specing it out. Check the owner operators forums for more info.
If you really want to drive and make a living, you may want to consider wreckers. Get on with some police call lists, motor clubs, and hang out a shingle. International DT466 wreckers can be found used for reasonable money. Yeah being on call 24/7 can suck the life out of you. No CDL needed for most wreckers. Don't make the mistake of buying one on a 1 ton pick up chassis, they're virtually useless on anything bigger than a 4 door sedan.
Also don't limit yourself with a rollback, wreckers are more versatile. I know a few guys that make a good living out of their house doing this.
Is killer on a wrecker, hope you have a good driving record. You can charge (in Seattle) $50 to hook up, $2.00 per mile, and $.75 per mile to the car for a private tow, double after hours (5pm to 8am). If you get into the police thing you need an impoundment area. Basically a spot where you can put 5-6 cars with a 12 foot high chainlink fence around. Police call and motor clubs set their own rate. Impounds pay really, really good. Most motor clubs suck, you need to aggressively negotiate.
Check it out, might be worth it to you. You don't need a big truck to pull a 35,40, trailer.
The hotshotters have and do use F350 dually 1 tons for years. Take the time to go and see these hot shot companies personally. They don't haul really heavy loads hotshotting,they haul insulation alot,a 40 ft trailer load is only about 5000 lbs to pull. The hotshotters i have talked to make 1.oo a mile on just the cheap loads, when you do LTL,you can really clean up,you stay loaded all the time and hardly ever running empty if your careful and go where the freight is. Also,haul trailers for uhaul, rv trailers, canoes, all kinds of boats,legal size,boat trailers,thers no limit. You have to spec your truck out with the sweet spot and gearing and rpms to get the most mileage with the most torque.
The investment is less than half of a big truck and twice the mileage. I would go with F350,with cummins in it.with a 35 or 40 fifth wheel trailer, and heavy duty receiver hitch on truck to pull towaways also without the trailer. I'm sure if you do your homework,1600 a week would be a low figure if you really apply yourself and check around hotshot brokers,trailer manurfacturers etc.
You are in a perfect area tx and la, great hotshot area. Good luck getting a Ford F-350 with a Cummins in it. You'd have to buy a truck without drivetrain, then have a specialist shop adapt the truck to accept a Cummins. You can only get a 5.4 V-8 (weak), 6.8 V-10 (torquey), or a 6.0 Powerstroke (nowhere near as good as a 7.3). Best bet is to buy an 93 to 02 Ford F-350 dually with the 7.3 Powerstroke and a stick.
Mines a stock 02 4x4 and it's a real workhorse. 02 is the last year for a 7.3 diesel. With a Banks Performance kit it could be a real stump puller. Stay away from the old autos, prone to wearing out behind that beasty 7.3 PS. Tough as my truck is I wouldn't use it for commercial towing.
Main reason is brakes, fully loaded they like to keep going.
I am trying to get some information on Hot Shot loads and equipment requirements. I have a Dodge Ram 2500 diesel. I am looking to purchase a 32 to 40 gooseneck trailer.
Most of the trucks I see pulling these loads are duallys. I wanted to find out your opinion about using a regular truck or if I should purchase a dually instead and if it makes a difference when obtaining loads. I have been driving big rigs for about 5 years but am wanting to start a hot shot business instead. I can’t decide between pulling car loads or pipe/lumber etc. Also, I am used to looking for loads on the boards for big rigs but can’t distinguish between the loads that would allow a regular truck and trailer.
I have been searching the web for this information but can’t find anything specific. I would really appreciate your help. Thanks, Alex. Jim, are you saying it is safer to have a blow out with a single tire than with a dually? I’m sure the driver meant pull over asap. He says limp on til you can pull over safely, not go on for miles and miles on a dead tire.
I’m sure a 3/4 ton is fine for you, but as you are offering your advice, so was the other. I’m sure you could do it with a bicycle if you try really hard, but really, a dually would be safer, don’t you think?.,. Yeah, a 3/4 ton will pull and carry as much as a 1 ton. I looked at all the numbers when i purchased my F250 SRW. I went to pull campers, and it worked fine. Threw tires on the back every 30-40k because they were maxed or overloaded all the time and wore out super quick.
Every time i blew out a tire, i was looking for a new rim with the new tire because believe me, as soon as the air is gone, at 65mph with any kind of weight, the rim is junk. All of this B.S. Aside, if you are looking at pulling anything for any length of distance, get a dually, if you are serious about doing it. If you want to try things out for a bit to see if you can find a gig like what you’re looking for, run your single wheel and figure out how to make some money first.
Troy Gilbert says. I have a similer problem like Alex from Nov 4, 2010. I have a good friend who also has a Dodge 2500 and he to wants to know what it takes to get started on these HotShot loads.
My buddy has a brother who is already haulin, in fact he is doing so well he has already purchased another truck & trailer. When my buddy ask him to help get him started into it, his brother said he would for 1/2 the profits. This is where I come in, if we can got all the information we need to get started, I’ll be the one doing all the driving. Me & my buddy are currently driving coal trucks in Ky right now and its gitting a little hard right trying to make our ends meet. So if you could, get me as much info as possible, I would greatly, GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. Thanks for listening, Troy (Dogg). If you’re going to be doing hotshot loads get a 3500 DRW, or better, 4500 or 5500.
You’ll.need. the extra VTW (rear axle weight rating) provided by the DRW.
A 3500 SRW has a 6500lb Rear GAWR, a 5500lb Front GAWR. Unloaded my 2011 3500 4×4 SRW Long Box Crew cab hits 4900 on the steer axle, and 2860 on the rears, with 3/4 a tank of fuel and two people onboard (350 lbs or so, me and the GF) for a grand total of 7760 — certified cat scale weight. So 6500-2860 = 3640 available payload on the rear axle in my SRW. The reason this is more than the stated 2890 payload is because Dodge gives a 20% safety margin. This could be a limiting factor for your load weights, GCWR is 21k for a 3.73 rear end, and 24k for a 4.10. I think dodge might be testing based on SAE J2807 so the 4.10 gets higher ratings for being able to accelerate heavier loads or something. 3.73 rears and Dodge gives you a 13650 tow rating on the ST 4×4 Crew, 16650 ST 4×4 Crew w/ 4.10 (SRW) — go to DRW and you get a 9350 Rear GAWR, giving you a LOT more payload.
For more information go to the Dodge Ram Trucks site, click Owners, then find the Body Builders Guide from there (center section). For at least 2010/2011 Dodge has very detailed capacity charts, and has quite a good bit of detail for older years too. I would have to disagree. I converted my F250 into an F450 DRW (after i realized a srw wouldn’t cut it). The tag on the door says 10k for the truck and the trailer is 21k.
I am plated 16k on the truck and 20k on the trailer. Truck weighs 9500 and trailer is 10k empty. Combined, there is roughly 1500 of the trailer on the truck, putting me at 11k on the truck when empty. I will load up to 15k on the trailer putting me at a grand total of roughly 35k (15-16k on the truck). That is more than the weight rating of the combination (31k) and i have never been asked by DOT about this.
They just want to make sure you are plated heavy enough. And i see my fair share of inspections, believe me. Oh we are all seeking, but few answers. I also have been OTR on/off for 30years, now want to settledown and purchase a new HotShot Ford F450/550 DRW Power Stroke Super Duty with 40′ Gooseneck, but need to understand my rear axle ratio?
Second, Is their real corporations or legitimate companies to lease onto? Most won’t even answer your calls or e-mails! If needed I’ll go alone with my own authority, but I have found it difficult to find all these claimed loads also! Lay it out straight to us drivers! We are supposed to be brethren of a different cloth, but I see too much Jealosy and Descrimination in these Hot Shot drivers & companies. I am tough enough to endure, so if I can get some info under my belt, then I’m out of here with my own loads, because if there is no real men/women in this industry, then we must make it alone without friends and survival of the fittest will endure!
Somebody got real factsand info., write me. Yes having a duelly vs having a 1 ton truck is pricing and the load you can carry but at the same time having a 1 ton you can drive without a cdl for the fact your can only handle under 26001 pending on state to were with a 2 ton truck you normally have to hold a class a license ithout air brakes but loads can be bigger pay out is better. Considering oilfield stuff is heavy and won’t destroy your truck and be safer hauling and your variety of runs ate allot more. If you have any other questions let me know hope this was helpful. Massachusetts State law allows you to travel within the state under 26,000 without a CDL “unless” you’re driving for profit.
The laws go on further to say if you are going to be traveling outside of the state you must have a CDL. You can drive under 26,000 for profit inside the state with only a USDOT number as well (MA does not require MA companies to have a MC # to legally operate inside the state). And after speaking with the DMV here in MA yesteday it was explained to me they round your weight up, so here if you’re 25,001 pounds you’re at the 26,000 limit like it or not. The federal law goes on and VERY CLEARLY STATES, if your driving any commercial vehicle over 10,000 pounds across state lines you MUST HAVE A CDL. No wonder why the DOT is all up in the Trucking industry. Tubby says. When do I need a CDL?
A Class A CDL License is required when the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Ratings (GCVWR) of the truck and trailer totals 26,001 or more provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds. A Class B CDL License is required for any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 10,000 pounds GVWR. A Class C CDL License is required for any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials. manny poulis says. I will do my best to help since I can’t sleep. First, if you call your business hotshot or expedited in the name your insurance premium is higher, so Manny’s trucking would of been better then what it is now. Second, there is a reason there is dodges on the road and almost no fords, cheaper truck better fuel milage less breakdowns, if ur going to purchase a truck purchase the correct one the first time, the correct truck is a dodge 4500/5500, brakes last between 180-220k miles unless u have a heavy service bed then only 100-120k on the rears and 200 on the front, tires go 60-70 with rotation, set back is 410/444/488 rear ends try to get the 410 or 444.
Hot Shot Loads Pay
If u can only buy one trailer buy a 40 with ramps, also be aware that the quad cabs 84″ca are over 65ft when hooked up to a 40ft trailer, most officers don’t realise this and you can fit 4 pallets in front of gooseneck, getting loads, HOPE YOU ARE ALL READY. STOP BEING SO LAZY WAITING FOR LOADS TO COME UP ON SOME SORT OF LOAD BOARD OR SOME PLETHERA OF LOADS TO MAGICLY APPEAR.
What Does Hot Shot Trucking Pay
HOT SHOT LOADS LTL THAT MAY PAY SOMETHING DIRECTLY FROM THE SHIPPER TO THE BROKER PAY NOTHING TO THE HOTSHOT DRIVER. I WAS AT AZZ GALVENIZING IN FT WORTH 2 DAYS AGO AND THERE WAS 5 DODGE 3/4 TON AND 1TON TRUCKS WITH 40FT TRAILERS AND NO DOT MARKINS, AND THATS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN U USE LOAD BOARDS PEOPLE HAVE TO RUN ILLEGALLY IN ORDER TO MAKE IT. GO TO BUSINESSES URSELF AROUND UR OWN AREA WALK IN INTRODUCE URSELF TALK TO THE PERSON THAT HANDELS THE SHIPPING AND GIVE HIM OR HER A REASON TO CALL YOU. U WILL GET FULL RATE AND 100% CHANCE OF GETTING PAYED, I HAVE 4 TRUCKS 7 TRAILERS AND 66 CUSTOMERS PAYING ME DIRECT NEVER USED A BROKER IN 7 YEARS GROSSED 383K 2012 TURN KEY OPERATION FOR SALE INCLUDING TRUCKS AND TEAILERS 300K EVALUATED BY APPRAISAL COMP BASED ON WHAT A BANK WOULD LOAN FOR MY BUSINESS. GROSS 33K UR FIRST MONTH IN BUSINESS MANNY POULIS 512-567-0381 I STAY ON TO INTRODUCE U TO ALL SHIPPERS. REASON IM SELLINGBECAUSE A BANK SAID THEY WOULD FUND IT 🙂. I am trying to relocate to Colorado somewhere around Colorado Springs or the denver area.
I have always leased my equipment to a trucking carrier and i am presently leasedto a Hotshot company in Houston. I have a one ton dually and a 25ft. I have over 21 years of experince from General manager to Safety director to driving for the last5 16 years. Very good refedrences and clean mvr. But i am having a hard time finding any companys that lease trucks on in the small ltl business any suggestions or leads would be appreciated Thanks Darrell.
Manny spoke volumes in his comments. It has not been cheap to start the small buisness i just got into. He is absolutely on the money with his comments. One thing for sure you want to do is start out legal. Fight your own fights! Some loads are fuel buyers when you dont want to deadhead empty. Make a dollar here, make ten there.
Every chance you get talk to the facilities delivered to. As manny said give them a reason to deal directly with you. Consistent, dependable, professional service sells itself. Want something for nothing? There is allready a long long line for that. GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS!
I just bought a new Silverado 3500HD cab-chassis incomplete vehicle and am currently having a 12′ X96″ stake bed body fabricated. I am a million miler in 18 wheelers, being a company driver and lease operator, and just inactivated my TXDOT and FMCSA authority. I never want to sit behind the wheel of a big truck again. Too much BS with the new regulations and I’m getting old too. My Silverado front springs and axle rated 4800#, rear dually axle and springs rated 9750#.
The GCVWR is 16000#. My axles should GVWR me at 14550# safely.
The General Motors door sticker says GVWR 13200#. Axles will handle 14550# combined, and so will the drive train and the brakes. The fabricator completing my incomplete cab-chassis, will only 13200# GVWR final build out door sticker me, when the truck will handle 14550# safely, both pulling and braking safely.
I even contacted General motors Commercial Fleet, explaining the math, and GM said, nope the GVWR is 13200#. What’s up with this? Can’t the GM engineers do the math and rate this truck at the specked out axle ratings? My fabricator says he wont rate it any more than what GM says, how ever the math reflects it can axle 14550# safely, and stop and pull way more weight. Am I missing some thing, or did I fail High school math class? The extra 1350# will make me more money Hot Shotting.
I’m running into a wall at GM, and with the fabricator who will put the final build out door sticker on after he builds my 12 foot stake bed. I can register it for 14550 GVWR, how ever if I get hassled in a weigh station and the Commercial Enforcement cop who knows his stuff, and is a prick and compares my Registration to my build out door sticker, I’m out of service till I pull some weight off, even if the 3500HD will safely handle the load. I’m not going to pull any trailer, as I want to keep life simple in my old age. That’s why I got out of driving a 18 wheeler. 12000# steers, 34000# drives and 34000# trailer tandems equals a legally axeled out 80000# GCVWR has always been the rule to axle out a big truck.
Why are the engineers at GM not getting the math right on my 2013 3500HD? I want that extra weight rating on my door sticker. It wont hurt the Silverado, and will safely, but ILLEGALLY haul 14550# Load that I want to register the truck. I’m puzzled and it’s starting to piss me off with these GM engineers and the fabricator. And I’m sure that it would not hurt the fabricator to do the math, and door sticker me so I can register this 3500HD at 14550# GVWR, and not get hassled at weight stations by a DOT cop with a flat top hair cut, spit shinned boots and extra starched uniform. Any one have input on my problem?
Thanks in advance to my fellow truckers. JR: The good news, your math is amazing, the bad news, the way 18wheeler trucks are made is different then the way passenger trucks are made, u need to spep into the slightly heavier duty trucks 4500 and 5500 in order to get accurate math. However there is a way to to do what u are looking g to do legally, Look for an older trailer 2000 and older, like AMERITRAIL they have 10k axles but the manufacture rated them at 26k GWR. At the time they we taking some of the carrying capasity from the truck and putting it on the trailer bs I don’t know don’t care. But u can carry 6k pounds more legally.
My post in April clearly said to buy a dodge 4500 or 5500 lol. Hope I helped 512-567-0381 My business is for sale. No CDL.under 26,000, means if you own the freight, no CDL needed. If you’re doing it for hire, any articulated vehicle with a combined weight of over 10,000 lbs. Don’t believe people who say you don’t need CDL (with combination endorsement) and don’t run without DOT and MC #s.
AKA, your authority. If you do.If you ignore it, there’s a good chance you’re going to get caught and the costs far outweigh the effort it would take to do it right.
My first 8 months were done with a SRW One ton Ford. 40′ gooseneck. I recommend a 48′, otherwise you’re restricted significantly. Air ride if you can afford it. You could do a step deck, but not with a pick up bed.
Not the deck over gooseneck kind, but a true step deck.40′ on bottom, 8′ on top. Become an “Approved Carrier” for several (at least 3) fright brokers who do a lot of business in your area of interest.USHIP is a joke, and waste of time.then stick to a reasonable rate, otherwise you’re just shooting yourself in the foot. Nothing goes on my trailer for less than a dollar a mile.no matter how small, and certainly nothing over 1/2 your length or weight cap. 2.00 a mile us a good rule of thumb for full load, or if it has to be there right away(Dedicated truck).
Then, add for additional stops.tarping, etc. Usually 50.00-100.00 per incident. Hate to be the one to tell you this when you hall commercially you still have to have either a class a or class B license you still fall under the same rules regulations as any other truck on the road hauling 10,000 or more or 10,000 or less.
When you go and register your truck as a commercial vehicle They will figure You max weight for registering Example my 2013 Dodge ram 3500 will gross 38,000 pounds. That is how it is registered With the truck itself Being approx 7700 The weight of your truck trailer and load cannot exceed 38,000 pounds. Hope this helps. Hey, I am thinking about starting my own company, and would like any advise you could give. I had a 18 wheeler, did good with it and sold it to start a repo company and did better with it. I’m just trying to get back in trucking and don’t want to do it in a 18 wheeler.
I think I will like a hot shot truck. Just need to know which truck and tailor to buy and a good way to start getting loads. I live in Centreville, Al. And would like to stay in the south most of the time. Any help you could give would be a big help.
You do not need a CDL if you are driving to earn wages/ for hire when you are not hauling more than 26,000 pounds. However, that is true when you “”reside”” in a state that does not require a chauffeurs license or a CDL for hauls that are any weight, but for hire. So, if you want to get your regular operator’s license in Indiana with a residence their, then you can drive an expediter van, truck, whatever ((no tractor trailers, which requires CDL)) weight UNDER 26,000 lbs.
That operator’s license is good in any state because all states are bound by the Interstate Commerce Clause ((as a U.S. Constitutional Right)), which means all other states must honor the laws of any individual as to where they reside.
This only speaks to matters of interstate commerce, so Texas must honor the legal requirements of Indiana with respect to which kind of license the driver needs. The same for a Texas or Florida, or New York license holder who is pulled over in Indiana. Every cop knows this and they are only harassing and abusing their power if they tell you otherwise. A couple of questions, hope someone can help. I have a 3/4 ton cargo van sitting empty in my yard that I want to put to use. My husband was an electrician but went back to trucking so now this sits empty.
Looking at doing some light hauling, maybe small animals or what not. Been researching for a few weeks online. What are your recommendations?
Would I need the cdl a or not? Would I be better off just getting my cdl a and join him and team drive? I still have a son (15) at home and animals that have to be taken care of. I don’t want to be out all the time. I need to be able to be home for him at times. (He has 2 older sisters). Thats why I was looking into hauling small animals.
Thanks for your input, all will be considered with much head and heart. Look gentlemen, I have hauled a lot of things with different trucks. When I drove for companies. I learned from their mistakes. It never failed they gave me the cheapest way out. The truck was always underrated.
Hot Shot Owner Operators Wanted
It ends up destroying the truck. It could also harming you or other drivers. I’ve seen f250 hauling a load that was right at recommended tow capacity. The truck hits a dip in the road, the trailer causes the truck to pick the weight off the front wheels enough for the truck to lose control and end up in a ditch totaled the truck, trailer, and the load. So ya 3500 is good. I prefer to much truck for the job.
4500 or better. I have 5500 4×4. I prefer it over the 3500, 4500, 2500. It is never over loaded for what I do.
I prefer dodge also because of the exhaust brakes. Power Stroke doesn’t have them.