How do you start a hotshot trucking business?
Pick a heavy-duty pickup and flatbed or gooseneck trailer that match the freight you plan to haul, check whether the combination's weight ratings require a CDL, then get a USDOT number, MC operating authority, a BOC-3 and commercial insurance. Once your authority is active, book loads through load boards, brokers or a hotshot dispatch company.
Hotshot trucking uses a heavy-duty pickup and a flatbed trailer to move loads that are too small, too urgent or too oddly shaped for a full semi load. Think equipment, machinery parts, building materials, pipe and other freight that needs to move now.
It costs less to start than a semi operation, but it is not cheap, and the weight rules are easy to get wrong. Here is how to set one up step by step.
Step 1: Understand what hotshot freight looks like
Hotshot loads are usually:
- Partial or less-than-truckload in size, often well under what a 48 ft flatbed carries.
- Time-sensitive. A broken-down machine or a jobsite waiting on material pays for speed.
- Open-deck. Loaded by forklift or crane from the side or top, so securement skills matter.
Rates often run about $4 to $5 a mile, depending on lane, urgency and season. See our post on hotshot rates per mile and fuel for more on what moves the number. Rates are never guaranteed.
Step 2: Choose your truck and trailer
The common setup is a 1-ton diesel dually pulling a 40 ft gooseneck. When you shop, focus on weight ratings first and price second.
Truck checklist:
- GVWR and GCWR (gross combination weight rating) from the manufacturer's label and specs.
- Towing capacity for a gooseneck or fifth-wheel hitch.
- Diesel engine condition and service records.
Trailer checklist:
- Deck length (30, 35 and 40 ft are common).
- Trailer GVWR and axle ratings.
- Ramps, winches, stake pockets and tie-down points.
- Empty weight, since every pound of trailer is a pound you cannot haul.
Step 3: Decide CDL or non-CDL
This decision shapes the whole business.
Under federal rules, a combination generally requires a Class A CDL when its gross combination weight rating or actual combination weight (whichever is greater) is 26,001 lbs or more and the towed unit is rated over 10,000 lbs. Many 1-ton trucks paired with a heavy-duty gooseneck land in Class A territory.
Some operators run a lighter, "non-CDL" setup by keeping the combination at 26,000 lbs or less. That avoids the CDL but sharply limits payload. Our guide to non-CDL box truck and hotshot loads explains how to check this carefully. Always confirm with FMCSA and your state licensing agency before you buy equipment.
If you hold a CDL, drug and alcohol testing rules, including the FMCSA Clearinghouse, apply to you.
Step 4: Set up the company and authority
The paperwork is similar to any for-hire trucking company:
- Form a business entity, get an EIN and open a business bank account.
- Get a USDOT number and interstate operating authority (MC number) from FMCSA.
- File a BOC-3 for process agents.
- Register for UCR each year.
- Check whether IRP apportioned plates and IFTA apply. Combinations over 26,000 lbs commonly qualify, but confirm with your base state.
Our guides on getting an MC number and filing IFTA go deeper. If you want help with the filings, Texas Solutions offers MC authority setup, IFTA filing and DOT compliance help through our back office services.
Step 5: Get insured
FMCSA sets the minimum liability you must have on file. Brokers then set their own requirements, and many want higher auto liability and cargo coverage. Hotshot insurance can be expensive for new authorities, so get several quotes before you commit to equipment.
Step 6: Gear up for securement
Open-deck freight means you are responsible for securing it properly. Plan for:
- Ratchet straps, chains and binders rated for the loads you will carry.
- Edge protectors and corner guards.
- Tarps if you plan to haul freight that must stay dry.
- Know the cargo securement rules, including how many tie-downs a load needs.
A shifted load can cost you a claim, a ticket and a broker relationship in one trip.
Step 7: Run the numbers on a sample week
Here is a rough example using assumed figures. Your numbers will differ.
Assumptions:
- Weekly gross: $7,500
- Total miles (loaded plus empty): 2,000
- Average fuel economy across loaded and empty miles: 11 mpg
- Diesel price: $4.50 a gallon
- Dispatch at 8% of gross
- Insurance: $400 a week
- Truck and trailer payments: $600 a week
- Maintenance and tire reserve: $0.20 a mile
Math:
- Fuel: 2,000 / 11 = 181.8 gallons x $4.50 = $818
- Dispatch: $7,500 x 0.08 = $600
- Maintenance reserve: 2,000 x $0.20 = $400
- Fixed costs: $400 + $600 = $1,000
- Total costs: $818 + $600 + $400 + $1,000 = $2,818
- Left before taxes, factoring, permits and other expenses: $7,500 - $2,818 = $4,682
Slow weeks, repairs and time off will pull the average down, so plan around a range, not one good week. For more detail see how much hotshot drivers make, and check your own fuel with the truck fuel cost calculator.
Step 8: Find loads and decide on a dispatcher
You can find hotshot freight on load boards, through direct broker relationships, or with a hotshot dispatch company. Our guide to the best load boards for hotshot covers the first option.
A dispatcher for hotshot trucks is useful when:
- You are new and do not have broker contacts yet.
- You lose hours each day searching boards and making calls.
- You want someone to handle broker packets, rate confirmations and invoicing.
- You want help planning reloads so you are not stuck empty after a delivery.
Before you sign with anyone, read how to choose a truck dispatcher and avoid scams.
Hotshot trucking dispatch with Texas Solutions
Texas Solutions is a dispatch service, not a broker or carrier. We dispatch hotshots for owner-operators and small fleets nationwide, with 24/7 remote dispatchers who work with brand-new MC authority from day one. You approve every load before it is booked.
Hotshot dispatch is 8% of weekly gross for OTR, with no flat rate, no setup fee and no long-term contract, and your first load is dispatched free. Learn more about our hotshot dispatch service or get a free estimate.
Frequently asked questions
What truck do I need to start hotshot trucking?
Most hotshot operators use a 1-ton (Class 3) diesel pickup, often a dually, pulling a 30 to 40 ft gooseneck flatbed. Some start with a 3/4-ton truck and a bumper-pull trailer, which limits the freight they can take.
Do you need a CDL for hotshot trucking?
It depends on weight ratings. A combination with a gross combination weight rating (or actual weight, if higher) of 26,001 lbs or more, where the trailer is rated over 10,000 lbs, generally requires a Class A CDL. Confirm with FMCSA and your state.
What does a hotshot dispatcher do?
A hotshot dispatcher searches load boards, calls brokers, negotiates rates, handles broker setup packets and keeps loads lined up so you spend less time empty. At Texas Solutions you approve every load before it is booked.
How much does hotshot dispatch cost?
Texas Solutions charges 8% of weekly gross for OTR hotshot dispatch. There is no flat rate, no setup fee and no long-term contract, and the first load is dispatched free.
