Hotshot dispatch that pays
Hotshot runs expedited and partial loads on a medium-duty truck and gooseneck rather than a Class 8 tractor. Lower entry cost and access to time-critical freight, at the price of a smaller payload and a market that swings with oilfield and construction activity.
- Indicative rate
- $2.20 - $2.80
- Per mile, national average
- Typical use
- Class 3-5 expedited
- Dispatch fee
- 8%
- Of gross linehaul
- Coverage
- 48 states
- 24/7 dispatch desk
What moves on hotshot
- Expedited and time-critical parts
- Oilfield equipment and supplies
- Construction materials and small machinery
- Partial and LTL-style loads
- Agricultural equipment
Common lanes
- Permian Basin and Gulf Coast oilfield support
- Regional construction supply in growth markets
- Expedited manufacturing and automotive parts runs
- Agricultural equipment across the Plains and Midwest
Where it pays
- Much lower cost to enter than a Class 8 operation
- Access to expedited freight that pays a premium for speed
- Smaller equipment reaches sites a full tractor-trailer cannot
- Lower fuel burn per mile
What to watch
- Limited payload caps what you can earn per load
- Rate per mile is generally lower than Class 8 flatbed
- Heavily tied to oilfield and construction cycles
- Still subject to DOT rules above the relevant weight thresholds
How our dispatchers work hotshot
The habits that separate carriers who do well in this segment from carriers who grind.
Know your weight limits precisely
Hotshot operations sit close to regulatory thresholds where CDL, medical card, and hours-of-service requirements change. Know your combined rating and stay clearly on the right side of it.
Sell speed, not miles
Hotshot's advantage is being able to move now. Expedited and emergency freight pays a premium precisely because the customer cannot wait, and that premium is the business model.
Watch the oilfield cycle
A large share of hotshot freight is energy-related and swings with drilling activity. Diversify into construction and expedited manufacturing so a downturn does not take the whole business with it.
Rolling in 24 hours, not 24 days
Onboarding is deliberately boring. Four steps, one phone call, and a short document list.
Onboarding call
A 15-minute call to map your equipment, home base, preferred lanes, and the rate floor you refuse to go below.
Paperwork setup
We collect your MC authority, W-9, certificate of insurance, and factoring notice, then set you up across our broker and shipper network.
First load booked
Most carriers are rolling within 24 hours. Nothing gets booked without your approval on the rate. Ever.
Keep rolling
Your dispatcher pre-plans the next load, files the paperwork, and invoices the broker while you are still on the road.
Hotshot questions
It depends on the combined weight rating of your truck and trailer. Above the federal threshold a CDL is required, and many hotshot operators run configurations that need one. Check your specific ratings rather than assuming, and confirm current requirements with the FMCSA.
Revenue per load is lower because payload is smaller, but so is the cost to get started and to operate. It works best as an expedited service where speed and site access justify a premium, rather than competing on volume freight.
Drivers who stopped hunting loads
Names and companies used with permission. Ask us for a reference in your lane and we will connect you.
I went from chasing loads at midnight to running three trucks without touching a load board. My gross per truck is up almost $1,900 a week.
The paperwork side alone is worth the fee. They set up every broker, chase every POD, and my factoring company finally stopped calling me.
Blew a tire outside Amarillo at 2 a.m. and someone actually picked up the phone. Had road service and a reset load inside an hour.
Put your hotshot to work
Send your MC number and your lanes. We will pull real rates and tell you honestly whether we can beat what you are getting now.