Hauling expedited loads and hot shot freight is a choice job for many truckers. Loads may be somewhat hard to find, and the loads that do get booked usually require the truck driver to run hard to meet the schedule, but the reward is premium rates and higher per mile pay. Hotshot and expediting often get used interchangeably, which leads to a number of people getting confused and asking us for an explanation.
RickG kindly explains what it all means on the truck driver forum:
Expedite was sometimes referred to as hotshot. Currently expedite refers to vans, straight trucks and T/T’s delivering time sensitive freight. There are no set lanes. The trucks are on standby for immediate response. However, with the state of the economy expedite carriers are accepting regular LTL shipments to keep their trucks busy.
True hotshot is like flatbed expedite, mostly one ton or medium duty trucks pulling trailers and hauling time sensitive loads. There are many O/O’s with rigs like this running freight that pays lower rates and is not hotshot by the true definition.
jtrnr1951 shares his personal definition of hotshotting:
Hot Shot used to be-standing around Texas Iron Works, waiting for the drill part to be manufactured, then throwing it on the bed of the truck or trailer- and driving straight out to the [oil] well. NON-STOP !!!!
Made good money in the 1970’s running them 454 chevys !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rest of the thread is here: definitions: Hotshot vs. Expedite
Rollover the Original shares his experience pulling reefers:
I love a reefer! Never a problem waiting for a load as dry freight fits just as well!
I do not sweep out a reefer! I have a small battery operated leaf blower! But Blue Beacon does a great job also when water is needed! Not ALL meat loads bleed on the floor.
Yes, jumper cables are great, just get the LONGEST ones you can find such as 20′+. and the smallest gauge you can 3 gauge or smaller. I also have a long 3 gauge wire with heavy duty alligator clips for using when needing to run with a cable between the unit and the tractor. I got mine from a commercial construction site and works great for an emergency. You only need one as the ground between the truck and trailer is all that is needed. You use this setup when your alternator in either the truck or trailer is bad. It will work in a “jump” situation but it takes a lot longer for it to juice up a set or batteries but when it’s all you have go with it!
Ask your mechanic how to “pump” up a unit that has run out of fuel! Some are different than others. Get a tennis ball and an air chuck or air valve from a tire to make a device that will help to blow fuel up to the injectors if you run out of fuel. Someone will show you how to make it. But you’ll run out of fuel one time and then you’ll learn to keep better watch on that fuel gauge on the reefer tank! It’s a PITA pumping up or “jacking off” that fuel pump!
A milk crate is the best think to hold your jumper cables,siphoning hose, oil, fuel additive,rags, polish and other things. The 9/16″ combo wrench you should keep in your tool bag!
ScooterDawg warns about weight issues to consider when hauling dry freight in a refrigerated trailer:
Sometimes you will have a reefer hooked to your truck and you get dispatched to pick up a dry load. Typically, shippers sending out a dry load plan on a heavier load that what you would be used to with a reefer load.
Obviously a reefer trailer weighs more than a dry van. And if you are picking up a dry load that weighs 43,000 lbs or more, you could have a problem with exceeding the 80,000 lb gross weight restriction.
I have run both and I couldnt count on both hands and feet the number of times that a dry load, put in my reefer, forced me to run light on my fuel and re-fuel with 50 gallons of fuel every 325 miles. I have lovingly coined it as “the 50 gallon giggle”. The advantage is that I can bank a bunch of showers in a short period of time, but the disadvantage is that I have to stop a lot.
Reefers usually have longer unload times (and lumpers…. argh!), and there are maintenance issues as well. But on the flipside, they are somewhat more versatile when it comes to hauling either cold loads or dry loads.
Pros:
- If you’re having trouble finding cold freight, reefer trailers can just as easily accommodate dry freight
- Steady freight market as a result of consistent demand for fresh produce from supermarkets
- Less waiting around trying to find a load, more time driving means higher pay
Cons:
- Constant noise produced by the motor in the reefer trailer
- Cleaning out trailers after every load
- Refrigerated trailer breakdowns are an emergency maintenance issue to prevent spoilage
- Long waits to get loaded at the shipper docks
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Over the past week, forum members have been discussing the best options for APUs in order to cut fuel use and engine idling expenses. Despite high initial prices of around $8,000, the ThermoKing TriPac and Carrier ComfortPro are earning recommendations for low maintenance costs and long-term durability, as well as an extensive service network. Rigmaster and derivative models such as the CCS Lightning might sell for $6,000-$7,000, but were panned for frequent and costly maintenance requirements, and excessively loud running noise.
Forum member Rollover the Original gives his advice to anyone looking at APU options:
STOP! Can you get it worked on any where in America? Or only at a FEW Flying J’s? Very few J’s have a shop! The RigMaster is a POS! Maintenance intensive! and that’s what [the CCS Lightning] unit is, a redesigned RigMaster! Research that unit fully before you jump on the “cost”!
Carrier runs all the time but is about as good as the TriPak by ThermoKing and BOTH of those units can be worked on all over the country by their respective dealers and you’ll find that they both have more shops than Flying J!
That’s part of the thing about APU’s. Where to have service done, NOT the price! Sure you’ll save it looks like $1000+ but will you “save” that money down the road when the unit quits and you have to go to a truck stop or a few places for repairs. Will the Flying J have the parts on hand or have to get them shipped in? ThermoKing and Carrier have the parts on hand!
Your new business plan will show that you want a reliable unit and a unit that you can get service for in more than a “few” locations. If the APU isn’t working, you’re hauling around a heavy boat anchor!
There are several more APU units out there but I had a mechanic that works on all of them tell me the most reliable ones he’s worked on is the TriPak by ThermoKing. I loved my TriPak after using the first 3 generations of that POS RigMaster! With the RigMaster you can look forward to oil changes every 100 hours with that Kubota engine! That’s every 10 days of use if it runs for 10 hours while on line 1! The air filter gets clogged up pretty fast too. AND it’s the nosiest APU I’ve heard out there!
The TriPak and Carrier units go for 1000 hours for the FIRST oil change then 1500 after that! Looks like that $1000 savings just went out the door in oil changes!
Do NOT let the cost of the unit guide your decision but look into them better than a “deal”
Read the rest of the thread…
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A thread on the trucking forum recently discussed the physical strength required to be a truck driver, starting with the following question:
Please don’t laugh too hard…but as a 50 year old female, it must be asked…
How much physical strength is really required? I’m 5′3″…and a half. I’ve seen pictures of female truckers and my first thought is “I can do this.” But then I see job descriptions that say one must be able to pick up 100 pounds.
I’m hoping I won’t have to load/unload. I just want to drive.
The responses gave a practical view of the labor involved, including insight from female drivers that successfully deal with similar physical challenges. LavenderTrucker shares her experience:
Well, I am a woman… and I am no amazon… I am 5′3-5′4 and around 125 – 130lbs and in my mid 40’s… I am also pulling flatbed… so, the tarps are heavy, maybe around 80lbs, but usually I only have to move them on and off the fork lift, and pull them off my load.
For me I don’t think the work is so much about heavy lifting, but, just lot’s of different steps, Like in tossing the straps over the loads, then securing them.,. The winch bar isn’t necessarily that heavy… only it does seem to be heavier on the last strap than it was on the first.. LOL
For me, since I am pulling a flatbed, I also have to be comfortable and able to climb… on my truck, on top of my load.. so, it helps to be in shape. Usually again the fork lift guy will give you a lift to the top of your load… But, sometimes to, you are climbing up and down a couple of times and they have other things to do… It takes a little muscle and work to secure the tarp with the bungees and all… but again, it isn’t one big heavy lifting thing… it is a lot of tugging, pulling, streatching and hooking over and over…
Preparing for the tough work with weight lifting and strength training can be a crucial advantage, as proven by Texas Nana:
I’m 53, overweight (but I’m losing it by george!), have bad knees, and have always been a delicate little flower of Texas. Seriously, for 10 years I didn’t even put gas in my car…I am that pampered by my husband.
You can do and achieve what you desire enough. I wanted this job. I WANTED it BAD. So eventhough I had a severe leg and hip injury just before moving to AZ I began a work out program, bought a set of cheap weights and began lifting weights.
Last year Swift still had the work well program and we had to meet a higher requirement than just the DOT requirements.
I worked until I could meet the weight requirements of the work-well exam which was:
With a heart monitor on you had to lift 3 times from floor to waist 30lbs, 50lbs, 75 lbs. Then lift those weights 3 times waist to shoulder (placing on a shelf)
Then carry 85 lbs for 150 feet. Then push at least 100 lbs which is done with a gauge device against a block. Then you pull 100 lbs with the same device. Finally you step three times onto a 26″ platform (which they had a bit high so it was actually 30″)
I did it. I had problems with the platform but I did it with the encouragement of other students
Big Don gives a Freight Handling 101 overview on what to expect: [click to read more…]
As more and more truckers dive into the computer age, their reliance on technology to enable them to operate smarter has increased dramatically. Regardless of whether you’re a fleet driver hoping to keep tabs on your miles, reimbursements, and logs, or an independent owner/operator that needs an all-in-one solution, there’s a software application for nearly everyone.
Until now, software applications came in one form — programs — that installed on your computer’s hard drive and were updated with manual data inputs. Recently, however, a new phenomenon has begun to show up in the computer world — cloud computing. Instead of installing on your computer’s hard drive, the user of a cloud application will access their account via the Internet by logging into their account and entering relevant information online.
Access to these cloud networks is restricted to those users with an Internet connection, but with a wireless connection as close as the nearest truck stop, rest area, or cellular telephone hookup, truckers can access their online accounts more easily than ever before. In addition, cloud applications also enable truckers to reach information about their business anywhere they have access to the web — from any computer.
Features
Depending upon which software solution you decide upon, there are a variety of features available in the different trucking software offerings on the market. Some of the more common features include:
Income and expenses by trip – Because managing your cashflow is dependent upon keeping tabs on your income and expenses, the overwhelming majority of the trucking software applications utilize a per trip recording interface — which makes the most sense because that’s how you generate income and incur expenses.
Electronic Log Books (e-logs) — While you may still prefer keeping paper logs, many of the software programs have features that allow you to input you log data for electronic logbook record-keeping and compliance purposes. Some will make note of e-log errors and will automatically generate “gotcha” letters, which gives you the opportunity to correct any errors before an enforcement officer does it for you during a roadside inspection or during a D.O.T. compliance review.
Settlement Reconciliation — Reconciling settlement sheets can be a time-consuming process when done manually, but by entering information from settlement sheets, your computer can cross-reference information previously entered in other sections of the software to ensure that all expenses have properly been reimbursed by your carrier.
Customer Records — One of the biggest challenges owner/operators face is keeping track of their customer information. Most trucking software applications offer you the ability to maintain customer records, either through a basic software feature or through an upgraded version of the software.
Driver Records — While many owner/operators are one-man (or woman) operations, some owner/operators need to maintain driver records for a hired co-driver or other drivers that they employ.
Fuel Reports — You may be hundreds or thousands of miles from home, but you’re still responsible for maintaining accurate records of your trips so that you can file fuel reports. This feature gives you the ability to compile the necessary information to compile your fuel reports, while minimizing your expenses.
IFTA Reports — Any driver that has ever spent hours reconstructing trips in order to comply with IFTA mileage reporting requirements knows that this can be a real pain in the neck. However, IFTA reports are easier to generate because some of these trucking software applications take information from your trip sheets and automatically export it to the IFTA reporting feature of the software — freeing you to drive.
Truck and Trailer Maintenance Records — Not only are good maintenance records critical to your ability to properly maintain your equipment, it is also important for D.O.T. compliance purposes. Another reason that this is important is because your equipment will eventually be traded-in for newer equipment — and accurate record can help to ensure that your trade-in allowance is as high as possible.
Dispatch software – It’s no secret that the larger your fleet, the greater your need for software with greater performance capabilities. Having the ability to handle all aspects off truck and load dispatching is critical to your success – and dispatch software provides many of the features that can enable you to manage all of the moving parts of your business so that your business can operate much more efficiently. [click to read more…]
Regardless of how good your driving record is or the fact that you haven’t filed any insurance claims, about once per year you go through the never-ending cycle of seeing your trucking insurance premiums increase. While many of the reasons for insurance premium increases are out of your hands, there are some things you can do to improve the chances that your trucker insurance increases don’t outpace your ability to pay.
1) Police your driving record — The cost of your semi truck insurance is directly tied to your driving record. While you might like getting out into the hammer lane and flying past all the other slow-pokes on the road, tickets (and increased risk of accidents) often follow. Your driving record is critical to keeping your truck driver insurance premiums in check, so avoid tickets like the plague. If you get one, do your best to minimize its impact. Since it has gotten much more difficult to make tickets “disappear” with the help of a good lawyer, your best bet is to slow down and avoid getting them in the first place.
2) Protect your credit — What does your credit have to do with your insurance rates? Plenty. Many insurance companies have begun assigning risk scores to their customers and potential customers based upon a variety of factors, including age, marital status, and credit scores. You may disagree with the policy, but insurance companies argue that customers with lower credit scores also tend to be less careful drivers. Some states don’t allow this practice, but many do. If yours does, simply paying your bills on-time can help you to save money on your truck insurance. [click to read more…]
