Hot shot setup-will this work?

The whole Trucking industry is in a bad shape. Forget about hotshot.
If you have a Cdl go work for class a companies and make some money.

 

Seems like a quick way to destroy the Dodge. At best sell it to some guy looking for a 24V to put in a GM and put the money towards a 4x4.

 

Just Say No.

 

You don't need 4x4 unless you are planning on doing off road work, in fact, it hurts your weights a little.

From what I can find, the maximum GCWR for that truck is 20K with the truck GVWR of 8800. Max trailer weight of 13,900. As I recall, a 14K trailer weighs about 6K. So, you are going to be left with about 8K payload.

If you got a newer 3500/350, you get get a 10K GVWR truck and pull a 16K trailer, although, you have a CDL, so I don't see why you'd limit yourself. Usually, hotshotters don't want to get a CDL.

If you really want to do this, find a truck and a drop deck, but as others have said, it's a mess right now.

 

I don’t think you have enough truck

4 wheel drives don’t keep vehicles out of the ditch in bad weather as much as most believe

Sounds like you have a plan to run all over??
If so that truck gets pretty small in short order

If you plan to run local in like Texas then it’s a different situation but still don’t think you have the right vehicle

 

Your truck will limit you to much. I ran a 3500 ram with a 40' PJ trailer and still only had 15K capacity. Hot shotting is a mess right now as others have mentioned. 2-2.50 a mile is top end of RPM and with fuel price now, it is awful. Get a job as a company driver and make what you can until things even out. Or sell the truck and get into a semi. Our O/O pulling skateboards are doing pretty good right now. Our Hot Shotter's are struggling.

 

getting into any sort of trucking venture right now is probably a bad idea. Freight is slowing down and fuel is 6 bucks. At some point it will get better but right now forget it. Find a better job and ride it out for a couple years and see what happens. The Dodge I’d just hang onto as a personal rig and go straight to a big truck if/when the opportunity presents itself. You’d have an easier time making a living. But I wouldn’t buy a big truck or a hotshot trailer right now anyway with the bad situation and high prices on used equipment.

 

About the only thing a 3/4 ton single rear would be good for, if you were hell bent on putting it to work, would be convincing one of the smaller RV hauling companies in Elkhart County to let you lease it on. (The larger ones won’t because of the age of the truck). Arguably those are ideal specs for hauling small to medium size campers and probably can do 20-22 MPG driving back empty with an old 24v Cummins and 2wd. About the only major investment would be a 60-70 gallon slip tank in the bed. But, RV’s are going to be slowing down pretty quick if they haven’t already and the rates haven’t seemed to keep up with the fuel prices IMO. $2/mile isn’t enough when fuel is $5.50-6. You need more like $2.50 to be able to drive back empty and still make out okay.