So you want to hot-shot? (Will be updated/edited frequently)

I've never had a broker ask me directly how old or new my equipment was. I have owned four 7.3 diesels and they were all great trucks. It might a good truck to get started with but if your on the road often you will want to something newer just for the sake of reliability.

 

My wife & I are in the midst of startup procedures involving our new LLC...operating authority, MC#, BOC-3, insurance (yay), equipment needs and such. We're no Spring chickens, but still have plenty of years to run around the barn....I have tremendously appreciated the helpful commentary on this site from those of you that would like to see someone starting out succeed...Kudos to you FBC, Midwest, Ryan, Lite Bug & many others in the Hot Shot field of dreams...we're pushing forward towards the starting gate of "granted authority". Please not to sound gruff, but from what I have already experienced in the setup process of becoming a light transport (under 26k) hotshot company, I have to say the FMCSA and the orbiting DOT entities should be ashamed of themselves of how convoluted and misdirected necessary information & regulatory needs for proper transportation business startup are & how it's accessible. You should not have to have a law degree just to be a light transport LLC driver ---guess that's my 2 cents worth on the soapbox...Ya'll have a great weekend, take care & stay safe out there

 

Deregulate!

 

I fill for ya, be leave me. Heck working for the military department and National Guard , Has taught me alot on how to read and find information like this but still; its ridiculous. I think its done on purpose so they can hit you with fines when you miss read or don't find the correct information.

 

This is my first post on this forum and I am obviously intrigued by the hot shot industry. I live in Ohio and I'm getting ready to retire in a few months and had high hopes of getting into this industry. My questions is, how in the world are guys doing this by staying under 26,001 lbs. and without a CDL? I have a 2006 Dodge dually that has a 12,200 lbs. GVWR and the trailer I was looking at it a PJ 30+5 that has a GVWR of 15,680 lbs. which obviously puts me at 27,880 lbs. Since I don't have a Class A, I started looking at other trailer options to stay under the 26,001 and can't seem to find any. Also, I see a lot of guys on the road that appear to be hot shot drivers that are running 1 ton dually's and around a 30 foot gooseneck and it seems like it's hard to believe that all of those guys have Class A's. It just doesn't seem cost effective to spend around $5,000 to $6,000 dollars to go get a CDL just so you can drive a pick up truck with a gooseneck and around 10,000 lbs. of freight on the trailer. Am I missing something here are am I understanding this correctly.

 

Thank you for the info I am working with a 48 ft trailer gooseneck, In a few months I will be looking for other trailers and trucks .

 

Welcome and good luck.
First off, the mfr's gvwr of the truck and trailer combo is simply the maximum allowable, not the amount it must be licensed for. You could still license at 26,001 knowing the combo will handle the weight.
To get a class A (at least in PA) you just need to pass the written and road test. That shouldn't cost much, definitely not $5-6k. Get the books and study, or take a course.
Lots of guys already had their classA from driving semi's, and just went smaller.

 

So if I understand you correctly, even though the sticker on my truck says it has a GVWR of 12,200 lbs, I can re register it for 10,320 lbs. and run the above PJ trailer that has a GVWR of 15,680 which would put me at 26,000 lbs. combined and be legal and not need a CDL?

 

Nope, you still need a CDL.

Class A: Any combination of vehicles which has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more) whichever is greater, inclusive of a towed unit(s) with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) whichever is greater.

Drivers

You could plate your truck at 26k and avoid IFTA as that is based on registered weight and not manufacturer's gvwr but you'd be hard pressed to avoid a CDL as that IS based on ratings, not just actual weight. Even if you did, you'd be extra limited on what you could haul