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

Try Reliance Partners for insurance. 877-668-1704

 

Did you get it?

 

Hello, yes, we are still in business. We do basically run the east coast all the way from FL to the Canada border but do venture westward into midwest states (trucker's triangle). We have our authority for both vehicles and freight, but are likely going back to freight-only, as the added-on insurance and associated costs/effort to haul .33/mile cars is just not really worth the effort. Currently, we stay under 26k with our truck/trailer combo and stay a clean setup. This has paid off in very few stoppages at weigh stations and DOT checkpoints. In fact, to date, we have only had to show our papers to one checkpoint, a FL Ag check station where a newb officer had to show off to her trainer, that she could try to find out what radio tower parts was that we were open hauling...when the truckers behind us started honking their air horns, she let us pass pretty quickly...LOL. Our current setup is a Ford F-250 3/4 ton srw with a 36' gooseneck wood deck flat trailer. We've loved the life so far! Not buckets of money to be made, but lots of good times, nice people and decent money. Worst part of job...slow-moving shippers & greedy brokers...I think most will agree on those-- xD xD xD.

 

Am old as dirt - first career was as a pilot, first in the Navy and then commercial/corporate. After that got CDL and drove OTR for about 3 years for carrier - mostly beer, glass and paper, always very heavy. Not impressed with that operation - not one single person was running legal, would get next load before even finishing drop with no sleep time and dispatch was not happy if you said you had to shut down.

Taking a look at myself and my son doing some hotshot.

Great thread with some good people spending their time to answer questions - I, and I am sure others, appreciate it.

From what I see here, everyone is running truck/flatbed trailers. I was thinking of using box truck. Is that not an option? Would leasing from Penske not be an option?

Tks - jb

 

Box trucks are usually expediters. Yeah, you'll see them around, Panther comes to mind. Some even use vans, like a Sprinter.
Very slow this time of year. Seems like they sit all day, run hard all night.

 

Thank you, Sir - appreciate it. What about cargo vans - less expense to get into?

 

I have a few questions also....

I recently bought a 2017 RAM 3500 I’m currently employed in south Texas in the oilfield. I’ve spoken to some hot shot guys around here and they have nothing bad to say about it. My concern is my truck sits for 5 wks at a time most occasions and wanted to have a relative drive it. If I take the short way and lease onto a company....the previous threads say there isn’t any money to be made. How true is that

 

Seems like I’ve read this post before? Maybe the same post was made somewhere else? Or maybe I read it before and didn’t have time to reply ? I talk to so many people it’s hard to keep track.

Anyways, yeah leasing is a bad idea. In my opinion there’s just not enough money for all parties involved. That % you give up is what allows a Owner Operator to do well. Not saying the company doing the leasing doesn't earn what they get out of the deal. I’m just saying by the time they take their cut, the Owner Operator comes up short.

 

Hope you all are keeping busy out there. We have more loads than we know what to do with. Even when a load cancels at the last minute like we had happen yesterday, within minutes we have another load to replace it. Not to mention rates are still on the rise.