Hot Shot, have equipment, help me get started.

Follow Midwest1 advice. Also FBC is sharing life experiences when he writes.

 

Progressive: $10,400/year. Details: 750k combined, 5k cover myself personal, 30k uninsured motorist, and 150k cargo. New cdl, new business, new dot/mc. This is for a MDT (class 6) pulling a 40' gooseneck(25k).

 

Include yourself and Ryan...ya'll are good people!

 

Just read this thread Grable... Did you ever get started, or have they all totally disillusioned you from starting?

 

You see a lot of that here, and not just with O/O-type stuff. Lotta disinformation all over the place. When I first came on here I knew zero about the industry. It took a while to figure out what was good and what was bad info. I still double-check most stuff, if I can.

It's still a great forum, though. First place I look to when I need info.

 

Text or call me some of these quotes are ridiculous! I recently stopped transporting because my wife hated it, but I loved it. I live in New Hampshire and the insurance may be cheaper as I was paying $7,000 a year which I thought was high. I moved cars and motorcycles and could do about $2,500 in 4 days total. I have a two car bumper pull Applachian trailer and a homemade dolly that I pull up onto my flatbed Ram that can haul two motorcycles. I used Central Dispatch to haul off from although it can be difficult at first as most broker want to see at least six months hauling before they will dispatch to you. I also used Uship which I a joke, but it might be a good starting place to get some reviews. You should have a dually to haul with though they are more stable when pulling a trailer. I am actually selling my combination truck and trailer if you or anyone is looking for one. It is a 2014 Ram 3500 diesel with 105000 miles in like new condition as is the trailer. I had the trailer derated brand new to 12000 lbs. to stay under the 26000 gvw because the Ram 4 door 4x4 is 14000 gvw. You will need to use a new elog book. Call me glad to help! Thanks, Dan Burbank Stork Transport 603.236.6749

 

You’re new? LEASE TO SOMEONE. Progressive is the only company that insures new MC hotshotters. $1600 a month. I had one mark on my insurance. It was $1400 a month before that. They check a “clue” report that keeps any insurance payout on file even if your MVR is clean (such as a comprehensive claim-or if you break off a mailbox-YOU ARE AT FAULT)
If you’re new you won’t get loads. Most shippers won’t load a new MC number. Many require ramps and air ride trailers. All require $1 milllion liability and $100k cargo or you will not find freight. Your dispatcher needs to make sure your factoring company will pay, and your equipment can be loaded and u loaded, and he needs to make sure they take new MC drivers.
Your factoring company may not pay the loads you do find. It’s been 2 months and I’m still waiting payment on a load. That one $1800 ####up by my dispatcher killed me. Trust me I threw everything I had and tried to get loads with a 10k capacity (non cdl). I bought the right insurance. Bought e logs. Bought truck and trailer. Chains. Binders. Tarps. Straps. I could not get backhauls. I could not get good paying loads. I had one good load per week. Fuel ate me up. 12 mpg. 3.30 a gallon. Motels 65-85 a night. You will fail UNLESS you can live out of your truck and DO NOT MOVE until you get a load. It’s not impossible but hotels and deadhead ate me up. Best paying loads are CDL weights so do it right the first time. Get the right tools for the job. Do not limit yourself as I did. Get a truck with a sleeper. Get your CDL (borrow a gooseneck farm truck if you have to and take your road test in that)
Be able to haul 20k. Have ramps. Have air ride. Have a sleeper. Otherwise lease to someone, let them payroll deduct insurance and be ready to stay on the road 2-3 weeks at a time.

 

Glen is calling it as he sees it, and I agree with what he is saying. It takes time to figure things out. And a lot of disinformation out there. Also depends on where you are located (geographically - that will determine exactly what is available to haul) at starting out. Also finding the right dispatcher starting out helps tremendously. Even if they are halfway effective, they will buy you enough time to figure it out. Good luck to the new O/O starting out. There is a lot of great information on this thread and this forum as a whole. Looking at threads by Rolling Coal ( in his discussions ) I have gained a lot of insight about rate negotiation. Now he is not doing hotshot or flatbed, (he pulls a van) but his explanation of how he does this in real time is beneficial to anyone in this industry. Also reading the Brokers part of the forum lends insight from the broker’s point of view.