Hotshot help re-visited.

Probably the same type of questions you’ve seen before, but this time with some refined parameters. For starters I hold a CDL-A. Been a company man pulling a 48’ flatbed all around the lower 48 for about 2 years now. I’m not afraid of running anywhere and everywhere for weeks or months at a time. But I don’t intend to run my arse off in an effort to line somebody else’s pockets until the day I die. At some point I’m doing this for my own financial gain.

1. Is there good money in hot-shoting ? Meaning could you net 100 - 150 k per year if you’re willing to run ?

2. Is the freight there ? Does it generally stay there ?

Some other statements to take into consideration : I don’t have any personal customer connections at this point, so I would definitely start out leased onto somebody like Landstar. I don’t really like the idea of giving up 27% of the load but you gotta start somewhere. I would think after a couple or three years I might have learned some things about the owner op side as well as have developed relationships with shippers and identified good areas to exploit. Then I would stand a better chance of stepping out completely on my own.

I do not currently have a truck but I have the capital and credit to buy it.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

......Some more to add.

I’ve been considering buying a semi tractor and running flatbed leased onto Landstar. But if I do that, I will likely buy a new tractor from the outset. I just don’t want the risk of inheriting a used tractor that I have to sink big money for unscheduled maintenance into right from the start.

With that in mind, I’m figuring the (new) equipment cost and operating cost might be about half in hot shot verses a semi tractor trailer. To me that’s less of a risk.

......But is the freight there ???

 

I don’t know what’s possible in hot-shot hauling, that’s why I ask. I know you can make that kind of money on the flatbed side if you’re willing to run. I’ve talked to too many O/O on that side to disbelieve it. Some have even shown me their numbers (incoming and outgoing).