Hotshot Dispatch Service for Owner-Operators
Our hotshot dispatch service books expedited, equipment and oilfield loads matched to your gooseneck, dovetail or bumper pull and your preferred radius, for a flat 8% of weekly gross.
What our hotshot dispatchers handle
Hotshot is about speed and fit. Smaller, time-sensitive loads on a pickup and gooseneck, dovetail or bumper pull, often going straight to a job site. Your hotshot dispatcher's job is to keep short runs lined up so you're not sitting, and to match every load to what your rig can legally and safely carry.
- Load sourcing for expedited freight, construction and oilfield equipment and other partial loads that fit your deck length and weight capacity.
- Rate negotiation that reflects urgency. Expedited and specialized loads should pay more, and we ask for it.
- Radius planning around how far you want to run and when you need to be home.
- Weight checks against your truck and trailer ratings before you accept.
- Broker vetting before every booking.
- Detention and TONU recovered from the broker when a job site holds you or a load cancels.
Hotshot at a glance
| Rates | Swing widely by urgency and niche: general freight pays less, expedited and oilfield work pays more. |
|---|---|
| Our fee | Flat 8% of the gross |
| Most common equipment | Heavy duty pickup (F-350 or Ram 3500 class and up) with a gooseneck, dovetail or bumper pull trailer |
| Common freight | Construction equipment, oilfield equipment, expedited LTL freight |
| CDL requirement | Class A when the combined weight rating is 26,001 lbs or more and the trailer is rated over 10,000 lbs. Most one-ton pickups with a gooseneck cross both lines. |
| Best season | Tracks construction and energy activity |
Do you need a CDL for hotshot?
Trailer length has nothing to do with it. The federal rule, 49 CFR 383.91, looks at two weight ratings, and you need a Class A CDL when both are true:
- The truck and trailer's gross combination weight rating (GCWR) is 26,001 lbs or more. GCWR is the manufacturer's combined rating, or the truck's GVWR plus the trailer's GVWR, whichever is higher. If the rig actually weighs more than that on the scale, the higher actual weight counts.
- The trailer's own rating (GVWR) is over 10,000 lbs.
A de-rated trailer can keep you under those lines, but you haul less per load. Placarded hazmat needs a CDL at any weight. Check your own rig with our hotshot CDL calculator.
Just getting started? Here's how to start hotshot trucking, step by step. We walk through five example rigs, how to find your ratings and when a non-CDL hotshot setup actually makes sense in the hotshot CDL rule explained.
Insurance and medical card
Most hotshot rigs are rated over 10,000 lbs, which means a DOT medical card for interstate work and at least $750,000 in liability insurance for general freight. Many brokers ask for $1,000,000 liability plus cargo coverage. Check your policy limits before your first load.
Gooseneck, dovetail or bumper pull
The trailer you pull decides which loads your dispatcher can book. Tell us your deck length, ramps and ratings during setup, and we'll search for freight that fits.
- Gooseneck. The most common hotshot setup. The hitch sits over the truck's rear axle, so it carries more weight and tows steadier on long runs. Good for equipment, pipe and building materials.
- Dovetail with ramps. A sloped rear section makes drive-on loads like tractors, skid steers and vehicles easier to load and unload.
- Bumper pull. Lighter and cheaper, often kept under the CDL line, and suited to smaller expedited loads and parts runs.
Weighing hotshot against a full-size rig? See how all six equipment types compare on our equipment comparison, or what changes with a tractor and flatbed dispatch.
Why hotshot owner-operators choose us
Loads that fit your weight ratings
We check every load against your truck and trailer ratings before booking. An overweight hotshot load isn't a good rate, it's a ticket.
Short runs that connect
Hotshot money comes from staying busy. We line up the next run while you're unloading, inside the radius you set.
Where hotshot freight is strongest
Hotshot loads follow oilfields, plants and farms. These states keep hotshots busy:
- Oklahoma: oilfield parts and equipment in the central and western part of the state.
- Louisiana: oilfield and plant parts around Lafayette, Lake Charles and the Gulf Coast.
- Michigan: expedited auto parts when a plant line is waiting.
- Iowa: farm equipment parts and machinery during planting and harvest.
How hotshot dispatch works with us
- Send your docs. MC authority, insurance certificate, W-9, voided check and the signed dispatch agreement.
- Get matched. We learn your truck and trailer ratings, deck length, home base and radius.
- Loads get booked. We match loads to your trailer, weight ratings and radius, then send the rate confirmation for your OK.
- You haul and get paid. The broker pays you or your factor directly.
See what's on the setup checklist.
New to hotshot with a fresh MC? We dispatch new authorities from day one. Here's how our new authority dispatch works.
What hotshot dispatch costs
A flat 8% of the gross. On a load that pays $1,500 in total, our fee is $120. Hotshot loads pay less per load than a full truckload, so your dispatcher books more of them each week, and the 8% reflects that work.
See our hotshot dispatch fees next to every other equipment type, or read about our dispatch for owner-operators.
Hotshot dispatch questions
What trailer do I need for hotshot dispatch?▾
Most commonly a gooseneck, dovetail or bumper pull trailer paired with a one ton or heavier pickup. Exact needs depend on the freight you want to haul.
Is hotshot trucking profitable for a new owner-operator?▾
It can be, especially with lower startup costs than a full size tractor trailer. Profitability depends on your lane choices, fuel costs, and how consistently your dispatcher keeps you loaded.
What is the difference between hotshot and flatbed dispatch?▾
Hotshot typically uses smaller trailers and trucks for time sensitive, shorter haul freight. Flatbed dispatch uses larger trailers and tractor trailer combinations for heavier or larger freight.
Do you book expedited loads for hotshot drivers?▾
Yes. Expedited, time critical freight is one of the main freight types hotshot dispatch focuses on.
Do I need a CDL for hotshot trucking?▾
It depends on weight ratings, not trailer length. You need a Class A CDL when your truck and trailer's combined rating (GCWR) is 26,001 lbs or more and the trailer alone is rated over 10,000 lbs. Most one-ton pickups with a gooseneck cross both lines.
Do you dispatch new hotshot authorities?▾
Yes, from the day your MC goes active. Many brokers want some time in business, so your dispatcher focuses your search on brokers that take new hotshot carriers.
What's a realistic weekly income for a hotshot owner-operator?▾
It swings more than most trucking. Expedited and oilfield runs pay well, general freight pays less, and volume rises and falls with construction and energy work. How busy you stay matters more than any one rate. Start with our cost per mile guide, then your dispatcher can quote what loads in your radius pay.
Can hotshot dispatch work alongside a regular day job at first?▾
Some carriers do start part time, but consistent freight access usually requires being available during normal freight hours. Talk to your dispatcher about what's realistic for your schedule.
Keep your hotshot rig loaded
Tell us your truck, your trailer and your preferred radius.