HOTSHOT · CDL AND NON-CDL · 26 FT MINIMUM
Hot shot dispatch service that works inside your weight limits
Hotshot work is fast, flexible and hard on equipment. A pickup or medium-duty truck pulling a gooseneck runs close to its limits on most loads, and the loads themselves are often urgent. Our hot shot dispatch service finds and negotiates freight that fits your weight ratings, plans around a severe-service maintenance schedule, and leaves every decision with you.
We dispatch hotshot rigs with a deck of at least 26 ft, CDL and non-CDL. The fee for a single hotshot is 7% of gross, with no setup fee and no contract.
02 · DISPATCH VS DIY
Hotshot dispatcher or do it yourself?
Plenty of hotshot drivers dispatch themselves, and some do it well. The trade is time. Hotshot loads are often short-notice, which means the good ones go to whoever calls first, and that is hard to do from the driver's seat with a gooseneck behind you.
The table compares the two honestly. If you have the time and the broker contacts, the board may be enough. If loads keep slipping past while you are driving, loading or sleeping, that is where a dispatcher earns the fee.
| SELF-DISPATCHED | WITH US | |
|---|---|---|
| Finding loads | Boards and calls between runs | Desk works boards and brokers all day |
| Rate | Often the posted number | Negotiated, extras included |
| Weight checks | On you | Checked against your ratings first |
| Next load | Found after delivery | Lined up before delivery |
| Who decides | You | You, on every load |
| Cost | Your time | 7% of gross on hauled loads |
The severe-service strip
Most truck makers publish two maintenance schedules: normal and severe. Towing heavy loads, running in heat and climbing grades put hotshot work on the severe side almost every day. The intervals are shorter, and they are in your owner's manual, not in a forum thread.
- Engine oil and filter. Usually a shorter interval under severe service.
- Transmission fluid and cooler. Heat is the enemy of an automatic under load.
- Differential and axle fluid. Often skipped, rarely forgiven.
- Brakes on truck and trailer. Inspect pads, shoes and trailer brake function often.
- Tires. Load range and pressure must match the weight on each axle.
- Hitch and gooseneck ball. Wear, cracks and safety chains at every pre-trip.
Share your intervals and we plan around them. Our preventive maintenance schedule generator turns them into a printable calendar.
Non-CDL hotshot dispatch and CDL rigs
Whether a hotshot needs a CDL depends on weight ratings. Under federal rules, a combination with a gross combination weight rating over 26,000 lb, towing a trailer rated over 10,000 lb, generally needs a Class A CDL. Many hotshot operators keep their rated combination at or under 26,000 lb so they can run without a CDL.
The trade-off is payload. A non-CDL rig can carry less, which limits the loads it can take. A CDL rig can haul more but brings the DOT drug and alcohol testing program with it. We dispatch both and match loads to the ratings you give us.
Hotshot dispatching services: freight we look for
- Oilfield and energy. Parts, pipe and equipment on short notice.
- Construction. Small machinery, steel and materials to jobsites.
- Agricultural. Equipment and parts in planting and harvest seasons.
- Expedited partials. Loads too small or too urgent for a full flatbed.
Hotshot freight moves fast, so we confirm weight and dimensions with the broker before the load reaches you, not after you arrive at the shipper.
Weight is the whole game
A hotshot rig has less margin than a semi. The truck's rating, the trailer's rating, the hitch rating and each axle all set limits, and the tightest one wins. We ask for all of them on the first call and check every load against them. If a load would put you over, it does not reach you.
Scales are your friend. Weigh when you are unsure, and keep the tickets. Our guide to truck weight limits explains the federal rules and why states differ.
Securing hotshot loads
Hotshot loads are often mixed: a skid of parts, a piece of equipment and some pipe on one deck. Each needs its own securement under the cargo rules in 49 CFR 393. We send the commodity, piece count, weight and dimensions with every offer so you can plan the straps and chains before you arrive.
What every hotshot offer includes
Hotshot loads often come with half the details missing, which is how drivers end up at a shipper with a load that does not fit. Before an offer reaches you, we get the commodity, piece count, total weight and the weight of the heaviest piece, dimensions, loading method, pickup window and delivery address. If any of it is missing, we ask the broker first.
You check it against your truck, trailer and hitch ratings, then answer. If it does not fit, say no. That costs you nothing.
Why speed matters in hotshot
Hotshot freight is often urgent: a broken machine waiting on a part, a crew waiting on materials. The broker who posts it wants a truck now, and the first reliable carrier on the phone usually gets it. That is the gap a dispatch desk fills, because someone is watching and calling while you are driving, loading or resting.
Speed also cuts the other way. A load that has to be there by morning may push you against your hours or your maintenance schedule. We tell you the timing up front so you can say no to the ones that do not fit.
Gooseneck and trailer upkeep
The trailer works as hard as the truck. Check tires, brakes, lights, breakaway battery, deck boards, ramps and the gooseneck coupler at every pre-trip, and service bearings on the trailer maker's schedule. A wheel bearing that fails on the shoulder at highway speed is a dangerous problem. Bearing and brake work is for a qualified technician if you are not trained for it.
Hot shot dispatch fee
A single hotshot pays 7% of gross on loads hauled. Hotshot loads are shorter-notice and lower-revenue per load than full truckloads, with more calls per dollar, so the rate is higher than our 5% for single trucks on larger equipment. Two or more trucks with authority older than six months pay 4% while the fleet rate lasts. No setup fee, no minimum, month-to-month with 30 days notice. See the full fee rules.
A hotshot week on our desk
An EXAMPLE week for one non-CDL hotshot, not a real result. Monday we offer an expedited parts load that fits the payload with room to spare; the owner takes it and signs the rate confirmation. Tuesday we have a construction partial ready near the delivery, plus a second piece that would have put the rig over its rating, so we leave that one out.
Wednesday is a short agricultural run toward home. Thursday the truck is due for its severe-service oil and transmission fluid change, so we keep the day clear. Friday a short local load closes the week. The weekly report lists each load and fee.
Home time in hotshot work
Hotshot freight can run long or stay regional. Tell us your radius and the nights you want at home, and we plan loads that point back toward home in time. When an expedited run pays enough to be worth the miles, we bring it as an option.
Starting hotshot on a new authority
Hotshot is a common first business for new carriers. Brokers see a lot of new hotshot MCs, and some are cautious. We start with brokers that accept newer carriers and freight that fits your rig. Read dispatch for new authorities for the first months.
When the rig goes down
Get safe, check the load is secure, then call the desk. We contact the broker, explain what happened and what the shop is saying, and work through the options for the load. Outcomes depend on the broker, the freight and the repair time, so we give you straight answers rather than promises.
When we are not the right fit
If your deck is shorter than 26 ft, we cannot dispatch it. If you already have a customer who keeps your hotshot busy all week, keep them. We are most useful when good loads keep going to whoever called first, and that is not you because you are driving.
YOUR CALL
Your hotshot, your call on every load
We bring each load with the commodity, weight, dimensions and rate. You check it against your ratings, then say yes, counter or no. The broker sends the rate confirmation to you to sign.
EXAMPLE load offer
- 1. Offer
- 2. Your call
- 3. Rate con to you
- 4. Check calls
Dallas, TX to Atlanta, GA · 780 mi · $2.35/mi · pickup Tue 8:00
Questions carriers ask
How much does hot shot dispatch cost?
How often should a hotshot truck be serviced?
Do I need a CDL to hotshot?
Can you dispatch a new MC hotshot?
Will you force me to take loads?
Keep your hotshot rolling
About 2 minutes. No setup fee. No contract. Every load is your call.