r/HotShotTrucking

Contemplating starting an owner operator hotshot business. Currently a wildland firefighter working for the state. Solid job with good pay but just getting burnt out.

I've been doing alot of research the past couple months and think im in a unique position to be successful, just nervous about the unknown.

Here's what I've got so far. I'd be setting up a C Corp, with me being an employee of the company. About 140k capital to invest in the business. Planning on a 5500 and 30k 40ft gooseneck (I've had my CDL for about 6 years). Thinking 75k down-payment and financing about 40k for the equipment, giving me about a $1000 payment/month. About another 30k for startup (insurance paid up front, securement, compliance, electronics/software, etc.) leaving the business with a 35k cushion in the bank account.

Fixed expenses will be about 3k/month. If I average about 1800 miles a week total and pay myself .60/ mile, that comes out to about 972 per week for fuel, and 1300 per week in pay (including withholdings). So say a total of around 13k for expenses per month at the 1800 mile per week average. If i plan on about 20% deadhead it comes out to roughly 6200 loaded miles per month. At a $2/loaded mile average im at 12480 monthly revenue. So the business is at a net loss of about $500 a month with no maintenance fund retained (which is where the 35k buffer comes in). Ideally I'd be at $2.5/loaded mile average and have a $2600 net profit for the business, maintaining the 35k buffer and growing a maintenance fund.

I know the first 3/6 months will be a major struggle and still tough up until a year. Goal is to eventually run regional and be home most nights, as well as secure some direct contracts. But starting out im willing to do whatevers needed and go wherever to hit my mileage and rate goals.

My question is how realistic are my numbers (miles/week and rate per mile) starting out.

And if anyone has any thoughts/critiques into my "business plan".

Appreciate any insight!

I run a hotshot business, which is basically one truck and one trailer. I haul time-sensitive freight. Small loads, short trips and constant travel

I've been doing it for a year. I'm busy and I’m always on the road. The money comes in but I don't actually know if I'm making a profit.

I factored in fuel. Maintenance. Insurance. Tires. Downtime. The numbers don't line up.

I found NUMEO which builds dashboards. Like I uploaded my records and it gave me a nice-looking chart. It showed me where I'm losing money. The loss figures looked big. Too big…

Now I'm worried. Did I mess something up in my records? Or is the AI right? Is my business not as profitable as I thought?

I'm suspicious. The algorithm might be double-counting something. Or it might be missing a key part of my business.

Has anyone else used this kind of tool for a hotshot or trucking business? Does the data actually match your experience? Or do the losses look worse than they really are?

Well.. I just need to know if this is a useful tool or just another piece of software that makes you feel bad about your business. Any real examples would help

TBH I'm tired of guessing and I need to know the truth

A strong rate can look a lot different after deadhead, tolls, expected wait time, fuel, and the chance of finding a decent reload are factored in. 

Owner-operators, what numbers do you run before accepting a load? And which cost do you think newer operators are most likely to overlook?   

Please explain it to me like I’m five.
Let’s say you are driving and you finish the job you drop off at location and you only have an hour left of driving time, but your house is two hours away. I don’t have a load with me just my trailer. Can I go home?

I have my CDL A but with an automatic restriction. I’m trying to get it removed and as far as I know I have to go get another permit. If that’s the case what do I study and if not what’s the process?

For those factoring, how closely do you track what comes back on the statement?

I have seen a fair number of complaints about reserve money held with no clear reason, chargebacks that show up without an explanation, and account closings where the escrow takes months to come back. What I cannot tell from the outside is whether people usually catch that stuff right away or find it late.

Do you reconcile the factoring statement against what you invoiced, or trust it and watch the balance? And when something is wrong, is getting it fixed usually simple or a fight?

If you got your authority in the last 6-12 months and have your New Entrant Safety Audit coming up, make sure your Driver Qualification Files (DQFs) are actually in order.

A lot of guys running 1-3 trucks assume that as long as their CDL/med card is valid and they're not failing roadside inspections, the audit will be a breeze. But the auditor will ask for a complete physical or digital qualification folder for every driver operating under your DOT (including yourself if you're an owner-operator).

If you're missing basic paperwork, they can hit you with automatic violations ($1k+ per driver).

Here’s the basic 7-part folder checklist the FMCSA/state auditor will want to see:

1. Driver Application (Part 391.21) — Needs the full 3-year employment history (10 years if CDL driving) and accident history. Must be signed before the driver was ever dispatched.
2. Safety Performance Inquiries (Part 391.23) — You need written inquiries sent to every past employer from the previous 3 years asking about accidents and drug/alcohol history. Even if past employers never replied, you need proof in the folder that you attempted to contact them (certified mail receipt, fax confirmation, email timestamp).
3. MVR Pulls (Part 391.25) — Initial state motor vehicle record pulled within 30 days of hire, PLUS an annual MVR pulled every 12 months with the signed annual review note.
4. Med Card + Registry Verification (Part 391.43) — Valid DOT medical certificate, PLUS proof that you verified the clinic/doctor is listed on the National Registry (NRCME).
5. Road Test Certificate (Part 391.31) — Or a clear copy of their CDL if that covers the vehicle class.
6. Pre-Employment Drug Test Result & Clearinghouse Full Query (Part 382) — Verified negative MRO drug result on file *before* driving, plus a completed full query in the FMCSA Clearinghouse.
7. Organized Retention (Part 391.51) — Files must be kept the entire duration of employment plus 3 years after they leave.

The most common scramble I see is carriers waiting until they get the audit notification letter, and then panicking trying to get previous employer verification letters from 9 months ago.

I put together a clean 2-page printable checklist PDF and a quick browser check tool that runs through these exact items so you can audit your own folders before the state does. Zero paywalls or email gates.

Drop a comment if you want the PDF link or have any questions about specific Part 391 requirements. Stay safe out there!

I posted about getting a quote and didnt really get any info..im getting the most ridiculous quotes between 4k each to 6k each. Initially it was 2995 for the Ford and 3245 for the ram. But now idk whats going on. Im leaving state in 10 days and my trucks will be stuck. Can someone reach out?

My price range is about 3200 each.

PLEASEEE HELP!

I have 2007 Mitsubishi eclipse and a 2001 Chevy Silverado 1500 from 34985 to 30252. Looking for quotes

I am the wife to a potential o/o. I am doing my due diligence before my husband and a partner go into business together. I am running numbers and I am finding I have a few assumptions I need to make, and I don't know how reliably I can make those assumptions.

They are discussing working lanes from las vegas, NV to Dallas, TX to Denver, CO back to LV, NV. They are looking to do a non CDL set up with probably something like a diesal Ram dually with a 30' goodeneck trailer. They still need to make the purchase and my husband wants my ok.

So, my biggest assumption is this. They will be running their own new MC, how realistic is it that they will be able to get these lanes, lv to dal to denver to lv 3 or 4 times a month straight from the get with no experience and no connections and 100% using the boards. If i understand correctly it can be difficult to get work with a new MC.

There are other assumptions as well but this one is the biggest. I know if they can do that, than financially it can makes sense, but if that is in no way shape or form realistic things get expensive fast. I want to confidently give my husband and his friend the green light but I am stuck on this one thing. Any help is wonderful :)

Bonus question: any one have experience with 2 driver hot shot teams with a sleeper berth conversion kit? My understanding is even in the crew cab SB while moving is illegal?

I (25F) am in a position to accept training and then a full time commitment with a family owned company called Raider Express based out of DFW. They’ll pay for my lodging (I’m coming from Austin Tx to DFW)
charge me $0 for training to get my CDL (automatic only :/ ) no contract, .28 cents a mile during 28 days of OTR training, and then .45 cents a mile thereafter (with an $800/wk guarantee). Mostly reefer in the Midwest. My trucker bf says this isn’t worth shit, but all the other new truckers I’ve talked to all say you gotta just bite the bullet and do your ~1 year experience with a mega - making less than ideal $. I have 10 years in restaurant experience, but have wanted to leave to get into a trade for a long time. I want to learn as much as I can and get into specialized as quickly as possible.
Thoughts?
My other option is to pay $4500 for CDL school locally (they DO teach manual as opposed to Raider) and then hope I can find a decent job that will hire with no experience (local preferred but probably OTR)

Hi! Looking to run some empty shipping containers on hot shot trailers here soon. What are you guys charging per-mile roughly to do so?

These would be coming out of Southern California

Hello everyone,

I’m a semi-truck driver and have been driving for about five years. I’ve decided to take a break from driving for someone else and start working toward buying my own semi-truck.

For now, I’m looking to buy a pickup truck and use it for hotshot to save money toward purchasing my semi in the future.

I’d like to hear your recommendations between:

1. RAM 3500
2. Ford F-350

Which one would you recommend for reliability, maintenance costs, towing, and long-term use?

I appreciate any advice, especially from owners who have experience with either truck.

Thank you!

I need my 2016 F150 towed from the Virgin hotel in Las Vegas to Meridian Idaho 83642

My truck blew a head gasket but can be driven onto a trailer if needed

Needs to be picked up no later than Thursday