r/HotShotTrucking

I have a telehandler to load tomorrow which will be basically maxing out my trucks gcwr. 2025 F550 andna 40,000lb rated, 40ft gooseneck. Trailer weighs 10300, the telehandler is just under 25000. Bare truck is about 8000 (i have no upfitting but the gooseneck hitch)

Will the truck be able to handle being maxed out for about 6hrs or am i overthinking it?

I’ve made a few trips over the last couple weeks that goes through Illinois. My god this has to be the worst state to drive in. No mater where you are. Toll road or not. The roads are fucked. I’m from Minnesota and our roads are bad. But not this bad. Diesel prices are insane here. They are everywhere but 6.50 a gallon. Lebanon Tennessee has diesel for 4.80. Most places in Kentucky, wi, Missouri are under $6 not Illinois. Bad roads. Expensive diesel. Toll roads that are all over the place. I cannot stand this state at all.

A lot of drivers become more intentional after a few years in the industry.

Could be loads, schedules, lanes, customers, routes, or even how they manage their time.

What changed most for you?

Been looking around and damn near every ELD company has people saying they got burned one way or another. Bad support, glitchy app, surprise charges, contract nonsense, all of it.

If you’ve got one that’s actually been solid, what are you running?

How lucrative is this business?

I know I'm about to catch a lot of flak here, and lay it on me. I've got no experience with trucking. My dad and stepdad were both truckers so was my uncle. I get it can be lonely and frustrating with DOT and everything else.

But I'm tired just like my dad was at destroying my body working for the man in construction. It just isn't for me, never has been.

I'm a disabled Marine Corps vet and I just can't see myself destroying myself more doing someone's shovel work any longer...

That being said, while I'm out of work, I thought about getting my credentials, buying a rig or a tow truck and getting myself started.

Any advice?

so i’m leaving the military in like 3 years leaving as a bm3 um so i
love driving long distances and listening to music and thinking about otr, so my question is, is it a good idea

I'm fairly new to this line of work, and have just been doing local runs around North Florida and Georgia area where I live. I have a customer who is a really nice guy that asked me if I wanted to start doing cross country runs for him, and I'm open to it but I have no idea what to charge with fuel being as high as it is. The lane would be from Jacksonville to Seattle with a back haul to get back home every time. DAT shows anywhere from $5400 to $8800. I want to be fair with him for the opportunity, but I also want to make sure my time is worth it. Does anyone do cross country that would be open to sharing what they charge?

Hello! Ford announced they are building Super Duty trucks out of the Oakville Ontario Assembly Plant starting this fall. I live near this place and would like to throw a super duty truck or two on my trailer to start my trips. Do these loads end up on load boards? How do I get in on this freight? Anyone experience hauling super duties out of KY? I have a newer f450 CDL 40,000lbs set up.

Looking to have a truck shipped from snohomish WA to redfield SD. Older dodge 6ft bed, single cab. Time is flexible. Runs good enough to get on a trailer.

I (f23) currently work seasonal. My job has openings all the time in my district/region and my boyfriends coworker put in a good word for me to get a full time/year round position. My seasonal job told both of them that they didn't want to hire me over someone else because I look small and they're worried I wouldn't be able to lift heavy things. For my job I have to prove at the doctor's office I'm able to walk around with a 50lb box, lift, set down, all that jazz. I can understand that I'm 5'3 and fairly small, but I used to be a marine, I didn't choose to be short.

I don't want to outright say what my job is because I'm already being voted against for my size I guess. But it is in trucking, I have my CDL A and I get paid like a lot of money at my job over the winter. What do I do? I like my job but it feels like an uphill battle.

I just got an offer to do 4 to 5 moves a week for a asphalt company, but it would only be skid steers, mini excavators, and a small roller. How much do you all charge or how much is a decent starting rate per machine I’m in North North Carolina.

Commodity is 18 golf carts on crates, around 30,000 lbs total, planned for a 53’ dry van.

Main thing I’m trying to figure out:
Would most carriers be comfortable loading this in a standard dry van, or would you rather see this on a flatbed/step deck depending on crate dimensions?

Also curious what kind of transit time you’d realistically expect on this lane right now with current market conditions.

Appreciate any genuine carrier feedback.

Hey all! Looking for input on GPS preference, do y'all prefer Google Maps or Apple Maps? Or is anyone using another dedicated GPS outside of your phone?

i quit my trucking job and got another one immediately, luckily they were both in illinois so as i turned my old one in i got in my new one and as i was turning the old one in my boss offered me 27% of gross income per week and i was making 50cpm here and my new job was gonna pay me 75cpm and i took the 27% and im wondering if i made the right decision?

Honestly curious, what part of staying audit-ready gives you the biggest headache?

For me it feels like there’s always something that can slip through the cracks. DQ files, IFTA, inspections, renewals, permits… it never really stops.

Do you guys have a system that actually keeps everything organized, or is it mostly just trying to stay ahead of it before something turns into a problem?