What is there to know about getting into the hotshot buisness, do you have the ability to make a descent living? another question broker or no broker? ICC, DOT or not? What are the going rates. Any info would be greatly appreciated

 

Its a tuff business.....as all trucking is....it can be a decent livin if you have been at it awhile and can run loaded paided miles without too many deadhead miles for your next load

Expenses are Insurance, Maintenance and Inspections, Fuel Tax and Tags, Motels and Food, and depending on your trailer your loads mite be limited "some loads can't get wet" and with a enclosed trailer most forklifts can't load and unload you, with a car hauler your loads needs to be on wheels "cars,small trailers,golf carts ect"

Best advice would be to signon or lease to a current hotshot operation....that way you can run under his authority and insurance and get your feet wet in the business

Remember all big truck regulations and rules also apply to hotshots

Running illegally mite work for awhile but the DOT will catch up with you and the fine is heavy......I know one hotshoter that had false DOT number and insurance was expired he lost his truck and a fine of $10,000.00 they audited his books and logs and petty much put him outta business

 

look atthe latest mag. over Drive.....after the smoke clears most only have made about 30000.00$$ not enough to bother with unless you really like the abuse!!!

 

Where would you look in an area for Hotshots? I wouldn't mind doing it part time and keep my normal job. A little extra $$ never hurts. Also I am moving Or in about 2 months and due to my hobbies. (old Mopar cars) I gotta make a couple trips to get all the "projects" up to Oregon . So I was thinknig since I need to drive back down, I might be able to pick up some extra moving money to haul something inbetween Oregon & FL with a stop in AZ.

 

agan please pick up the latest Over Drive mag.- the math is all layed out for you, There is no $$ in it unless .50 an hour is good money.................
you would do better as a part time cook

 

Yeah but you lose the opportunity to help the Mexican trucks get into the US... As in most small business these days, you can't run illegal and you can't get legal so somewhere inbetween there is a place where you can get away with it. You have to like trucking, otherwise, get a job and make some money.

 

thumper 549..... there is money to be made.....but it's tuff unless you have a dedicated contract and get paid loaded and unloaded miles

I have 3 contracts like that which cover 8 months of the year one is for hauling Xmas trees another is haulin High Buck Custom golf carts and I do one for a man that travels the Auto Antique Circuit for about 4 months with 3 of his restored cars (this is a fun one)

During the other 4 months I take whatever pays or I just stay home if the per mile is too low

But without contracts it is tuff to pay the bills if you need to rely on a broker or per-call haul without a backhaul you loose money

 

That site claims .55 to .70 a mile. I run all the local stiff for minumum 1.60 a mile and over 300 miles for 1.40. A typical run for me is 82 miles @ $65 per car times three is $195.00. I get two or three of them on Monday. Deadhead the other way.

 

I talked to a guy this week about this he told me last year he brought in 107,000 gross and his fuel alone was 109,000, "this company does way too much deadheading " those are his words and he is the owners brother and he does not have his own authority.

 

Wait a min. Where i am located down here in S.E. Texas There is a lot of trucking companies and most all of them hire Owner operators for 1 ton and 40' trailers, and flatbed, and at least 3/4 ton with pipe rack owners. I have talked to alot of them they make anywhere from $1500 to $4000 a week. Hauling from Houston to Louisiana and sometimes North texas and some outta state runs. They run under there insurance they take 70% of the load haul and the company take the other %. Last time I saw money in that range and not being stuck in a rm. with four walls ain't bad money.

 

I make decent side money hauling nursery once a week to Atlanta $400 a trip 250 mile trip. It's heavy and hard on a truck but I clear about $320 a trip after fuel. In the busy season (Oct.-Apr.) I'll haul 2-3 trips a week to Louisville or Atlanta, Charolette at $1.75 per loaded mile. I don't think I could make a living at it.

 

An average load is 28000lbs to 31500lbs ( if it doesn't rain on them)

 

I was seriously thinking about quitting my job and getting into this business but after PMing a couple of you guys, and especially after seeing this topic, I have decided to wait a while. I do have some friends in the freight and auto transport business that were anxious to help me, knowing my work habits, but it's so expensive to live here in the DC area that I would have to make a lot of $$$ to continue to live my current lifestyle. I really don't want to be gone 5 days a week. What I will end up doing is diversifying and selling some equipment, which I do now, doing some household moving, which I've been doing for 21 years, and hauling whatever pays good. I had a truck driver in my warehouse last week who told me that hauling boats is where the money's at.
I just want to get away from sitting in this godforsaken traffic everyday! It's really getting to me. I don't mind once in a while, say if I was passing through with a load, but 2 hours sometimes to go 17 miles will wear on you....

 

If you don't like traffic stay out of Atlanta. Sure becareful with a load. I try to keep a safe distance and these idiots keep pulling in on you before you know it your doing 35 mph. I really like the 80 mph to 0 mph. I really think someone seeing someone else go from 80 to 0 to 60mph again in about 10 feet might change their minds?

 

All i can say is do the math
truckpayment
dot numbers
commerical insurance
tires and breaks and break dwns
cargo insurance
just to mention a few when you subtract all that from $130,000 a yr you might have 30,000 left if all went well.
Did i mention advertising?? buss cards ,fuel, phone bills, toll bills trailor repairs. ect. ect. .............