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CDL and non-CDL

Hot shot dispatch service that turns short runs into full days

Hotshot freight is fast, light and scattered: a pipe order here, a piece of farm equipment there. We chain short runs into paying days, keep your weight on the right side of your ratings, and plan the deadhead before you say yes.
7% of gross on loads you haul. Every load comes to your phone first.
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Load offer · 40 ft gooseneck

Odessa, TX Oklahoma City, OK

EXAMPLE
RATE
$1,150
MILES
392+25
ALL-IN RPM
$2.76
  • Freight: Oilfield pipe fittings, 9,800 lb
  • Pickup: Tue 07:00 · Deliver: Tue 17:00
  • Straps and chains required
  • TONU $150
Decline: no penalty Accept: start hotshot dispatch

Hotshot rates

What a hotshot load really pays

Hotshot pay looks high per mile next to a semi, but the loads are smaller and the days are broken up. The number that matters is what the day pays after deadhead, fuel and the time between loads, measured against your own cost per mile.

  • Loaded vs all-in miles

    A 150 mile load that needs 120 empty miles to reach is a 270 mile day. We count both in every rate.

  • Urgency

    Hotshot exists for freight that can't wait for a semi. Same-day and next-morning loads usually pay more.

  • Weight and size

    Light freight that fits your deck and ratings is the sweet spot. Overweight loads aren't worth the fine.

  • Region

    Oilfield, ag and construction regions keep hotshots busy. Light freight markets can leave you chasing loads.

  • Season

    Planting, harvest and construction seasons shift where the hotshot work is.

  • Partials

    Two partials on one route can beat one full deck that sends you home empty.

Non CDL hotshot dispatch

Where your rig sits on the CDL line

Slide in your truck and trailer ratings from the door sticker and VIN plate, then your empty weights and the cargo. The bar shows your combination rating against the 26,001 lb line, the readout shows which license class applies, and whether today's load fits your ratings. This decides more of your freight than any rate does.

Class A CDL needed
Combination rating
30,000 lb
Trailer rating
16,000 lb
over 10,000 lb
Actual weight
28,000 lb
within ratings
Payload left
2,000 lb

Class A applies when the combination is rated 26,001 lb or more and the trailer is rated over 10,000 lb (49 CFR 383.91). Ratings decide the class, not today's scale weight. Hazmat placards can require a CDL at any weight. Axle and tire ratings must be respected too.

  • Class A CDL: a combination with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 lb or more, when the towed unit's GVWR is over 10,000 lb.
  • In interstate commerce, a vehicle or combination rated at 10,001 lb or more is a commercial motor vehicle under the FMCSRs: USDOT number, medical card and hours-of-service rules apply.

Source: FMCSA, 49 CFR 383.91; FMCSA, 49 CFR 390.5, October 2026

CDL or non-CDL

CDL and non-CDL hotshots: different work, same desk

Neither is better. They open different freight, and the rest of the business follows from that.

Non-CDL hotshot

  • Combination rated under 26,001 lb, or a trailer rated 10,000 lb or less
  • Lighter freight, smaller equipment, expedited partials
  • Not under DOT drug and alcohol testing rules
  • Still a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce if rated 10,001 lb or more

CDL hotshot (Class A)

  • Combination rated 26,001 lb or more with a trailer over 10,000 lb
  • Heavier equipment, pipe, building materials, bigger partials
  • DOT drug and alcohol testing program required
  • More freight, more payload, more paperwork

Running a CDL hotshot under your own authority? You'll need a drug and alcohol testing program. Non-CDL hotshots aren't covered by those rules.

Dispatch for hotshot loads

Freight we find for hotshots

Hotshot freight lives where speed and small loads matter more than a big trailer. These are the groups we work most, and what each asks of your setup.

  • Oilfield

    Pipe, fittings, valves and equipment to and from well sites. Often urgent, often rough roads, often busy in energy regions.

  • Agriculture

    Implements, parts and small equipment around planting and harvest. Seasonal, and strong in farm regions.

  • Construction

    Small equipment, materials and attachments to job sites that can't wait for a full truckload.

  • Expedited partials

    Time-critical freight that would miss its window on a semi or an LTL network.

  • Building materials

    Lumber, steel and roofing in quantities too small for a 48 ft flatbed.

  • Equipment moves

    Skid steers, mowers and small machines between dealers, rentals and job sites.

Trailer type

Gooseneck or bumper pull: which loads each gets

Gooseneck

Longer decks, higher capacity and better stability, so most hotshot freight is posted for goosenecks. With ramps or a dovetail, you can take drivable equipment too.

Bumper pull

Shorter and lighter. Fits small equipment, materials and some expedited partials, usually closer to home. Fewer loads, but lower costs and simpler setup.

Tell us your deck length, ramp or dovetail, and the straps and chains you carry. We only search for loads that fit, which matters more for a hotshot than for any other rig because so many loads are right at the edge of what a pickup and trailer can carry.

Short runs, full days

How we chain short hotshot runs into a paying day

The hardest part of hotshot work isn't the driving. It's finding the second and third load before the first one delivers, close enough to make the day pay.

  1. 01

    Plan the delivery area

    Before you accept the first load, we look at what ships near where it delivers.

  2. 02

    Line up the second load

    While you drive, we call shippers and brokers near your drop so a load is waiting.

  3. 03

    Watch the clock

    Hours of service and daylight for unloading at job sites decide how many runs fit.

  4. 04

    Point it home

    The last load of the day or week heads back toward home, so you aren't stranded.

On a good day that's two or three short loads that add up to a full paycheck. On a slow day it might be one load and a short deadhead toward tomorrow's freight. Either way, you see each load before it's booked and decide whether it fits the day.

Before you accept

The hotshot load check

Hotshot loads go wrong in the details: a few hundred pounds over, a deck a foot short, a delivery site with no forklift. Tap through the checks we run first.

Hotshot load check

1/5 CHECKED

  1. Cargo plus your empty weights against the combination rating and the trailer rating. Over is a fine, not a judgment call.

Know your floor

Your hotshot cost per mile, roughly

A hotshot costs less to run than a semi, which is why lower-dollar loads can still pay. But the floor is real. Work it out once and every load becomes a quick yes or no.

Fixed costs per mile: truck and trailer payments, insurance, registration, phone and ELD, divided by the miles you run in a month.

Running costs per mile: fuel, tires, maintenance and a reserve for the next big repair. Pickups wear tires and brakes fast under hotshot loads.

Your pay per mile: a real wage, not whatever is left.

Add them up, then remember deadhead: a load's rate divided by loaded plus empty miles has to clear the total.

EXAMPLE hotshot floor EXAMPLE

Fixed
$0.45/mi
Fuel and running
$0.65/mi
Driver pay
$0.50/mi
Floor
$1.60/mi

On this floor, the Odessa to Oklahoma City load above pays about $2.76 a mile all-in, comfortably over. Run your own numbers in the cost per mile calculator.

Avoid these

Where hotshot owners lose money

  • Running over your ratings

    A few hundred pounds over the combination rating can mean a fine, a voided claim and a ticket you can't argue.

  • Taking the first load without the second

    A good load into a dead area costs you the rest of the day. Plan the next one first.

  • Crossing the CDL line by accident

    Upgrading to a heavier trailer can push the combination over 26,000 lb and make you a Class A operation overnight.

  • Forgetting daylight at job sites

    Many sites won't unload after dark. A late delivery can turn into an overnight wait.

Getting set up

What brokers check on a hotshot carrier

Hotshot brokers ask a few questions you won't hear on a semi. Have these answers ready and setup goes fast.

  • Active authority and USDOT, with insurance covering the cargo you haul
  • Truck and trailer ratings, and whether you need a CDL
  • Deck length, ramps or dovetail, and straps and chains on board
  • Gooseneck or bumper pull, and maximum payload
  • Whether you can run same-day or overnight
  • Your home base and how far you'll travel

We keep these on file with your carrier packet. Hotshot loads often go to the first carrier who answers with the right setup, so having your ratings and gear ready to send in a minute wins loads that slower carriers lose.

Your call, every load

How a hotshot load reaches you, and what it costs

Every load comes to you with the weight, dimensions, deck and gear needs, times and pay. You say yes or no; nothing is booked without your yes. On a yes, the broker emails the rate confirmation to you. The fee is 7% of gross at any authority age, or 4% per truck once you run two or more. EXAMPLE: a $3,500 week costs $245.

Check loads with the rate per mile calculator, compare fees on the pricing page, see flatbed dispatch if you're moving up to a semi, or read dispatch for a new MC.

Hotshot dispatching services: straight answers

Q01How much does hot shot dispatch cost?
7% of gross on loads you haul, at any authority age, because hotshot loads are smaller and take more calls to fill a week. Fleets of two or more trucks pay 4% per truck. No setup fee, no minimum and no contract beyond 30 days notice.
Q02Can you dispatch a non-CDL hotshot?
Yes. A hotshot can run without a CDL when the truck and trailer are rated so the combination stays under 26,001 lb, or the trailer is rated 10,000 lb or less. That limits payload, so we focus on lighter freight and partials. The slider on this page shows where your ratings land.
Q03Do you dispatch bumper-pull hotshots?
Yes, though most hotshot freight is offered to gooseneck flatbeds with more deck and capacity. Bumper-pull setups fit lighter, shorter loads like small equipment, materials and some expedited partials. Tell us your deck length, ratings and gear and we only bring loads that fit.
Q04Do you work with new MC hotshots?
Yes. New hotshot authorities pay the same 7% as established ones, because hotshot pricing is set by the equipment. We focus the first weeks on brokers that onboard new carriers and on clean, on-time deliveries to build your history quickly.
Q05What do hotshot loads pay per mile?
It varies widely by lane, season, load size and how urgent the freight is, so we don't publish one number. What matters is the all-in rate after deadhead against your own cost per mile, which is lower than a semi's. We check every load against your floor before it reaches you.
Q06Will you force me to take loads?
Never. You see every load first with the weight, dimensions, deck needs, pickup and delivery times and pay, and you say yes or no without penalty. On a yes, the broker emails the rate confirmation to you and you sign it yourself.

Short runs, full days, your call on every load.

Apply in about 2 minutes.

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