Hot Shot Trucking is the transportation of urgent prefabricated freight to one location or one customer. In most cases, these shipments are delivered by medium-duty trucks with flatbed trailers attached.

Hot shipments are often for short distances, but sometimes they can be quite long, from one state to another, or even involving crossing the entire country.

Pros and cons of hot trucking

Let’s take a look at the main advantages and disadvantages of these freight shipments.

Advantages of hot trucking

– Class 3 trucks are sufficient for transporting this type of cargo. The costs of such transport (fuel, insurance) are an order of magnitude less.

– The ability to set individual rates.

– Interesting work tasks and unusual cargo. The ability to perform a kind of work challenge.

Disadvantages of hot trucking:

– Unstable orders if only working with these types of trucking.

– The need to take an order at any time.

Are all trucks and trailers suitable for hot loads?

This is an important point for drivers to consider. How well their vehicles meet the criteria for hot loads. Often 1 ton pickup trucks are used for hot loads, which are classified as medium duty.

Next, it is worth mentioning about the trailer. Selection of the necessary trailer depends directly on the truck. And also the peculiarities of the cargo to be transported. The most popular are bumper trailers. They are easy to use and attach to the car. In addition, they are affordable. But there is one nuance – bumper trailers are not suitable for heavy loads. Gooseneck trailers handle heavy loads better. But you’ll have to spend money and time on the mounting system.

Where to find hot loads?

Ads for such loads are published on special boards. They can be paid or free. It is best to choose popular boards where orders are published by trusted brokers.

Boards regularly publish available orders and descriptions to them: cargo type, delivery time, the price for the work. The driver only has to choose what suits him best and confirm the order with the broker.

How much can a driver earn from hot trucking?

On average, truck drivers who take hot loads earn between 49,000 and 75,000 a year. More experienced and skilled drivers can even expect to make 100,000 a year.

A driver’s income depends on many factors, including:

– Region of operation.

– The type of freight that is transported.

– The type of equipment with which cargo is transported.

– The number of loads per month and the amount of time devoted to the job.

Hot trucking is a benefit for both parties. The company needs to leave the cargo in a certain amount of time. The driver, on the other hand, wants to make money on the transportation of the cargo. And it is quite a profitable business. Before engaging in hot freight shipping, there are important aspects to consider, which we have discussed in detail in our article.