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Hotshot loads: where to find them and who will set you up
Updated
The brokers and programs in the table below name hotshots on their own pages. Hello Hotshot recruits single-truck owner-operators with their own MC and DOT, and Truckstop, DAT and OpenDeck / Load Work list hotshot loads.
At a glance
- Who names hotshots
- The brokers, programs and load boards in the tables below
- Hello Hotshot
- Three-quarter ton truck or bigger, active MC and DOT, paid within 48 hours after the receiver confirms completion
- Class A starts at
- 26,001 lb combined with a trailer over 10,000 lb, by rating or actual weight
- Hotshot dispatch, one published price
- 7% per load or $280 per truck per week
Brokers and programs that load hotshots
| Broker or program | Authority age | Liability | Cargo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circle Logistics Freight broker |
$1 million | $100,000 | |
| Curri Load program |
$750,000 per occurrence | $100,000 per occurrence if you opt out of Loss Waiver | |
| Hello Hotshot Load program |
Load boards that list hotshots
| Board or app | Price |
|---|---|
| DAT One | $59 a month |
| Direct Freight | $39 a month |
| Truckstop | $42 a month per user, up to three users |
What a hotshot needs to haul for hire
| Rule | For a hotshot |
|---|---|
| USDOT number | Needed at 10,001 lb or more in interstate commerce. The weight is the greatest of GVWR, GCWR or actual weight. Placardable hazmat triggers commercial motor vehicle status at any weight. |
| CDL | Class A once pickup and trailer reach 26,001 lb with a trailer over 10,000 lb. A nonhazardous hotshot stays non-CDL when both the combined rating and the combined actual weight are under 26,001 lb. For example, a 14,000 lb pickup GVWR plus a 14,000 lb trailer GVWR make at least 28,000 lb with a trailer over 10,000 lb, so Class A applies even with a 3500 badge or a lighter scale weight. |
| Medical card | Drivers need medical certification at 10,001 lb or more in interstate commerce. That includes a non-CDL driver pulling a combination of 10,001 lb or more, who generally carries the certificate. CDL and CLP drivers have an exception from carrying the paper card but still need certification. |
| Operating authority | Hauling regulated freight for hire in interstate commerce needs your own MC authority. No 26,001 lb exemption applies to a for-hire carrier moving federally regulated property that belongs to others. Private carriage, exclusively exempt commodities and exclusively exempt commercial-zone operations follow different rules. |
| Insurance minimum | $750,000 public liability at 10,001 lb GVWR or more. That is the interstate for-hire minimum for nonhazardous freight and it is not a cargo limit. A nonhazardous fleet of only vehicles under 10,001 lb GVWR that needs authority has a $300,000 public liability minimum while hazardous cargo has its own schedule of limits. |
| UCR | Interstate carriers register every year, whether for hire, private or exempt. UCR is separate from MC authority and vehicle plates. Solely intrastate carriers are excluded. |
| IFTA and IRP | Applies over 26,000 lb or at three or more power-unit axles in two or more jurisdictions. A combination over 26,000 lb can qualify even though the pickup has only two axles, but trailer axles do not count toward the three. Occasional travel may use fuel trip permits instead of IFTA while IRP restricted plates and other exceptions need base-state review. |
| Heavy vehicle use tax | Form 2290 applies at a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lb or more. Taxable weight includes the equipped vehicle, the customarily used trailer and the maximum customary load, with state registration rules affecting the calculation. Expected use of 5,000 miles or less (7,500 miles for agricultural use) can suspend the tax, but you still file. |
| Hours of service and ELD | Applies to a combination of 10,001 lb or more in interstate commerce, even without a CDL. Drivers who must keep records of duty status use an ELD. Paper logs are allowed when records are needed on no more than 8 days in any rolling 30 days or the vehicle model year is before 2000. |
| Cargo securement | Open-deck loads need adequate tiedowns and working-load limits. Blocking and edge protection are required when needed. Long or unusually shaped freight can also need state routing or size permits. |
Where hotshot loads come from
Hello Hotshot
Hello Hotshot recruits single-truck owner-operators who hold active MC and DOT registration and run a three-quarter ton truck (250/2500) or bigger. It pays electronically within 48 hours after the receiver confirms completion and doesn't accept factoring.
Brokers
- Trans-United Logistics works with carriers under their own authority. Its older published packet asks for $1 million in auto liability and $100,000 in cargo, or more if the shipment calls for it.
- Nickels Brokerage lists gooseneck, deckover, dovetail, bumper-pull and lowboy-style setups.
- Allied Freight Solutions and FitzMark list hotshots.
- Circle Logistics' hotshot listing comes from a 2018 packet.
Trans-United's packet gives two starting points for its 30 days to pay. The cover letter starts them when it gets your invoice and the original signed POD. The contract starts them once it has a delivery receipt without exceptions, the shipping order, your authority certificate, your COI and any other paperwork it needs to bill its customer.
Several of the brokers don't say whether you need your own authority, Allied Freight Solutions and FitzMark among them, so ask before you set up.
Curri
Curri takes hotshot trailer loads up to 16,000 lb, from carriers with authority and from gig drivers using their own vehicles.
Load boards
- Truckstop's hotshot load board covers bumper pull, gooseneck, step deck and lowboy trailers. Its Authority Age Filter shows the posts that accept your authority's age.
- DAT's hotshot guide covers flatbed hotshot and a removable gooseneck trailer pulled by a heavy duty pickup. A DAT broker can also limit a post to carriers past a set authority age.
- OpenDeck / Load Work lists hotshot loads for carriers with an MC number, DOT number and insurance.
- Searching Direct Freight takes no MC number on the no-cost plan, though that plan stops at three calls a day.
Shippers and dealers
Call local shippers and equipment dealers, and turn your first broker loads into repeat work. See direct shipper freight.
Staying under the CDL line
Class A starts once the pickup and trailer reach 26,001 lb with a trailer over 10,000 lb, by rating or by actual weight. Ratings count even when the trailer is empty, so the pickup and trailer you buy settle the CDL question before any load does.
Actual weight counts too, so a non-CDL rig's loaded combination has to stay under 26,001 lb as well. Once the combination reaches 10,001 lb, you still need a medical card and you run under hours of service. The hotshot startup guide covers the full list.
Working with a dispatcher
A dispatcher who promises guaranteed freight books under your MC and your insurance, so the rules in the table still apply.
One dispatch service publishes 7% of each load or $280 a week per truck for hotshots. Ask the service to show you the 7% on a sample load with fuel surcharge, and to say what it charges for a week you don't run.
Don't hand over a deposit, your passwords or control of your broker accounts. The truck dispatcher guide covers what dispatchers charge and what to do instead.
Deadhead and cost per mile
Count deadhead before you trust a gross revenue post. Plan the return lane before you take the outbound load. Diesel cost $6.179 a gallon on average across the U.S. in the week of October 12, 2026, and that price applies to the empty miles too.
Price the whole trip. Enter your loaded and empty miles and your rig's real miles per gallon. The startup cost estimator turns them, with your insurance and truck payment, into a cost per mile before maintenance, tires, tolls and your own pay. Startup cost estimator
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a CDL for hotshot loads?
You need a Class A once the pickup and trailer reach 26,001 lb with a trailer over 10,000 lb, by rating or by actual weight. Ratings count even when the trailer is empty.
What truck does Hello Hotshot require?
Hello Hotshot wants a three-quarter ton truck (250/2500) or bigger and active MC and DOT registration. It pays electronically within 48 hours after the receiver confirms completion and doesn't accept factoring.
Which load boards have hotshot loads?
Truckstop's hotshot load board covers bumper pull, gooseneck, step deck and lowboy trailers, and OpenDeck / Load Work lists hotshot loads. DAT's hotshot guide covers flatbed hotshot, and Direct Freight lets you search without an MC number.
How much does a hotshot dispatcher charge?
One dispatch service publishes 7% of each load or $280 a week per truck for hotshots.