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Miscellaneous Questions and Answers
Part time hot shotting. Justin, from Texas sent this question in: "I'm wanting to do some hot shot driving. What I'd like to do is buy a one ton truck and trailer and do some hot shotting on the side. Say, hauling under 10,000 pounds per load. I already have a truck in mind to purchase and am wondering how to get started."
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Justin, If you are going to do this, I would suggest that you consider handling Intrastate freight only and look for companies in and around your home base for business. I would not buy a truck without having some potential customers lined up first. I really don't think it is practical to try to do this on a part time basis and expect to handle Interstate freight because the insurance costs will make it impractical. It just doesn't lend itself to part time work. I also question the wisdom of even doing it locally on a part time basis. I don't know how you can maintain any customer base and only be available part time. Bill D.
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What exactly is "Hot Shot" courier service? Hello Fellow Couriers, I was wondering if anyone could answer a question for me. I currently live in Florida and have been a courier for a number of years both in Florida and the Midwest. My wife and I are considering a move to Houston and I have been looking at a number of advertisements for couriers in the Houston metro area. One ad I saw recently was from a company called Transnet which was asking for IC couriers. At the bottom of the ad they stipulated that all applicants needed, "verifiable 'Hot Shot' Courier service experience in all areas of Houston". What exactly is "Hot Shot" courier service and where would I go to get it? Is it a certification the State of Texas requires? Montgomery from Florida
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Montgomery, I think you might be reading too much into the words "Hot Shot". The terms, "Hot Shot" and Courier are a bit redundant in that they both infer express delivery or smaller loads. Personally I think of Hot Shot operators as having a pickup truck and a trailer whereas I think of couriers more as drivers with cargo vans. I also think of couriers as generally being more localized. I can only guess that Transnet may want drivers with a pickup and a trailer who can handle more than a cargo van but who have operated primarily in and around the Houston area. An easy way, of course, to find out is to give them a call and ask them. Unless you lease on to a company with authority, you must have a DOT number if you are going to operate across any state lines. In addition, Texas required a Texas DOT number for all Texas based carriers to handle intrastate freight but I understand they are doing away with that requirement and just requiring a US DOT number now even if you just operate within Texas. If you are going to operate across state lines you must also have an MC number. See information about this on our "Get Your Own Authority" page. Bill D.
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Hello Everyone, I had a follow up question to the one Bill answered above. I currently live in Florida and am moving to the Houston area very soon. I have been a courier for years, but have work in a car only. Can any recommend a good courier company to work for in the Houston area? And is there still a lot of work in around Houston for couriers? The reason I ask is that Orlando has been dead for a little over a year now. Thanks everyone, Montgomery
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What do I need to get started? I would like to know how to get started and what do I need to get started in the hot shot business, like do I need a DOT number or stuff like that. Jose from Texas
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If you are going to transport freight across a state line you must have a DOT and an MC number. In addition, since you are in Texas, you need to get a TX DOT number. When you have a few minutes, click the "Get Your Own Authority" on our site for more detailed information about getting your own authority and be sure to check out the various topics in our "Helpful Information" tab. That covers a number of subjects you need to learn about. For our visitors from other states, you need to check with your state's department of transportation to see what it requires you to have to legally operate within the state. Bill D.
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Part Time I want to do this part time. Is there anyone that would hire me I got a 02 F250 4x4 7.3. Thanks, Dennis, from Texas
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Ken, I suspect you will have a hard time trying to do this part time because of the monthly fixed insurance costs. Working part time probably won't generate enough profits for you or any potential employer to cover the cost of the liability and cargo insurance to make working part time worth while.
Perhaps some of our visitors can offer some suggestions for you. Bill D.
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IFTA fuel tax Where do i register for IFTA fuel tax? Dennis, from Texas
You do your IFTA registration with your home state so in your case you would register with the state of Texas and you send your quarterly fuel tax reports to them. Here is a link to a Texas website that should answer your question in more details.
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How much I should charge per mile? I'd like to start my hotshot service but my biggest doubt is how much I should charge per mile. Is it approx 1.80? Santos from Texas
Because what you wind up doing is unknown at this point, it is difficult to know what your average rate will turn out to be but I think your $1.80 per loaded mile can be a realistic number but only time will tell.
I assume you plan to get your own authority. This will enable you to solicit the local manufacturers so no one gets any of the revenue but you, and, you need to charge enough so you can afford to deadhead back home. Then if you happen to find a backhaul from loadboards, such as ours, just consider it frosting on the cake.
When setting your rates, I would suggest you consider setting target rates for anything up to perhaps 50 miles, another rate for 51 to 100 miles and a third rate for 101 to 150 miles and then go to a mileage charge for mileages over 150 miles. However, after you establish your target rates you will have to adjust them to the market as necessary to be competitive in your market and still make a profit.
To get a feel for where your target rates need to be, go to our profit calculator page and adjust the variables to reflect your operating costs. Then test the impact of changing the average loaded and deadhead miles per trip and adjust the trips per week you might be able to accomplish for those miles and you will see the impact on you annual profits of hauling loads very short miles versus much longer miles at a fixed rate if $1.80 per mile and you will quickly discover how you need to charge far more per mile if your runs are all local runs versus longer distance runs. When using the calculator, if you assume all your local runs average 25 loaded miles you can determine where you need to set your rate for very short runs to achieve your annual profit goal. Then assume all your runs are 50 loaded milesand you will be able to establish target rates for this mileage and then do the same thing using various longer mileages. This technique will help you establish rates necessary to achieve your annual profit goal. It will also help you determine if your goal is even realistic. Bill D.
If you are an experienced Hotshot driver, you thoughts on this subject would be greatly appreciated. Please use the form at the bottom to contribute your words of wisdom.
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How much weight can I legally carry? I have an '09 Ford F-450 with a GVWR of 16,500lbs. it actually weighs 9,180 lbs. My 40' gooseneck weighs 10,300 lbs and it's GVWR is 30,000lbs. How much weight can I legally carry? Jim from Texas
Thank for your question, Jim. This can be an extremely confusing subject and I don't know if there is really a single answer that everyone would agree with. Here are my thoughts on the subject but don't take them as gospel because the official at the scale may have different ideas.
I think you will find that the most important legal limit is what you register your truck at. Whatever figure you use, you better not cross a scale grossing anything over that figure. Consequently, your question really comes down to what weight should your register your truck at.
Technically, if you ignore everything else, you could register at 46,500 lbs because this is your combined GVWR (truck @ 16,500 lbs + trailer @ 30,000 lbs). The problem, of course, is you can't ignore other factors. Of particular importance are the tire and axle capacities for your truck and trailer and I suspect these will probably total less than 46,500 lbs and I would not register at a weight that exceeds this total.
I think your next consideration must be that the fifth-wheel towing capacity of your truck is probably 24,500 pounds. You generally don't want to exceed this figure either so the maximum payload you would want to put on your trailer would be 14,200 lbs (Towing capacity @ 24,500 lbs - Trailer weight @ 10,300 lbs). If you add this payload to the weight of your truck and trailer you get 33,680 lbs (Truck @ 9180 lbs + Trailer @ 10,300 lbs + Payload @ 14,200 lbs). With all this in mind, and assuming your axle and tire capacities allow it, I would be inclined to register the truck at 36,000 lbs. This will give you a bit of a cushion and it is probably a practical figure that you generally don't want to exceed for many reasons. You will also find that this is a registered weight that is pretty commonly used by Hotshot operators.
Don't forget about the potential legal problems that can develop if you have a serious accident and you have exceeded any of your vehicles rated capacities. Remember too that more important than the ability to pull a heavy weight is the ability to be able to stop it in an emergency.
I hope this helps. Bill D.
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I would like to ride with someone. I live in East TN and I am interested in getting into the hot shot business, but I would first like to team with someone for a short while or a few runs to see how the hot shot business works. It can only be one run or a couple non-consecutive runs. flometa36
Flometa, that's an unual request.
I suggest you go to the Guestbook on our HotshotCarrier.com site and look for entries from carriers in or near you and give them a call and talk to them and perhaps you can ride with one of them. The problem you may have is you are a potential competitor for them so that may complicate things as most companies are not inclined to help a competitor. On the other hand there are probably thousands of potential shippers in and around Knoxville so its possible you could even develop some working relationships and help one another find and share customers so when your shipper has a load you can't cover, your friend can cover it and when your friend has a load he can't cover, you can help him.
Our premium hotshotcarrier.com subscription would give you a listing of all the manufacturers in the area who have 15 or more employees and many of them will have the kind of partial loads you are looking for and they are probably shipping via the LTL common carriers at rates that you can compete with. This requires cold calling which can be slow going and a bit tough but its one of the ways you can let shippers know you exist and develop your business.
Bill D.
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