Hot shot trucking is a specialized freight service focused on speed, flexibility, and time-critical loads. It involves hauling smaller, urgent shipments—often less-than-truckload (LTL) in size—on short notice and delivering them directly to their destination as fast as possible.
For shippers, hot shot trucking provides a way to avoid costly downtime by getting critical freight moved immediately. For drivers, it offers an entry point into trucking with lower equipment costs and more flexible schedules. In this complete guide, we’ll explain what hot shot trucking is, how it works, who relies on it, the equipment involved, advantages for shippers, career pathways for drivers, and a glossary of key terms in the hot shot trucking industry.