Hot Shot Truck

A hot shot truck is a heavy-duty pickup, usually a one-ton or larger dually in weight Classes 3 to 5, that pulls a flatbed or gooseneck trailer to haul smaller, urgent loads. It is dispatched for one load and drives straight to the destination, with no terminal stops. Hot shots carry up to about 16,000 lbs on a deck up to about 40 ft. They move equipment, machinery, steel, pipe, building materials and farm freight. The name comes from urgent supply runs in the oilfields, where a missing part could stop work.

Most hot shot rigs use heavy-duty one-ton pickups with dual rear wheels, often called duallys, built to tow heavy trailers and carry weight on the hitch. Larger medium-duty trucks in Classes 4 and 5 are also common, because their higher weight ratings allow more freight. Some trucks have flatbed bodies instead of a pickup bed, which makes hitching and loading easier. For a shipper, the make matters less than the weight rating of the truck and trailer, since those set how much it can legally carry.

Hot shot trucks most often pull gooseneck flatbed trailers with decks up to about 40 ft. Goosenecks hitch over the truck's rear axle, which makes them stable and suited to heavier loads. Bumper-pull trailers hitch at the rear bumper and are usually shorter and lighter. Deckover trailers set the deck above the wheels for a wider loading area, and many trailers have dovetail ramps so equipment can drive on. The right trailer depends on the freight's weight, length and how it loads.

A hot shot truck carries up to about 16,000 lbs of freight on a deck up to about 40 ft. The exact limit depends on the weight ratings of the truck and trailer and on the weight of the equipment itself, and the load has to be spread properly across the deck. Heavier combinations require a driver with a CDL. Freight heavier than a hot shot can take moves on a full 48 to 53 ft flatbed, which carries up to about 48,000 lbs. An accurate scale weight is the best way to choose.

It depends on the weight ratings of the truck and trailer. Federal rules require a commercial driver's license when the combined weight rating of the truck and trailer passes a set limit, or when the trailer alone is rated above a set weight. Some hot shot setups are built to stay under those limits so drivers can run without a CDL, while heavier rigs that carry more freight need one. Drivers hauling placarded hazardous materials need a CDL with a hazmat endorsement. FMCSA publishes the current thresholds.

Use a hot shot when the freight is urgent, loads from the side or top, and weighs less than about 16,000 lbs. It is often easier to find for a small load than a full flatbed semi and carries more than a box truck, which is enclosed and loaded from the rear. Use a full flatbed when the freight is heavier or longer than a hot shot deck. Use a box truck or van when the freight must stay enclosed and dry. Weight, length, loading method and deadline decide.

Freight is too big for a hot shot when it weighs more than the rig can legally carry, is longer than the deck, or is wider or taller than legal limits allow on a hot shot trailer. Heavy machinery, long steel beams, big loads of lumber and full truckloads of materials usually need a full flatbed, step deck or removable gooseneck trailer. Oversize loads need permits whatever the trailer. Giving exact weight and dimensions at booking lets the right truck be matched and avoids a wasted trip.

Many do. Commercial drivers who must keep hours-of-service records generally use electronic logging devices, with some exceptions such as certain short-haul operations. IFTA, the International Fuel Tax Agreement, applies to qualifying vehicles that cross state lines and meet its weight and axle thresholds, and carriers file quarterly fuel tax reports. Whether a hot shot rig falls under these rules depends on its weight ratings and how it operates. Carriers can confirm their obligations with FMCSA and their base state's fuel tax office.

A hot shot carrier hauling freight for hire across state lines needs liability insurance that meets federal minimums for its operating authority, and most shippers and brokers also require cargo insurance. Cargo coverage protects the freight itself if it is lost or damaged in transit, up to the policy limit. Shippers should ask for a certificate of insurance, check that the policies are current and compare the cargo limit with the value of the freight. Extra coverage can be arranged for high-value loads.

This page is written for shippers, but many people searching for hot shot trucks are drivers. Most hot shot pickups do not have a sleeper berth, so drivers usually rest at hotels, rest areas or in the cab, depending on their schedule and comfort. Federal hours-of-service rules set required off-duty and rest periods, and those apply whether or not a truck has a sleeper. Drivers planning long runs should build rest stops into the route and confirm the current rules with FMCSA.