HOTSHOT DISPATCH
Hot shot dispatch service for rigs that need the right load, not just any load
Hotshot freight is fast, partial and picky about weight. The right load pays well; the wrong one overloads the trailer or needs a CDL your driver doesn't have. Our hot shot dispatch service checks each load against your rig's ratings and your rules, brings it to you for a yes or no, and sends the rate con straight to you.
TRUCK GVWR + TRAILER GVWR = WHO CAN DRIVE IT
UNIT 02
Check each rig: CDL or non-CDL?
Enter the weight ratings from the truck's door sticker and the trailer's VIN plate, then add the rig to your roster.
The rule turns on ratings, not on what you're hauling today. A combination rated 26,001 lb or more, pulling a trailer rated over 10,000 lb, needs a Class A driver CDL Class AGCWR 26,001 lb or more, towing a unit over 10,000 lb GVWR49 CFR 383.91(a)(1): a combination with GCWR of 26,001 lb or more where the towed vehicle's GVWR is over 10,000 lb.49 CFR 383.91Checked Oct 2026. That's why many hotshot owners spec a trailer at 10,000 lb or a truck and trailer that stay under 26,001 lb together: it keeps the rig non-CDL and the hiring pool wide.
The trade-off is payload. A non-CDL rig carries less, which rules out some of the heavier hotshot freight. For a deeper check with payload left after the load, use our hotshot GCWR and non-CDL weight checker.
Non-CDL hotshot dispatch takes more care, not less. Every offer has to fit under the rig's ratings with room to spare, so the desk asks for weight on every load before it reaches you, and passes on loads where the broker can't confirm it. An overweight non-CDL rig isn't just a ticket risk; it can mean a driver operating without the license the combination requires. We'd rather lose the load than put your driver in that spot.
UNIT 03
Hiring hotshot drivers: what the rules ask of you
A hotshot rated 10,001 lb or more and running across state lines is a commercial motor vehicle under the federal safety rules Commercial motor vehicle (FMCSRs)10,001 lb GVWR/GCWR or more, in interstate commerce49 CFR 390.5: a vehicle used in interstate commerce with a GVWR or GCWR (or actual weight) of 10,001 lb or more is a commercial motor vehicle for the safety regulations, including driver qualification, hours of service and inspection rules, whether or not the driver needs a CDL.49 CFR 390.5Checked Oct 2026, CDL or not. That means every driver you hire needs a driver qualification file: application, motor vehicle records, road test, medical certificate and annual review Driver qualification fileApplication, MVRs, road test, annual MVR review, medical certificate (and more) for every driver49 CFR 391.51(b) lists what each driver's qualification file must hold, including the employment application, MVRs from each licensing state, the road test certificate or equivalent, the annual MVR inquiry and review note, and the medical examiner's certificate.49 CFR 391.51Checked Oct 2026.
Drug and alcohol testing is where CDL and non-CDL fleets split. Drivers of CDL rigs must be in a DOT random testing programFMCSA random testing rates, 202650% drug, 10% alcoholMinimum annual random testing rates for CDL drivers under 49 CFR 382.305, unchanged for calendar year 2026.U.S. DOT ODAPC, random testing rates, 2026Checked Oct 2026, including you if you drive a CDL rig under your own authority. Non-CDL hotshot drivers aren't covered by the DOT program, though your insurer or customers may ask for testing anyway.
For dispatch, the driver's license class is part of each unit's rules card. The desk only brings you offers your driver can legally haul with that rig, and it plans around hours of service, which bite hard on hotshot runs with long empty legs.
Mixed hotshot fleets are common: one CDL rig for heavy freight, two non-CDL rigs for lighter loads. Each unit gets offers that fit its ratings, and the weekly reports show which setup earns more per mile in your lanes.
This is a plain explanation, not legal advice. State rules can add to the federal ones.
UNIT 04
Dispatch for hotshot loads: what we look for
| Freight | Typical needs | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Construction and building materials | Gooseneck or bumper-pull flatbed, straps, sometimes tarps | Jobsite deliveries without forklifts; unloading terms |
| Equipment and machinery parts | Securement, sometimes chains and binders | Weight per piece against your remaining payload |
| Oilfield and energy supplies | Fast response, remote delivery points | Long deadhead back; plan the reload first |
| Ag equipment and supplies | Seasonal surges, rural pickups | Seasonal rates; avoid getting stuck in a dead area |
| Expedited partials | Same-day pickup, direct runs | Tight windows against hours of service |
Hotshot dispatch companies earn their fee on two things: weight and the way back. Every offer is checked against your rig's payload before it reaches you, and the desk looks for the reload while you're still loaded, because a hotshot running empty for 300 miles is where the week's profit goes. Same-day partials run through our expedited dispatch check on hours and windows.
We don't publish rate promises. Hotshot rates swing with season, region and how badly a shipper needs it there tomorrow. What you get is every offer with its all-in rate per mile, including deadhead, so you can judge it in seconds.
Weight checked
Every offer screened against the rig's remaining payload.License checked
Only loads your driver's class can legally haul.Reload planned
The next load lined up before you deliver.Paperwork handled
Packets, check calls, BOLs and detention claims.
UNIT 05
From one hotshot to a hotshot fleet
Hotshot is one of the cheapest ways into trucking, which is also why it gets crowded. Growing it takes more than a second truck.
Pick the rig for the freight
A gooseneck rated for heavy equipment opens different loads than a lighter bumper-pull built to stay non-CDL. Decide which freight you're chasing first, then spec the second rig, rather than buying a copy of the first one by habit. The rig checker above shows what each combination means for your drivers.
Solve the empty leg
Hotshot loads often run one direction: into oilfields, jobsites and rural areas with little freight going back out. One rig can absorb an empty return now and then. Three rigs running empty home every week is a cash problem. The desk plans each rig's return before the outbound load is booked, and tells you when a lane doesn't have a way back.
Know each rig's number
Fuel, tires, trailer wear and insurance for a hotshot add up faster than the rate sheets suggest. Work out the floor rate per mile for each rig, include deadhead in every offer you judge, and let the weekly report tell you which rig and which lanes are making money.
UNIT 06
Hotshot dispatching services: the fee and common questions
Hotshots pay the same as every unit we dispatch: 5% of gross for one rig, 4% each for two or more, and 7% while your MC is under 6 months old. EXAMPLE A $1,600 hotshot load costs $80 in dispatch for a single rig, $64 on a fleet. Nothing on loads you pass on or weeks a rig doesn't haul. Details are on the dispatch rates page.
01How much does hot shot dispatch cost?
5% of gross for one rig, 4% each for two or more, and 7% while your MC is under 6 months old, dropping on its own after that. Only on loads you accept and haul. Hotshots pay the same rates as every other unit we dispatch.
02Can I run a hotshot fleet with non-CDL drivers?
Yes, if each rig stays under the CDL thresholds: a truck rated under 26,001 lb, and either a combination rated under 26,001 lb or a trailer rated 10,000 lb or less. Many hotshot owners spec rigs for non-CDL drivers to widen hiring, at the cost of payload.
03When does a hotshot need a CDL?
When the combination is rated 26,001 lb or more and the trailer is rated over 10,000 lb, the driver needs a Class A CDL. A truck rated 26,001 lb or more on its own needs at least a Class B. The ratings on the stickers decide it, not the load on a given day.
04Can you dispatch a new MC hotshot?
Yes. New authorities pay 7% until the MC turns 6 months old. Some brokers set minimum authority ages, so the first weeks focus on brokers that onboard new carriers.
05Will you force me to take loads?
No. Every load comes to you first, with the lane, miles, weight, rate and pickup window. You say yes or no, and the broker sends the rate con straight to you to sign. Passing costs nothing.
Your rigs, your weights, your call on every load
Tell us what you pull and who drives it. A dispatcher calls you back and brings the first offers, checked against each rig's ratings.
4% for 2+ trucks, 5% for one, 7% while your MC is new