TowRig.com - Diesel Discussion and Tow Tech

Who here Hot Shots?? I am thinking about getting into it and was wondering how you all like it. What kind of truck do you use?? I am looking at 3500 dodges w/ a 6-speed. We will be hauling oil pipe on 40' GNs and total GCW will be 20-25k lbs. Do I really need a dually or will a 1-ton SRW w/ airbags be fine. I am worried about the lack of snow traction with a dually. Let me here what you have to say!!:popcorn:

Lack of snow traction with a dually? I would think the opposite on that, duallys provide better stability in bad weather conditions.

I think you should go with a Dually with a load like that. Every post I've read people say they love the way the Dually handles the trailer vs. a SRW. Good choice on the Dodge Cummins/6 spd though. waytogo

Lack of snow traction with a dually? I would think the opposite on that, duallys provide better stability in bad weather conditions.
yes, unloaded duallys suck in the snow.........

yes, unloaded duallys suck in the snow.........

He won't be unloaded, he'll have at least the empty trailer. That should be plenty to make it stick well.

The problem with duallys and snow is that you have more surface area to slide across the top of the snow/ice and since the dual wheels stick out you are basically pushing twice the snow of a SRW truck. The stability is definetly better w/ the DRW but I will be relatively light probably only 12-17k trailer weight.

Well how much of your time are u going to be in the snow? I think if you use the weight of the trailer and maby put a little weight in back of bed for winter mounts Yuel be All rte.

I disagree. Maybe with a dually that is completely unloaded, but with any kind of decent trailer the extra weight added more than makes up for the loss in tire PSI on the ground. I'd take a dually with weight on the rear axle any day over a SRW in the snow, because I've had both in the same situation.

I say both wouldnt be that bad if one is spinning more than likely in the snow and ice both will be spinning if a guy could get those drive chains from a ambulance or fire truck it would be a beast loaded.

Who here Hot Shots?? I am thinking about getting into it and was wondering how you all like it. What kind of truck do you use?? I am looking at 3500 dodges w/ a 6-speed. We will be hauling oil pipe on 40' GNs and total GCW will be 20-25k lbs. Do I really need a dually or will a 1-ton SRW w/ airbags be fine. I am worried about the lack of snow traction with a dually. Let me here what you have to say!!:popcorn:
ALRIGHT, i am way confused! What exactly is hot shotting? or Hot Shots? Im guessing its like private hauling or something. Isnt that what Justice does?

Yes that is what I do. I love it. I run with a 2006 CTD Dually 6 speed. Just didnt really trust the autos in the dodges. I got the dually just cause i thought it may provide a bit more stability with big campers or enclosed.

Alright, thanks for answering that question. I googled "Hot Shotting" and there were a couple other Deisel websites with forums who were talking about Hot Shotting. I read the whole 2 page conversation and aparently there is alot more to hotshotting than what i thought. Depending on what your pulling, you have to have some kinda special insurance, then if your hauling something special or something like an open trailer, you have to get a USDOT number and all that bs. Sounds like alot of work but it does sound like something i would like to try some day!!! waytogo waytogo waytogo

Yes you really do need a dually pulling 20 to 25 K lbs. If you are going to be running in that much ice & snow get a 4x4. If it that bad I am going to be in a nice warm motel. It don't pay to tear up a nice truck and trailer just to be able to say that you got there. Yes I am old and have driven 2.5 million miles safley. :D :D

Yeah the insurance is not cheap and the DOT stuff is not alota fun. Once you get past all the rules and regulations and set up and all that its not so bad. I really enjoy it. I have seen more of the country in the last year than i had in my prior 29 years and I was makin money doin it.

Hmm this has got me to thinking now if you dont mind me asking how much does all the paper work run?

I don't hot shot but, I have a duramax dually and my nieghbor has a SRW duramax; we both have the same trailer at 15K. He parks his in the wind, I don't even notice it.

Not to poke at the hot shotter guys, but I heard there wasn't the money in it. What I heard is years ago there was because you didn't have to run commercial insurance and no one asked questions as far as DOT, ICC, CA numbers, which is why it got popular. Once uncle sam caught on and the cost of hotshotting went way up, the rates didn't want to climb like the cost did.

Knowing what I know being in the trucking business with fullsize class 8 rigs, I could believe it unfortunately.

What kind of money are you guys getting per mile?

Not to poke at the hot shotter guys, but I heard there wasn't the money in it. What I heard is years ago there was because you didn't have to run commercial insurance and no one asked questions as far as DOT, ICC, CA numbers, which is why it got popular. Once uncle sam caught on and the cost of hotshotting went way up, the rates didn't want to climb like the cost did.

Knowing what I know being in the trucking business with fullsize class 8 rigs, I could believe it unfortunately.

What kind of money are you guys getting per mile?

My dad said the same thing. Apparently, my dad did a little of that in Kansas on the farm and it was good money. Nowadays, there is a ton of papers on it, and there is little money in it. Plus my dad said your only gonna make money if you have established a good company or customer basis for what your doing, so it would be hard at the start.

My dad said the same thing. Apparently, my dad did a little of that in Kansas on the farm and it was good money. Nowadays, there is a ton of papers on it, and there is little money in it. Plus my dad said your only gonna make money if you have established a good company or customer basis for what your doing, so it would be hard at the start.

The main problem with being an owner operator with a single rig is you are far too small to get your own clients and contracts. Most companies move multiple loads per day, or have schedules that are difficult to fit into one truck's route.

Many times owner operators then have to go through a sub and/or a broker. A broker gathers multiple owner operators together, uses them together as a "force" which creates a presentable company capable of the transportation tasks at hand, and can provide much better service to get good contracts with premium loads.

We use owner ops. along with our own trucks in our trucking division.

I have an established account that pays the bills just fine. Aside from that I work the phones and talk to people everywhere I go to find new accounts. Im happy with what I have been making.

I know starting an business is hard and all up hill folks try to rape you every chance they get by not paying or something else and I kinda think that the gov would tax the day lights out of in the 70's trucking was easy money not its all tied down and a pain to make it in when you starting out unless you know folks and can trust them.

Lucky for me I got in good with a trust worthy account to start off with. I started off in the camper haulin business and also made some contats there that i still use and haul for.

Yeah but how much are we talking say per mile and the figures to get legal???

Yeah but how much are we talking say per mile and the figures to get legal???

Someone please answer this. I'd like to know too.


MT

one contract we are looking at pays $2.25/mile

Is that a rolling mile or loaded mile?
As for start up cost your DOT #s are just under a grand. Insurance varys, truck and trailer cost, maintence, fuel, food, all have to be figured in too. It takes ALOT to get started. And its not a part time gig either.

dang that might rule me out then:doah:

Dual Rear Wheels want to float on top of the ice and snow instead of sinking into the nastey stuff and getting a good bite. a 4WD with the extra weight of the diesel on the front axle will get the extra traction. Put a set of snow chains on the outside duals, slip it into 4WD, and you will be amazed at how good it will go up a hill!!! I know this from lots of years and miles. My 03 dodge just spun #6 rod bearing after 330,000 miles, so I am selling a aux 100 gal fuel tank, deer killer front bumper, rear air bags, full gauges, Gorend TQ, Banks 4 in stainless exhaust. Am going to fix the truck for own use and go back to driving a semi. Come and get the goodies!!!!!!!!!

how much for gauges bags and fuel tank? pm me if you want

Is that a rolling mile or loaded mile?
As for start up cost your DOT #s are just under a grand. Insurance varys, truck and trailer cost, maintence, fuel, food, all have to be figured in too. It takes ALOT to get started. And its not a part time gig either.

Its loaded mile. It also pays for down time while the truck gets loaded and unloaded. We come out with about $500 per load minus fuel puts you at $400 for a 360mile round trip. About 50% of the time we should have a load coming back too for the same pay. That is using his DOT#s and the only labor I have to do is strap down the load and drive. This is just one account of many that will start and this is a lower paying contract. We should have our own DOT#s in a month or so and then we can start getting our own contracts instead of working for this other HotShot company.

$2.25 isn't bad I guess, when you consider fuel conumption of a 5.9L engine vs. a 14L.

The key is how good your broker is, where they can get you loads, the type of loads, and how good they are at keeping your dead head miles to a minimum. You start dead heading enough and 2.25 won't do you much good.

Disbatchers are like coaches. Some are better than others and the success of the "team" rides on their shoulders.

$2.25 per mile is not bad, but that should not include fuel or insurance. We charge 23% FSC (fuel service charge -varies with fuel prices) and a 14.5% ISC (insurance service charge)

For a 100 mile block, line haul is $357.69, FSC is $82.27, and ISC is $51.87. Total ticket $491.83. This is loaded miles, I travel 80% of the time w/o a back haul so my line haul is high. Thats the way it is. the 14.5% ISC covers the customers required load insurance. If you are independent, the 14.5% of line haul will cover all your inurance cost and will actually make aprofit from your insurance.

Ive been doing this about 9 years now. I like it and I enjoy being my on boss. Plus driving a new truck every 4 years or less is nice.

Just started my own hotshot company. it is a partnership, we went 90k invested to get 2 07ctd 3500 4X4 duallys, both 6spd, all dot and mc docs, insurance, and most everything else we need. We have a dedicated contract in the oilfields moving 44ft lab/living quarters. they are light units, weighing in at 9-10k field ready, but they have a 2k tounge weight. We went with the Blue Ox hitch, but have already bent the 1500lb bars. They are looking into custom building us 2250 bars. After 3 months, we are making our bills, and even building a balance. but the oilfield can be fickle.
As far as costs, DOT/MC was around 1000, we used a prorate company to set this up for us, and after some initial issues, we are very pleased with using this company. They setup apportioned plates for us at 24k max weight, got all our authorities, and I think we paid them about 300 for the service. well worth it if you don't know your way around the federal dot guidlines. annual registration for both trucks (not incl dot/mc)is about 1200 total. Insurance is about 1k/month but that is oilfield conforming, which is much more than standard dot. Our billing rate is around 2.00/mile. and that is both ways. We bill for a round trip, from home to home.
I don't know how this relates to standard hotshotting, but we are about 25%of most oilfield hotshotters that I have talked to.
We will be renegotiating our contract soon!!
Don't know if this novella helps or not, but use it as you will
Darin

Hey Guys

I talked to a broker out of Indiana a couple of months ago and he was paying $1.75 IF you were hauling 3 trailers on your 53' wedge and around a buck a mile if you pulled say a GNT or a 5th wheel alone. He figured around 2 trips a week, 1000+/- miles a trip (not sure if it was one way or both). Said his top guy was makin $220,000 /yr. hope this helps.

Hey brisk

In case you were curious about being empty in the snow with a 2WD in the snow, let me tell ya, empty SUCKS !! I haul gas/fuel for a living year round and the other day when chicago had some snow, loaded was no problem. Empty, on the other hand.... even with the power divider locked in and the air bags dropped (to try to put a little extra weight on the drives ) I was smokin the tires. (8 drives spinin at once and smokin was almost worth bein stuck...not!) I had to dig myself out with a miniature shovel and a bag of kitty litter.

About 10 yrs ago at the midwest truck show in Louisville KY, some guy was promoting a device that hung down by the drive tire and actually kind of looked like a roller (that was spun by contacting the tire itself) well the roller device had 8 or 10 chain lengths about 1' or so that looked like an octopus that when you drove, the chain would provide traction when you needed it and it swung out of the way when not. Ok it is class 8 stuff but it still has some applications with hot shot stuff. Hope this helps:)