Hotshot trucking is often associated with commercially driving an F-350 and pulling a gooseneck or 5th wheel trailer to haul construction materials, cars, sheds, horses, etc.
Hotshot freight is simply hauling for a single customer that is needed in expedited fashion.
We often see farmers hauling equipment for personal use that want to take the next step to hauling commercially for customers. In other cases, a driver wants to be their own boss but worries about going into debt from purchasing a big rig.
The question we hear most often is “Do I need a CDL for Hotshot?”
According to regulations, a commercial driver’s license is not required in many states until you are driving vehicles commercially over of 26,000 lb. In some states a CDL is required for vehicles weighing more than 10,000 lb.
If you are looking to get started, below are 5 reasons why we recommend getting your CDL when hauling hotshot versus non-CDL hotshot.
REASON #1: CDL hotshot drivers have flexibility and a back-up plan
Many who enter the hotshot business want flexibility.
If you are looking to haul commercial loads, it is easier to get hired anywhere with a Class A CDL. A clean driving record and a CDL gives your hotshot business a starting point to build your reputation as well as your customers.
If you are driving hotshot as a steppingstone to bigger things, then hauling hotshot with no CDL is not worth it because you do not have a back-up plan. With a CDL, you can start your business driving smaller hotshot loads locally that might not need a CDL to haul.
If you are not making enough money this way, you can move up to a larger vehicle or 40-foot trailer for bigger and more lucrative loads and haul interstate across state lines. If this is not enough, you can step up to a semi or be a company driver.
Basically, without the CDL, you are stuck hauling smaller local freight, and it will be harder to grow your business and ultimately harder to make more money.
REASON #2: Drive any vehicle over GVWR 26,000 lbs and pull a trailer with GVWR over 10,000 lbs
Hotshot haulers quickly find out the importance of understanding gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR). The size of your truck limits the size of your trailer and ultimately limits the size of the load you can haul and the revenue you can earn.
Generally, commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) are defined as vehicles engaged in interstate commerce (crossing state lines) and:
Weighing (including any load) more than 10,000 lbs, or
Having a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of more than 10,000 lbs, or
Transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placards
As a hotshot your CMV can be a cut-away van, medium-duty box truck, a smaller F-250 or equivalent truck to a larger F-450/550 Super Duty or equivalent for towing. All of these vehicles differ in weight, which in turn affects the size of load you can haul.
Similarly, hauling hotshot can have a variety of trailers that are suitable for the types of loads you plan to carry. There can be smaller horse trailers, flatbed trailers, or larger 30 to 40-ft gooseneck trailers. These too differ in weight and affect the size of loads you can haul.
Remembering the regulations, if the GVWR of your truck, trailer, and cargo is greater than 26,000 lbs, then you need a CDL. Similarly, if you are towing, including the trailer weight, greater than 10,000 lbs, you need a CDL.
A CDL gives you the flexibility to haul different size loads with different equipment and vehicles needed for the types of loads you plan to carry.
REASON #3: No limitations on hotshot loads
Now that you understand the importance of GVWR, we can now talk about the economics of hotshot trucking without a CDL.
Simply, if you do not have a CDL, the max weight must be 26,000 lbs or less. If you have an F-350 that weighs 10,100 lbs and a trailer that weights 7,000 lbs empty, then this only gives the non-CDL hotshot the ability to haul a maximum of 8,900 lbs.
26,000 (max weight without CDL)
– 17,100 (weight of truck + trailer)
= 8,900 (max load for non-cdl)
If you have a CDL, you can haul over that 26,000 GVWR limit.
But let us take this a step further.
If you use a 2500 truck with a GVWR of 10,000 lbs and a tandem axle single wheel with 14,000 lbs GVWR, then the combination is rated and licensed for 24,000 lbs.
Empty weight is 14,560 lbs with fuel, luggage, and you in the cab. This means of the 24,000 lb rating minus 14,560 lbs empty is 9,440 pounds of cargo you can haul.
However, the rear axle is rated for 6,200 lbs and the trailer axles are rated at 7,000 each. That is a 22,000 lb design limitation, which you never want to exceed.
The trailer tongue adds 1,940 lbs of empty weight to the rear axle, which scales 3,200 lbs empty with no trailer and 5,140 lbs with an empty trailer.
So, 6,200 lbs minus 5,140 lbs means you can add 1,060 lbs to the tongue before exceeding the trucks design limits.
This is why it is imperative to know how much your cargo weighs and know where to put it on the trailer. If you do not have a CDL, you have fewer equipment and load options to make money.
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