It's my impression watching trucking videos lately, that hot shotting as a whole has been declining. Good thing you did not get into it. And the cops really like to hassle you more than the large trucks.
Anyone hotshot trucking in an IDI?
- Thread starter Jesus Freak
- Start date
Jesus Freak
Full Access Member
They really are targeted. I see a good deal of them though, but in less than 10yr old trucks. I would guess after buying fuel and paying insurance you might be able to waitress at a waffle house and make about the same.
Bart F-350
Full Access Member
Why would the cops hassle them more? are they doing things they shouldn't?
(me not knowing what hotshotting exactly is?)
Rdnck84_03
Full Access Member
Transport for hire. Most of them push the limits of doing it legally. Either overloading, driving too many hours, and neglecting maintenance.
James
James
Rocknit4x4
Registered User
A hot shot driver is basically a courier service. If you need a part delivered now, instead of shipping it through a major company, you can call a hot shot company and they will dispatch a driver / vehicle to come direct to the point of origin and then drive directly to the destination, usually as quick as right now, minimal stops. They are frequently used for urgent needs or for specialty type of items - I think agriculture equipment, industrial needs, etc.
Not sure why they are hassled in some areas more than big trucks (i seem to see a semi pulled over just about every day on my way to work), but i would guess there is a higher chance for hot shot drivers to speed, given the time sensitive nature of the loads they generally haul.
Not sure why they are hassled in some areas more than big trucks (i seem to see a semi pulled over just about every day on my way to work), but i would guess there is a higher chance for hot shot drivers to speed, given the time sensitive nature of the loads they generally haul.
Jesus Freak
Full Access Member
Typically hot shot guys are hauling cars in a tri-state area. Like from dealership to dealership. They'll also be moving campers to camper dealers. But really it's a guy with a dually truck a trailer and a lot of insurance.
But yeah, I do see them pulled over regular.
Most of them do not have CDL's. So their combined weight ratings tags, trailer and truck, cannot exceed 26,000. That can be difficult, that relegates them to light bulky or smaller not very heavy loads. It's very easy to cross the 26,000 line. They can get the trailer manufacturer to put any sort of tag on the trailer, but a nice trailer is heavy and really limits the loads they can carry.
Dane Rickford
Full Access Member
I don’t hot shot per se, but I do a lot of hauling for “friends”. It’s all under the table and mostly local, but my idit does really good. A little slower on the grades than newer trucks I would imagine, but plenty of grunt. I average 12 mpg at around 20k lbs. Law enforcement has never given me any trouble but I think having an older truck and trailer helps with that. They probably think it’s all private party hauling or ag since my rig looks like it does.
hacked89
Full Access Member
IDI gen trucks don’t make great hot shot rigs
If there’s one thing that unites 90% of the truck community though is that Ford and Dodge are the light class trucks putting in a majority of the “work work”
If there’s one thing that unites 90% of the truck community though is that Ford and Dodge are the light class trucks putting in a majority of the “work work”
Last edited:
nelstomlinson
Full Access Member
Bigamist.
Yep. I looked into this quite extensively a couple years ago. The legal GCWR is too low since our diesels were gutless from the factory. If you legally could tow what the truck is truly capable of it would be a different story.
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
I'd like to do something similar to what you do some day.
Bart F-350
Full Access Member
Ok, yes I see where that is going....
I don't know how they do that in the states, but here in europe they have on a lot of places weighing loops worked into the highway surfaces, all overwatched by cameras, and (here we mostly use vans instead of trucks) where they are used for commercial goals they need to have electronic drivertime and speedrecorders installed in a tamperproof way, just like the big rigs, and the cops controlling these devises are very strict! even if they control this data a year or so afterwards, it's possible to be fined if you did something wrong.
But I never heard of checking on maintenance? other than having a yearly technical inspection? (every six months when it concerns passenger transport)
Rdnck84_03
Full Access Member
Trailer brakes and age of tires are the biggest thing that people neglect.
James
James
Similar threads
