There are several companies out there that are looking for contract haulers for RV's, horse trailers, etc. They mostly deliver new units to dealers and private owners. You can find them on the net by typing in a few key words under search mode. They're fairly informative.

 

I think if you were going to do this for a living, I'd buy a long, dual tandem flatbed and haul freight instead of just doing trailer transport and delivery. The mileage rate is way to low for delivering trailers.

 

Thanks for the info. I'd be willing to haul anything that doesn't exceed my trucks limits. Shorter runs with a trun-around time of 1 day to max of 4? This is not necessarily to make 100% of my income. Need to supplement about $30-40,000/yr.
I've run alot of searches for days now and am finding a lot of US sites but not much Canadian?

 

Hate to break it to ya, but to make that kinda money you'd be runnin at least 30+ hours a week. Guy I talked to just today, said he made about 100K last year, but he was on his 6th load this week already /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif. He is signed on with 11 different companies, he sometimes spends the entire ride on the phone setting up his next load. Had an 01 dually with 417,000 miles on it, Stroke of course /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

Trinity

 

Hey or should i say eey?(sp?)as the canadians I spoke to yesterday said.



/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif
Life is what you make of it, thats it!!! If you got a chance to hual to the US to make $$, then go for it. Just Like if I had $$$ to haul to Canada, I'd go for it.

 

Plan on staying away from home for 1 month at a time, if you want to make any money at all.

Plan on insurance costing you double what your truck payment costs. Maybe 1K to 1.5K a month.

Your equipment will be your smallest investment compared to insurance, plates, taxes and the like.

Fuel, at least around here is at an all time high. I think this would be just about the worst time to get into hot shotting.

If you are bound and determined to do it. Try to find a local company that needs your service. Backing hauling will be your biggest problem. Loads from home are always easy, it is getting back home Loaded that is the hard part.

Plenty of on line broker companies out there these days. Although I couldn't tell you which are good to haul for and those that will cheat you out of your last dollar.

Good Luck

 

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Thanks for the info. I'd be willing to haul anything that doesn't exceed my trucks limits.

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If you think your truck limits are 26 - 33,000 pounds, you'll be okay. If you use Ford's limits of 20-22000 pounds, you'll never make it in the Hot Shot business hauling. You might deliver campers but I don't think you'll get enough light loads with a flatbed to stay under Ford limits. Heck, if you use Fords limits, you'll be loaded just hooking up your empty trailer.

If you really want to Hot Shot, here's a truck for you: Ebay Hot Shot Rig

 

Actually I already have the truck paid for and ready to go. I have a 2001 F350 Superduty Supercab, longbox, SRW, diesel. I know plates/insurance/maintenance will be my big costs. I was just thinking since I have the truck, love to travel(and drive my truck!), I might be able to haul one load down and one back(when I'm lucky, or I'd haul my own purchase back like a vehicle to resell). The rest of the weekI'd be working my own small business, manufacturing in niche market so no set hrs. or productivity rates. My wife doesn't like the idea of me driving and being away for long periods of time as we want to have kids in the next couple yrs. but would be fine if I was gone 3-4 nights max a week. Maybe one week there would be nothing to haul so I'd just work at home (my small business). That's not a problem. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif

 

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If you really want to Hot Shot, here's a truck for you: Ebay Hot Shot Rig

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WOW!!

That is awesome!

 

It is a nice truck, but my question is, why is he selling it with only 10,XXX miles on it? Practially new! Hot Shot not making enough money anymore? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif

 

Very nice looking truck. I'd like to have it.

But is it really a cab and chassis or is it a pickup with the box removed?

With the Fords, cab and chassis trucks have a longer frame than a LB pickup, with the option of a MUCH longer frame. Also the frame is straight as an arrow from the cab back and the rear spring pack is much thicker and the GVWR is higher.

If Dodge is now offering a cab and chassis like that, I will give Dodge a try next time!

Anybody know enough about unravelling the VIN and/or options to determine if that that is a cab and chassis?

Mark

 

it is a dodge 3500 with the bed removed.

they are rumored to be offering a c/c in a year or two. but i have been hearing that since 03.so its anybody's guess.

i am running a dodge 3500 for most of my loads, and it has held up ok i guess. yesterday i took a picture of my 2005 chevy 3500 with 300 square bales on a 32' flatbed grossing ~ 33,000#.... the dodge hauls it much better than the chevy, and the f550 hauls it even better. the problem with running the dodge is the price of 17 tires, they are still too high in comparison to 16" tires

 

[ QUOTE ]
It is a nice truck, but my question is, why is he selling it with only 10,XXX miles on it? Practially new! Hot Shot not making enough money anymore? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Notice that the listing says back converted to day cab, not sleeper like he's got it set up as. My understanding is that this wouldn't qualify as a DOT approved sleeper and you can't log it's use as such.
If this is fact then I wonder if motels ate into his profits too much when he found out.

 

[ QUOTE ]
it is a dodge 3500 with the bed removed.

they are rumored to be offering a c/c in a year or two. but i have been hearing that since 03.so its anybody's guess.

i am running a dodge 3500 for most of my loads, and it has held up ok i guess. yesterday i took a picture of my 2005 chevy 3500 with 300 square bales on a 32' flatbed grossing ~ 33,000#.... the dodge hauls it much better than the chevy, and the f550 hauls it even better. the problem with running the dodge is the price of 17 tires, they are still too high in comparison to 16" tires

[/ QUOTE ]
What about your F450 and F550 with the 19" tires? Aren't they expensive?

BTW, I'm still marvelling at that Dodge!

 

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My understanding is that this wouldn't qualify as a DOT approved sleeper and you can't log it's use as such.


[/ QUOTE ]

You just have to make sure that you log off duty when you aren't driving and don't mark any time as sleeper berth time. In the ten years I ran mine over the road, there is no telling how many DOT cops (while looking in the back window at my bed) simply wanted to see how I logged. If I had put sleeper berth time on them, I'd have been busted but they never said a thing.

Hey Gobbler, look at the truck in my pics. It's pretty similiar but at least mine's a Ford...... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif

 

All I will say is here in Florida I found alot of Hot Shot trucks/trailers in the Trader. I called on a few because I though about buying one to keep a driver busy when he was slackin around the farm here. I found that most of those trailers were owned by Bank's, that led me to believe alot of people were going belly up in the venture. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif

 

I ran into a guy delivering small cargo trailers to Tractor Supply Co in Okeechobee, FL, this past January. He had a 2004 Isuzu truck with 7.9L diesel in-line six. It was only a few months old. He pulled a 35-40' gooseneck steel trailer that carried the small cargo trailers. He told me he only delivered trailers for one company...though he was always trying to pick up back-haul loads so he didn't have to go home empty. Mostly, he would haul cars on his back-hauls.

He told me:
He had previously driven F-350 Dually's with PSD diesel engines. His last truck was a 2002 7.3 PSD. He said he usually drove the trucks 400-450 thousand miles before getting a new one. He said he went through transmissions every year or so...did not say what mileage..but had never had "big" engine troubles with 7.3 engines. He said he did not have faith in the 6.0L Ford engine and went looking around for an alternative, which he found in Isuzu. He said he saved about $10,000 versus the cost of a new F-350 Dually. Plus, he said he gets about 2 MPG better fuel economy with the Isuzu. The Isuzu had what I would call an extended cab...it was not a crewcab....only two doors.

He had mounted the gooseneck ball slightly ahead of the rear axle and did not have any sort of bed on his truck...just open frame rails. He had a couple of aluminum boxes mounted behind the cab for storage.

This guy and his wife were a driving team. I don't believe the Isuzu would have been as comfortable as the F-350, but don't know for sure.

There's just not doubt in my mind that this Isuzu truck was more robustly built than any diesel pickup around. But not as mnay amenities, either.

Florida ED

 

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Plan on staying away from home for 1 month at a time, if you want to make any money at all.

Plan on insurance costing you double what your truck payment costs. Maybe 1K to 1.5K a month.
Good Luck

[/ QUOTE ]


Where do you come up with this crap?????? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

 

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the problem with running the dodge is the price of 17 tires, they are still too high in comparison to 16" tires

[/ QUOTE ]

You'd better learn to love the chevy if you want to run 16s. Ford has gone to 17s now too you know.

 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Plan on staying away from home for 1 month at a time, if you want to make any money at all.

Plan on insurance costing you double what your truck payment costs. Maybe 1K to 1.5K a month.
Good Luck

[/ QUOTE ]


Where do you come up with this crap?????? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

The insurance sounds high. However, you do have to stay out to make money. Every time you go home, you are deadheading. I've deadheaded over 1,000 miles to get home.

Hotshotting is not the business to be in if you want to make money and be home every week, especially if you want to be out 3-4 days a week.

 

I would not even think of hotshotting with a single rear wheel truck! You would need a dually to hotshot if you want to pull any serious loads, singles will just get you into trouble. Insurance would be a high cost as well as fuel, so your little endevour would more than likely turn into a full time job if you were to make up for the extra expenses of the licensing, fuel, maintenance, insurance, taxes, etc.

 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Plan on staying away from home for 1 month at a time, if you want to make any money at all.

Plan on insurance costing you double what your truck payment costs. Maybe 1K to 1.5K a month.
Good Luck

[/ QUOTE ]


Where do you come up with this crap?????? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

[/ QUOTE ]




Experience FROM ACTUALLY DOING IT. How about you, or are you just an internet commando?

 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Plan on staying away from home for 1 month at a time, if you want to make any money at all.

Plan on insurance costing you double what your truck payment costs. Maybe 1K to 1.5K a month.
Good Luck

[/ QUOTE ]


Where do you come up with this crap?????? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

[/ QUOTE ]




Experience FROM ACTUALLY DOING IT. How about you, or are you just an internet commando?

[/ QUOTE ]




OH, never mind. I just did a search for your last half a dozen posts. You are a flamming little internet commando. Every post I read of yours; you had something crappy to say. Congratulations you have just made it to my blocked list /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

Kanman, you can actually get the cargo and liability ins. for $5000 to $6000 a year so if you are paying $1000 to $1500 a month I'd shop around. I did the hotshotting last year starting out doing it "in my spare time" and you can't make money like that. The only money I made was what I got to write off on taxes. If you could get into hauling styrofoam I'd be up for it. I hauled nursery stock (trees) grossing from 28000# to 35000# a load there is no future in that to hard on equipment. I got $1.80 a loaded mile. The hauling campers you are almost guaranteed to deadhead because your limited without a trailer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif
There is something about taking your bed off and licensing it as a tractor?

 

Barry, its been a few years now. Back then I was paying between $800 - $900 a month insurance. Pulling a 3 car hauler with a sneeker lift under my truck and I was legal for 48 state. I actually only ran in 4-6 states, but for the money it was almost the same to get apportioned for 48 states through the insurance company. I "believe" that was around 500K liability. That was the minimum the state allowed for a recovery agent.

The whole point I was trying to make. Most guys think that having a truck and getting a trailer is the biggest investment (and to a point it is) but, what they fail to realize is how very expensive the licensing, registration, taxes and insurance stuff is. Not to mention the fact that if you wish to make any real money you will have to spend your life on the road. Most guys grumble about replacing a set of tires ever couple of years or an oil change 3 times a year. I was swapping tires every 4 months and oil changes should have been done every few weeks. I wonder how many of these guys think they are actually going to sleep in a hotel room every night? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

If a guy can figure out a way to do this as a part time hobby and make a little money in the process I say "more power to him" and good luck in doing so.