Dodge=dump - Page 2

A lot of that is correct, but it is not quite the "gotta get it there ASAP" anymore like it use to be. Basically hotshotting is a non-dedicated form of delivery, meaning you are not working a dedicated route and are not necessarily working for one specific company. It basically is a one time delivery from point A to point B for a company who usually does not have their own transportation delivery system. Quite often I picked up loads on Thursday that did not have to be there until Monday morning, and it was not but a couple hundred miles or so away. Probably one of the hardest things about hotshotting is getting "backhauls" (a load from somewhere near the place you just delivered back somewhere near home so you can get paid coming back also). Deadheading (going back home without a load) really sucked because you were spending money out of your pocket for fuel without an expectation of any return since you do not have a load. I subcontracted to a company that set up all my runs for me. While I was going from point A to point B, they were busy looking for me a run from point B back home to point A, or from point B to point C. I did not have to worry about getting on the load boards to find a run, they were doing it for me, I just had to concentrate on load I had. There are a lot of hotshotters out there with the big rigs also, as companies have one time loads of 20 - 40 tons they need delivered, and the trailer I had could only carry a max load of 8 tons. There are a lot of long hours in it, but it can pay pretty well, just depends on what a person wants to put into it. That being said, there are a lot of regulations also, you have to follow pretty much all of the DOT regulations the heavy haulers have to follow. Some of them are a pain, but it is what it is, and you go into it knowing about it so you just deal with it. I enjoyed a lot of it (seeing country I normally would not have seen, being my own boss, working outside) and a lot I did not enjoy (big city traffic jams (AUSTIN SUCKED!!!), securing loads in 100+ degree weather, tarping in rain or winds). Hope this answered some questions anyone might have.

Ouch, sorry the post was so long, did mean to ramble on this long.

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