Class D Vs. hot shot?

xkmail

Expert Expediter
So whats the difference of owning say a 24' fl70 with single rear 20K axle and a fl70 two axle truck pulling a 28' trailer ?
I know it is longer trailer (also need class a) is it cheaper than a full size semi truck?
better mileage?
I have seen some Class C hot shots but is there any advantage to this?
Can it pull a regular 28' pup depending on weight?
 

raceman

Veteran Expediter
Sooner or later I think everyone ask this question or one like it. You can find a lot of info from past posts on this topic. THawk was the last I saw posting on it. I think that was back in about Novemeber. Check it out.


Raceman
OTR O/O
 
G

guest

Guest
The short answer is virtually all expedite companies don't lease medium duty tractor trailer setups. They want straight trucks, not trailers with straight truck capacity. Why? One reason, I suppose, is there aren't many (if any) 22 foot trailers that are dock high. Other reasons are probably not having to keep up with a bunch of different equipment combinations and the different permit requirements that might apply to a medium duty tractor trailer setup vs. a straight truck.

There is the always intriguing 28 foot trailer used in lieu of a straight truck, but this seems to be talked about a lot more often than it is done.
 

dukesadog

Expert Expediter
What I hear the most about hot-shotting is brake replacement....I get skeered when I see them going down hills..and hope they are in front of me....

Little wheels mean little brakes then they have big loads...I saw a 3/4 ton Dodge pulling a big trailer with a 4x4 case Back-Hoe on it and the truck wasnt a dually....scarey!.

If you can haul light stuff..like foam sheeting or RV trailers then great...but if the stuff is really heavy..I would beware.

dukesadog
 
G

guest

Guest
I hate to generalize, because there are undoubtedly some stout pickups out there, but almost any way you slice it pickup is still a light duty truck. You can soup it up and trick it out but that doesn't change its essential design as a tool for light hauling. I have a 3/4 ton Dodge with the Cummins diesel as my 4 wheeler and I love it, but I would only tear it up if I ran it the way I run my straight truck. My pickup is great for pulling 5,000 to 10,000 pounds from time to time, but I wouldn't want to pin my livelihood on pulling that 7 days a week.

You can read many different ways of tearing up a good pickup over at the different Dodge and Ford diesel pickup sites. I saw a little video of a guy using his Dodge with twin turbos in a tractor pull.
 
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