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Trying to startup a hotshot company, could use some O/O advice

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MikeKolody

Active Expediter
Hello everyone, My name is Mike and I am trying to start up my own hotshot company.. I could use any help/advice from experienced owner/operators out there...

Thanks for any advice anyone can give..

Mike
 
paullud

paullud

Veteran Expediter
Make sure you have plenty of cash saved so when things go wrong you are prepared. Unless you already know the industry very well I would try leasing on with someone.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App
 
cheri1122

cheri1122

Veteran Expediter
Driver
Awww - we like helping, but the thing is, if you mean traditional 'hotshots' [pickup truck pulling trailer for mostly the oilfield industry], that's not what we do here.
What kind of company do you have in mind?
On the other post [and it's best to stick to one, or replies get split up and confused], you wrote 'big truck/little truck' - what does that mean? Like, a semi & an S10 Chevy, or what? :confused:
 
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MikeKolody

Active Expediter
On my other post Big truck/ Little truck I meant going big truck Peterbilt triple axle with a 60 ton rogers drop deck or going with the oilfield hotshot like you mentioned before. The oilfield hotshot is big here in PA now due to our huge natural gas boom. I just wanted to be able to sustain it with other freight when oilfield work dries up or gets slow. And as far as money is concerned.. it all depends if I buy or lease my equipment.. If I buy i will have approximately 20G left over for operating costs to last until i start getting paid. If I lease on with someone I will have considerable more to work with... Im just not sure what route to go yet...

Lastly, when I plugged in Hot shot forums in the search bar, your site was one of the major ones listed...

The truck I was looking at purchasing is a 2011 silverado 1 ton with a 40 ft gooseneck lowboy.

Thanks

Mike
 
paullud

paullud

Veteran Expediter
Sounds like you are ready money wise but the issue that I would be concerned with is trying to get customers, getting those customers to trust/call you, knowing what rate to charge, and any local/state business requirements. If you buy your own truck and trailer and then lease on with a company then it gives you the chance to learn the industry.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App
 
Camper

Camper

Not a Member
One segment you might want to consider if your mind is set on Hotshotting is car hauling. The pay might not be as good as what you're getting for oil-related hauls but the work is more steady.
 
kwexpress

kwexpress

Veteran Expediter
you are maken the right choice with a lowboy.

you might also consider contacting carriers like landstar.I had a ton truck and could always go to landstarbroker.com

search all flats then sort by weight. landstar is more than express america and I was realy happy working for multiple carriers hotshotn this expedite is to much sit and wait for me and it was always nice to be able to pull into a motel and drop the trailer and be able to sight see.
 
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MikeKolody

Active Expediter
Hey KW thanks for the heads up, I will check out landstar.. and I also agree with you.. being able to drop the trailer and use the 1 ton as a regular pickup at times adds versatility.

Camper, I would only like to do cars as a secondary option, hauling cars is real cut throat up here in the northeast... foreigners will cut your throat for a dollar at the ports in NJ.

Brisco... there is a company called ACME that I have been checking out here in PA.. they seem to have a good rapport about paying fast and keeping trailers loaded... they want me to sign on to them totally... Im a little skeptical of this as i kind of wanted to have my own authority and freedom.. but they do offer financial relief in being able to use their authority, insurance, cargo ins.. dispatch help and buying fuel at their cost... makes it hard to ignore... is that wise?

Mike Kolody
 
Brisco

Brisco

Expert Expediter
Go to Garys board and search "ACME", you'll learn pretty quick..........:eek:

Also, search "Cheetah" and "ACE".....again......:eek:

Read Garys board for a good week. He has a LOT of stuff over there covering the LTL and HotShot Industry. There is probably nothing that will come to your mind that hasn't been asked before. I know telling one to "Read For A Week" may sound extreme, they tell people here to do it all the time, but in doing so it will help in the long run. And, you don't plan on jumping into running LTL Freight tomorrow now do you?

See ya in about a week......:D
 
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MikeKolody

Active Expediter
Brisco...

Hell no not tomorrow.. Im probably weeks off yet.. I JUST filed for my LLC and Tax ID number.... Im already registered for Garys board, and yes your right he does have almost everything covered...

I think this is going to be a long and drug out process from now till im ready to turn the key and hit the road but I want to do it RIGHT and NOT RUSH IT.

Ive always been a believer that someone that asks a stupid question and gets it right is much wiser than someone who takes a chance and gets it wrong. Im just trying to answer the millions of questions that I am coming up with and these forums are more valuable than anything I have found so far.

Mike Kolody :D
 
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Drby1994

Active Expediter
Im also interested in Hotshot hauling as well! In reading your convo i couldnt help but notice that yall both mentioned Garys board. Can you please tell me what this is? is it a message board or search engine? You made references to it like everyone interested in Hotshotting goes. Can you please elaborate?
 
Brisco

Brisco

Expert Expediter
Drby1994 said:
Im also interested in Hotshot hauling as well! In reading your convo i couldnt help but notice that yall both mentioned Garys board. Can you please tell me what this is? is it a message board or search engine? You made references to it like everyone interested in Hotshotting goes. Can you please elaborate?
Click to expand...

I saw that you registered over there today.......

I'll say the same thing here to you that I had to tell Mike.....

Give the guys time to answer questions you have, OK. The guys over there are true "IOO's" who aren't hanging out at Truckstops and WalMart parking lots for hours, if not days, waiting for a load to be found for them playing on the computer like a lot of the Expediters do here. Their wheels are turning day-in day-out maximizing their full 11/14 HOS every week. So if it takes a day or 2 or 3 or a week to get "Full" responses, accept it, OK. Gary will pop in 1st thing every morning to say "Hey", but it may be later in the day til he fully answers. (After he gets his trucks loaded)

Other than that.....read read read the board. Almost every answer to questions you seek concerning LTL and Hot Shot freight hauling is there on that board somewhere.
 
kwexpress

kwexpress

Veteran Expediter
it sure is nice to be able to prebook your freight for the week before you even leave the house.

running them goosenecks you can do it. keep after it stay away from cargo vans there is to many out here sitting now that run for free.I am only running them due to the fact that I don't like log books and I need a good tax write off.

I am making a little money with the van but it's chump change compared.
 
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