Yes. A box truck can be used to hotshot. A hot shot load is transported by a midsize truck, for instance, a super-duty pickup truck or a midsized box truck. Hotshot loads are frequently LTL loads. LTL is an abbreviation for “less than load,” which means less than a full container or truckload.
An FTL load, also known as a full truckload, necessitates the use of a semi-truck with a trailer solely devoted to one truck full of cargo. LTL and hot shot loads do not require the use of an entire semi-trailer and could be transported in vehicles spanning from pickup trucks to straight trucks and box trucks.
Box trucks are indeed critical to a company regardless of whether you’re beginning a dispatch business, delivering less than truckload (LTL) shipments, or transporting job site equipment. When a company has a strict time limit and requires delivery as promptly as possible, they regularly recruit hot shot truckers.
The term “hot shot” was coined in the 1970s Texas oil fields, when pickup trucks supplied crucial components for excavation operations. It came about as a result of the need for shippers to transfer cargo more quickly, cost-effectively, and with fewer troubles.
Best Places to Find Hotshot Loads for a Box Truck
Seeking cargo can be one of the most significant problems of becoming a hotshot driver, particularly when you’re just starting out. Here are the best places to find hotshot loads for a box truck;
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DAT
DAT is the clearly dominant player in load boards, with almost 900,000 loads published every day (including tons of hot shot loads that are suitable for box trucks).
They have cutting-edge technology and information due to their scale and influence, which would include unrestricted searching, incredibly quick alarm match notifications, dealer credit scores, days to pay, market rates, mileage routing, and many other features.
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FR8Star
FR8Star is a complimentary hot shot load board with several remarkable properties. They let you search and locate the specific load you need. They also offer messaging capabilities, allowing you to quickly interact with shippers. You can also use their chat feature, which also will link you up to FR8Star’s customer service if you encounter any problems.
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Trucker Route
For hot shot loads, Trucker Path is an intriguing alternative. It’s extremely simple. Merely go to their website and look for loads. Its disadvantage is that you are given a restricted quantity of searches per day; however, you can advance to a premium subscription to receive more functionalities and access to the finest loads.
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Freight Finder
This is another excellent but also free load board on this list. You can visit their website and just key in the sort of load you require. Note that there is also a “hot shot” option in the drop-down menu as well. You only have to input the date and route information and check out what comes up.
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TruckStop
Truck Stop also offers a fantastic load board with hot shot loads. They have three pricing structures, the least expensive of which is $39/month. The far more expensive models are $125 and $149 per month, but they include more attributes, including broker credit and days to pay details.
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Uship
This is another free load board that has a pay-as-you-go pricing system. One of the primary benefits of using Uship is that you also obtain access to an extensive range of haulage for hotshot drivers. They still have resources for setting your price, timeline, and paths. You also could market your trucking company by creating a carrier account, which enables individuals to locate you and read reviews and feedback about your company.
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123Load Board
123 Load Board is another significant player in this same market. Truth be told, it is a general load board; however, they also can provide hot shot loads on their forum. You will most definitely enjoy the user-friendly interface, which makes it possible to search by size (choose LTL), magnitude, and mass. Their prices are as follows:
- $35 for the Basic Plan (includes access to a load board, real-time load alerts, website, and mobile access)
- $45 for the Premium Plan (includes all the things offered in the standard plan, in addition to mileage and maps and document capturing and storage)
- $55 for Premium Plus (includes all the things in the premium plan, in addition to enhanced mileage and maps & tolls, industry freight rates, etc.)
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Shiply
Shiply is yet another free hotshot load board with a completely distinct approach to business. There are no fees associated with using their load board.
However, they will charge you once you schedule a load. You wouldn’t have to pay them except if you schedule a load with them. It appears to be a moderate option worth investigating. They offer a broad array of loads, but their website explicitly states hot shot loads, indicating that they are geared toward hot shot drivers.
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Free Freight Search
They claim that their system is used by more than 132,000 carriers and brokers. In order to be granted access to their load board, you must first register on their website. They provide complete access to their load boards and freight broker credit reports, which is convenient since some of the paid boards require an additional fee to obtain broker credit reports.
If you’re interested in the superior load solutions provided by a subscribed load board but do not wish to pay extra for a premium plan to obtain the broker credit reports, this could be a useful tool to have.
Conclusion
There aren’t numerous requirements for hot shot trucking. A hot shot trucker can drive a variety of vehicles, the most prevalent of which include one-ton delivery trucks classified as “medium-duty” by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). While each state has its own set of rules for hauling objects across interstate highways, the size of the haul is critical.