Hot Shots & Hot Shotting

[3500GMC]

A friend just got a good deal on a truck and trailer, or at least the price was good. I forget the actual 'number', but he bought 'the business'.. A Flat bed EC Silverado Dmax/Allison C3500 DRW, '06 or 7 IIRC. 3 car wedge, Kauffman IIRC.

It's got a perfect DOT rating he says. Has the MC# and the DOT#'s too.

To me it looks to be in excellent condition. I will get a photo (with his permission) up here to oogle at.

What are some of the in's and out's of doing the hot shot thing?

 

[DieselCash]

I know some people that do hot shotting here in Texas.

Too really make money you need to live by the major cities.

My neighbor just started doing this also, he claims he is making money. :skep:

 

[WarWagon]

Know your CPM, cost per mile and know your fixed expenses by the day. This way you can decide on waiting for a load or deadheading back. Know your MPG and be able to adjust it for fuel costs that change every day. Use gasbuddy and corporate lodging card for the best prices. It needs a aux fuel tank to keep fuel costs down. Separate bank account. Check on how he will be paid and by who. Check ratings of brokers before taking a load. Many forget to pay and their rating will show it. In short you need to know your costs before you take a profitable or unprofitable load.

Run loaded as much as you can, deadhead is just an expense.

Make a partnership or other business so you avoid the hobby laws. File taxes separately on the business to avoid schedule C IRS audits.

Run the engine oil out till the DIC says to change it. you don't need the extra expense of 3K oil changes. Get a oil analyses if you doubt it, I did and ran 10K on standard Shell oil. Grease the front end every 3K though. Most truckstops can do this for $12.00. My air filter made 50K. Forget 'extra insurance' as cutting extra expense is more important and getting every usable penny out of maintenance items will make or break your bottom line.

The 6 speed trans likes to lug 6th gear and heat the engine on 'hills'. I suggest manual downshifting and adding more cooling via an oil cooler or other ways. I averaged 245 ECT pulling the passes here. Oil temps were insane w/o an extra oil cooler. (2008 Duramax.) Ever thin the oil so much you trigger the 9 PSI "low oil pressure stop engine" DIC... Extra oil cooling was worth 10 MPH, 55MPH top speed, pushing a trailer hard into a headwind. This cost MPG, but, kept the truck out of the floodwaters that hit the USA in 2008 as we were between storms and outrunning it - barley.

Check the plates for a extra fee 22K weight rating, varies by state.

Look at other load boards like uship and getloaded.

And the most important thing of all, Do everything you can for MPG. Fuel is your biggest expense. Change the exhaust and make other changes that help MPG. Run 65 MPH and avoid having to run 75 for hot loads etc. If you have to tow fast you are in the wrong business as fuel cost will quickly bankrupt you. Chose routes that are flatter when you can as hills cost MPG more than extra miles alone to go around it.

 

[3500GMC]

WW, big 10-4.. Right now he's waiting to get it insured. Also a PUCO number transfer. (public utilities commission of ohio) He's got the GVW bumped to 28k. Much talk about an auxiliary tank. There 'was' one there. You can see it's footprint on the flat bed deck.-huge fluxuations in diesel $ for sure.

There was talk of the GCVW exceeding 26k with the luggage, extra fuel tank and three large-ish trucks...

Trying to get a good deal on 150k per 'load' ins. Million dollar on liability. Something like that....


A question: How is the BOL (bill of lading) handled? Fax? email? PDF via Smartphone?

 

[WarWagon]

BOL is handled by your laptop, mobile cell phone internet connection, small printer, and inverter from the back seat. Email PDF, fax, and snail mail all apply.

 

[3500GMC]

Well, FF a few months and the truck has needed some parts, some to get it 'up to snuff' before going on the road. Has 170k mi on it thereabouts. Front WB's, Pitman, Idler, brake pads, new steers, added the Aux tank..

Once on the road, he reported good performance when loaded up. No concrete MPG figures, maybe 10 ish... He had to donate to PENN DOT for a minor LOG BOOK infraction.. (He kinda forgot to start a log that day) Then the kind, ever-observant diesel bear also noticed no prior 5 day log was recorded so... Out Of Service for 10 hours...Hotel, sleep on it, lick wounds etc.. :hihi: That was well north of $600.......

He wants me to run it through the spring, summer, fall, as he paves roads for a company on the 'nice days'... Think I'll give it a crack maybe. Now that he's got all the weeds layed down..

The truck needs a pinion seal and as far as we can see, a WP.. now. Minor stuff really.

 

[WarWagon]

You absolutely need a MPG figure esp. with rising fuel prices. Fuel is usually over 1/2 the cost from the income. This way you can see if you are running for fuel only, less than the cost of fuel (IE paying them to run the load), or making costs including parts, insurance, and DOT fines.

Your MPG may vary with the wind, weight of the load, and shape (wind resistance) of the load.

The DOT paperwork is a real PIA esp. after you are tired from driving all day. You can do the Logs in the AM, but, going for coffee first without them complete can be expensive as per above getting stopped. The paperwork takes the fun out of it. It doesn't really stop the abuses of fly by night companies going over hours. But it does keep lots of places in line for not assigning crazy hours/miles. Paper makes it harder for the DOT guy to bust you over the electronic logs that can be "downloaded".

Maybe 10ish MPG isn't a good answer. You need your MPG on a per load basis and your running empty MPG. Then you can figure your fuel costs before taking a load.

In hard mountains around here we were running hot and at 8.5 MPG to 11 MPG depending on how many hills we had to deal with. But we know the MPG over a specific route. We also knew how much the MPG varied with different fuel B99 vs #2. Winter and summer diesel... Unloaded MPG with no trailer was 18 MPG. All for the 2008 Dmax with the DPF exhaust plug. The delete kit was 10% or better MPG improvement towing. Shows you the hard hitting delivery/transportation cost on your food table of the newer 'stupid' environmental laws for DPF etc.

 

[Ed HD]

:stupid:

Careful attention to cost is how John D. Rockefeller managed to become one of the most wealthy men in the world in the early 1900's. It still applies today. You need to track where every penny is going, and a lot of it is tax-deductible, especially parts and maintenance.

Have him start an account at www.fuelly.com That is the easiest way to track mileage, and you can update it via mobile internet browser or text-message.

 

[3500GMC]

Good info guys, thanks a bunch.

I am familiar with the log books as I used to drive flatbed semi for some time... Now for some reason I think I need to haul cars on a pick-up.. I kinda know they're a 'target' from the get-go. An extra added expense is the damn PA turnpike.. I hate toll roads but through that state, it's logistically the best route- Columbus Ohio Manheim auto auction house to Manheim, PA auto auction house and back loaded both ways.

There are other runs on the load board but they aren't quite as 'cut and dried'...Know whatta mean?

 

[WarWagon]

Loaded both ways is a dream. What does it pay per mile or per car and how many cars can you take? Dead head just kills us in the RV delivery.

Toll roads are nice. Less traffic, less sudden stops from dip$**** getting on and off exits from the fast lane in front of you... When you have DOT hours forcing you to do a hotel less time on the road at a slightly higher cost can get you home vs a hotel stay.

Are the toll roads in better condition saving tires and shocks?

 

[3500GMC]

The PA pike is average. Less 'fuzz' around in general mostly because you already donated handsomely...

Popular east/west corridor, still has it's share of dumbasses. Condition also average. Pretty good layout through the Appalachian mountains I will say.. A few tunnels, a few decent pulls up a grade, not terrible.

Pretty easy to do a 'turn' and land back home a day later. Keep the driver door shut..

From a logistical view, the PA pike is a straighter shot, less big hills, has a toll, but to route around it would cost more fuel and time with bigger hills and out of route miles.

 

[cgreen]

You also have to remember how stupid the rules are for pickups trucks. You can't count anytime in your truck off-duty because it does not have a legal sleeper, unless one has been added. Meaning you hop in the backseat to get a nap, that is counted as on-duty not driving time. However, you can put up a tent 5 ft from your truck and that is legal off-duty time if you sleep in the tent. I have a GN enclosed trailer, complete with the area over the neck that has a bed and AC, but it is not legal for me to sleep there for my offduty time, even if I am parked.

 

[3500GMC]

Most generally if the rig is up to snuff, you got a legal log, and you don't come out of the truck stinkin' with bed-head, bloodshot eyes, 6 o'clock shadow and appear coherent, diesel bear should leave you alone.

 

[cgreen]

Most generally if the rig is up to snuff, you got a legal log, and you don't come out of the truck stinkin' with bed-head, bloodshot eyes, 6 o'clock shadow and appear coherent, diesel bear should leave you alone.

Oh there's always the one who just picks everything apart that will get you. I had an Isuzu FTR that was just under the legal size to be a sleeper. I had a sleeping bag and pillow back there and this DOT gal/heifer said, you don't log that as off-duty or sleeper do you? Me- "No just to take a quick nap when waiting on an unload, logging it as on-duty." She jerked my fire extinguisher off the wall and said "I shouldn't be able to just pull it loose like that." I'm like whats the purpose of a fire extinguisher if you can't get it out to use it during a fire. wrote me up for not having it properly secured and not signing my logs yet-I was on a "trip" that took me less than 30 miles from my house.

 

[malibu795]

over 26k you have IFTA, heavy road use tax to file...
if you read the rule in its entirety.. any CMV that tows a trailer more then 10001lb you need a CDL A reguardless of GCVW i can get the line number and link if you dont believe me.
this is mine total overhead is looking at .70cpm for my setup.. the plus is i will own everything out right... i am staying under 26k even though i could max out as 32k due to paper work, permits, ifta state miles etc for trucks over 26k
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/485203_3286774121767_1040072946_3098270_296148031_n.jpg

 

[3500GMC]

Good looking rig Adam. How are you coordinating your loads? I did mention the IFTA thing to my friend.. I can't remember if he said he paid up or not..

 

[malibu795]

found a local(mechanicburg) brooker the speciallizes in LTL flat bed loads that i will be leased onto as a 1099 employee.. no force displatch, i have direct contact with the customers, negotiate pay, pickup/delierevy times if i need help he can dispatch me as well. but 95% i will be dispatching my self. i should have everything up ready to start hauling the 1st

 

[btfarm]

Nice Adam! :thumbsup:

 

[cgreen]

over 26k you have IFTA, heavy road use tax to file...
if you read the rule in its entirety.. any CMV that tows a trailer more then 10001lb you need a CDL A reguardless of GCVW i can get the line number and link if you dont believe me.
this is mine total overhead is looking at .70cpm for my setup.. the plus is i will own everything out right... i am staying under 26k even though i could max out as 32k due to paper work, permits, ifta state miles etc for trucks over 26k
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/485203_3286774121767_1040072946_3098270_296148031_n.jpg

I'll bet that 90% of DOT officers don't even know that under 26k, you don't fall under IFTA. I talked to a guy who had a 25,950 ex Penske truck he used to pick up carpet and take back to Alabama. He had IFTA stickers on his truck, but it had expired. they wrote him a $250 ticket and he was just going to pay it, but I gave him the IFTA page where it described who falls under IFTA and told him to fight it.

 

[malibu795]

I'll bet that 90% of DOT officers don't even know that under 26k, you don't fall under IFTA. I talked to a guy who had a 25,950 ex Penske truck he used to pick up carpet and take back to Alabama. He had IFTA stickers on his truck, but it had expired. they wrote him a $250 ticket and he was just going to pay it, but I gave him the IFTA page where it described who falls under IFTA and told him to fight it.

should have scrapped the sticker... IMO he was asking for the ticket by leaving an expired ifta sticker on the truck.. dot was probly thinkng easy ticket at least i would be in his shoes.