Hotshot & Power Only Load Board
Freight that needs to move now and fits behind a pickup — post what you've got, or browse the board if you run a gooseneck.
— loads open on the board right now
New to the board? What flat-rate booking means for your pay
Hotshot is a heavy-duty pickup pulling a gooseneck, kept under the 26,001 pound combined weight that would require a CDL — which makes it the fastest way to move a single machine, a pallet that cannot wait, or a part holding up a production line. Power only is the other half of this page: a tractor hired without a trailer, for a shipper with their own trailer pool or a drop that needs recovering. Loads here turn on weight against that CDL line and on how far the rig gets from home, more than on miles alone. Post a load or get an Instant Quote in seconds, or browse the board directly if you run this equipment. Every carrier on the board has verified their own FMCSA authority before they can book or post.
What qualifies
Post it or find it, free
Shippers post a load or get an Instant Quote in seconds; carriers browse and book directly — no broker markup, no listing fee.
Every carrier is verified
Every carrier on the board has verified their own FMCSA authority before they can book or post — no guessing who's showing up.
Track it the whole way
Real GPS from pickup to delivery, plus one chat thread tying shipper, carrier, and driver together — no calling around for updates.
Getting hotshot & power only freight moved
Four things decide how fast this books and what it costs. Work through them in order and the posting will be right the first time.
- 1
Weigh it before you decide it is hotshot freight
Hotshot is about the rig, not the urgency. A one-ton pickup pulling a gooseneck stays under the 26,001 pound combined threshold that requires a CDL, which caps a realistic payload somewhere around 12,000 to 16,500 pounds depending on the truck. Past that you are buying a Class 8 tractor, whatever the load is called.
- 2
Pick the deck, then decide who supplies it
A gooseneck flatbed handles most of it. An enclosed gooseneck protects freight that cannot get wet or seen. Power only means the carrier brings the tractor and you supply the trailer, which is a different posting with a different price.
- 3
Say if it is time-definite, and say by when
Hotshot exists because someone needs it sooner than a consolidated LTL run allows. A real deadline gets priced and met; a vague one gets a hedge built into the rate.
- 4
Post it, or price it first
Post the load and let verified carriers running that radius come to you, or run an Instant Quote to see the number before you commit.
What decides the rate on this equipment
Rates are not arbitrary. On this kind of freight these four are what a carrier is actually pricing.
Weight against the CDL line
Under about 16,500 pounds you are hiring from a large pool of non-CDL hotshot rigs. Cross it and you need a CDL driver and a semi, and the rate steps up rather than rising smoothly.
How far the rig gets from home
Hotshot operators run tighter radiuses than fleets and price the empty return honestly. A 300 mile out-and-back quotes better than a one-way run into an area with nothing coming out.
Whether the clock is part of the job
Expedited and time-definite work occupies the truck exclusively and rules out picking anything up along the way. That exclusivity is most of what you are paying for.
Loading reality at both ends
A machine that drives onto the deck is quick. One that needs a forklift you have not arranged, or a dock the pickup cannot back into, turns a two-hour stop into a half day.
What usually rides on it
If your freight looks like one of these, this is the right board for it.
- Skid steers, mini excavators and compact plant
- Production-down machine parts and tooling
- A single pallet that cannot wait for a consolidator
- Agricultural implements and tractor attachments
- Crated HVAC units, pumps and generators
- Steel, pipe and building materials in partial quantities
Questions people ask about this equipment
What makes a load hotshot rather than just urgent?
The equipment. Hotshot means a heavy-duty pickup, usually a one-ton dually, pulling a gooseneck or bumper-pull trailer, with the whole combination kept under 26,001 pounds so it does not require a CDL. Freight that fits that envelope and needs to move now is hotshot freight. Freight heavier than that is expedited, and it moves on a semi.
Do I need a CDL to haul hotshot?
Not if the truck and trailer together are rated under 26,001 pounds gross combined weight. You still need a DOT number, USDOT authority for interstate work, and to run logs and inspections like any other commercial carrier — non-CDL is not unregulated. Carriers on this board verify their own FMCSA authority before they can book.
What is power only, and when would I post it?
Power only is a tractor without a trailer: you own or lease the trailer and hire the truck to pull it. It suits a shipper with their own trailer pool, a dropped trailer that needs recovering, or a carrier repositioning equipment. Post the trailer type and its loaded weight, because those decide which tractor can legally take it.
This equipment is booking loads today
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