Average hot shot rate per mile

Ask ten hotshot owners what the going rate is and you'll get ten answers, all true for their lane, week and load. This page gives you the published reference points we trust, with dates, explains why one average misleads, and gives you a simple way to build your own rate data.

Most hotshot loads pay about $1.50 to $2.00 per loaded mile (industry estimate, May 2026); urgent loads reach about $3.00.

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<figure><blockquote>Most hotshot loads pay about $1.50 to $2.00 per loaded mile (industry estimate, May 2026); urgent loads reach about $3.00.</blockquote><figcaption>Source: <a href="https://truckquick.com/guides/average-hot-shot-rate-per-mile">TruckQuick, Average hot shot rate per mile</a></figcaption></figure>Copy embed code

Reference points, with sources

SOURCE: Hotshot ranges: FreightWaves, What is hotshot trucking, May 18, 2026 (an industry estimate, not a survey). Flatbed: DAT national average, week ending Sep 25, 2026. Checked Oct 2026.

Method: how to read these numbers

• They're estimates, not an index. No one publishes a hotshot-only rate index built from booked loads. Treat the ranges as a sanity check, not a price list.
• They're per loaded mile. Your all-in rate, with empty miles, is lower.
• They mix very different loads. A light partial and an urgent 15,000 lb machine move both land in "hotshot."
• They move weekly. Freight markets change with season, fuel and capacity. Check the date on any number you use.

Rate vs cost: what a rate is worth

The second row is the trap: a fair-looking rate that loses money because of the drive to pickup. The fourth shows an urgent rate that's no better than an ordinary one once the empty miles are counted. Run your own with the rate per mile calculator.

What moves hotshot rates

• Urgency. Same-day and after-hours loads pay the most.
• Weight and length. Loads that need a CDL rig and a 40 ft deck have fewer trucks competing.
• Lane direction. Freight into busy markets reloads easily; freight out of them pays more when trucks are scarce.
• Season. Construction, harvest and energy activity.
• Fuel prices. Rates lag diesel moves, often by weeks.
• Capacity. More hotshot trucks in a region means lower rates.

Spot vs contract rates

Most hotshot loads are spot freight: posted, negotiated and booked one at a time. Spot rates move fast, up when trucks are scarce and down when they're not. Some hotshots also run contract or dedicated work for a shipper at an agreed rate for weeks or months. Contract rates are steadier and often a little lower than spot in a hot market, and higher in a slow one. A mix of both smooths out the year. See hot shot contracts for how those agreements work.

Why hotshot rates are sometimes low

Hotshot trucks are cheap to buy compared with tractors, so new capacity floods in when rates are good, and rates fall. Many posts are light partials that a broker can also put on a semi with room to spare, which caps what they'll pay. And every hotshot in an area sees the same board posts at the same time. The owners who earn above the averages avoid competing only on the board: they take heavier and longer loads, answer at odd hours, build direct customers and plan reloads so their all-in rate stays high even when posted rates are soft.

Rates by load type

General patterns, not data: urgent parts and breakdown freight usually pay at the top of the range, because the shipper is losing money every hour. Heavy equipment and long steel pay well when few trucks nearby can take them. Vehicle loads are priced per car, so the per-mile figure depends on how full the trailer is. Light palletized partials on busy lanes sit at the bottom. When you log your loads, add a column for load type and you'll see the pattern in your own numbers within a few weeks.

Worked example

RATE CHECK, EXAMPLENO. 0092

EXAMPLE

Posted

$700

Loaded 400 + empty 120

520 mi

Loaded RPM

$1.75

All-in RPM

$1.35

Your cost per mile

$1.25

Counter at$813

At $700 this load clears 10 cents a mile. A counter at $813, the target from a 25% margin, makes it worth the day. The hotshot rate calculator gives the same numbers for any run.

Build your own rate data

The best rate data for your business is your own. Download our free hotshot rate log (CSV) and fill in every load you take and every one you pass: lane, miles, weight, deck, posted rate and final rate. After a month, sort by lane and you'll see which ones pay, which brokers negotiate and how much your counters earn. The first row is an EXAMPLE; delete it before you start. Open it in any spreadsheet app, add a row after every call, and review it every Friday. Note the loads you passed on and why; those rows show where your floor sits against the market.

Using lane history from load boards

Paid load boards show rate history for lanes: what similar loads paid over the past weeks. For hotshots, filter by flatbed and partial and look at loads close to your weight and length. Treat it as a range, not a price, and remember it reflects semi flatbeds as well as hotshots. Pair it with what brokers tell you on the phone and your own log, and you'll know when a posted rate is low before you call.

Raising your rate

1. Know your floor from a real month of costs. Use the trucking cost per mile calculator.
2. Counter every load. Most brokers expect it.
3. Cut empty miles with reload planning.
4. Take the loads others can't: heavy, long, urgent or awkward.
5. Build repeat brokers and direct customers.

Compare costs with semis in hotshot vs semi truck cost per mile, see broader data in hotshot trucking statistics, and income in how much do hot shot drivers make. Load sources are in hot shot loads.

Rates for non-CDL hotshots

Non-CDL rigs can only take loads that keep them at or under 26,000 lb combined, which usually means lighter freight and a smaller share of posts. That doesn't always mean lower rates per mile: urgent light loads like parts can pay very well. What changes is volume. With fewer loads that fit, every empty mile hurts more, so reload planning matters even more than the posted rate. See non-CDL hot shot loads.

Rates and dispatch

With hotshot dispatch, we price every load from your cost per mile, counter toward your target and pass on loads below your floor. You approve every load, and the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you.