Hotshot companies to lease on to: how to choose

Leasing on is how many hotshot owners start: you bring the truck and trailer, the carrier brings the authority, insurance and often the freight. It can be a smart first step or an expensive trap, depending on the lease. We don't rank carriers, because their terms change and we can't verify every offer. Instead, here's how to compare any of them fairly.

Types of carriers that lease hotshots

Criteria that matter

1. Revenue share and how it's calculated. Percentage of what: the linehaul only, or fuel surcharge and extras too?
2. Chargebacks. Insurance, ELD, plates, trailer rental, fuel card fees, admin fees.
3. Escrow. How much is held, how it's used and when it comes back.
4. Load control. Can you refuse loads without penalty? Choose lanes and home time?
5. Payment speed and how settlements are shown.
6. Insurance. What the carrier covers, what you buy and the deductibles you'd pay.
7. Exit terms. Notice period, return of plates and equipment, final settlement timing.

Compare offers side by side

In this EXAMPLE, the lower percentage pays more once deductions are counted. Always compare the bottom line. Use the hotshot rate calculator to set the floor you need after fuel and truck costs.

Your rights under federal lease rules

Leases between carriers and owner-operators must follow the truth-in-leasing rules in 49 CFR 376. The lease must be in writing, state how you're paid, list every chargeback and how it's computed, explain escrow and when it's returned, and give you access to documents that determine your pay, like rate confirmations. If an offer won't put these in writing, walk away.

SOURCE: Rules: 49 CFR 376, Lease and interchange of vehicles (checked Oct 2026).

Red flags in a lease

• Revenue share quoted without saying what it applies to
• Chargebacks "as needed" without amounts
• Large escrow with no clear return date
• Forced dispatch or penalties for refusing loads
• Required purchases through the carrier at marked-up prices
• Long notice periods or fees to leave
• Refusal to show rate confirmations

Questions to ask a carrier

1. What percentage do I get, and of which charges?
2. Show me every chargeback with amounts.
3. How much escrow, and when is it returned after I leave?
4. Can I turn down loads without penalty? Who chooses lanes?
5. Can I see the rate confirmation for every load?
6. When and how am I paid?
7. What insurance do you provide, and what deductible do I pay on a claim?
8. How much notice to leave, and what happens to plates and final pay?
9. Can I talk to two owner-operators currently leased with you?

How to research a carrier

Before you sign, look the carrier up by USDOT number in FMCSA's public records: authority status, insurance on file, safety rating if any, and inspection and crash history. A carrier with frequent out-of-service violations can attract scrutiny that lands on you at the roadside. Search for reviews from owner-operators, and ask the carrier for two or three drivers you can call. Listen for how settlements, escrow and disputes are handled; those details show up in reviews long before they show up in a lease.

Fuel and fuel cards

Many carriers provide a fuel card with discounts at certain stations. Ask how much of the discount you get, whether there are card fees, and whether fuel is deducted from your settlement at the pump price or the discounted price. Ask whether there's a fuel surcharge on loads and whether you receive it. On a hotshot, fuel is one of the largest weekly costs, so a few cents a gallon add up over a year.

Reading a weekly settlement

A settlement statement should show every load with its revenue, your share, and every deduction with a description. Check each week: does the load revenue match the rate confirmation, are the deductions the ones in the lease, and is escrow being added or drawn as agreed? Keep copies. If something doesn't match, ask in writing. Truth-in-leasing rules give you the right to see the documents behind your pay.

Ending a lease cleanly

Give notice exactly as the lease says, in writing. Return any carrier plates, decals, fuel cards and equipment and get a receipt. Remove the carrier's markings from your truck if the lease requires it. Ask for the final settlement date and the escrow return date in writing, and keep records of your last loads. If you're moving to your own authority, have your insurance and filings ready to start the day the lease ends, so you don't lose a week.

Insurance when leased on

The carrier's liability policy usually covers you under dispatch. You'll typically pay for non-trucking liability (bobtail), physical damage on your equipment and often occupational accident coverage. Ask exactly what's covered, by whom, and the deductibles. See hot shot insurance.

Non-CDL owners and leasing

Fewer carriers lease non-CDL hotshots, because much of their freight is too heavy for a 26,000 lb combination. Those that do usually focus on expedited parts, light partials or two-car vehicle moves. Ask what share of the carrier's freight fits a non-CDL rig before you sign; a lease is only as good as the loads you can legally take under it. Keep weighing every load yourself, because the license line is your responsibility even under someone else's authority.

Lease-purchase programs

Some carriers offer to lease you a truck with an option to buy it. Read these with extra care: who sets the payment, what happens if loads slow down, who pays for major repairs, and what you own if you leave early. Many lease-purchase deals tie the truck payment to the carrier's freight, so a slow month can put you behind on both. Compare the total cost with buying a similar truck on your own.

Leasing on vs own authority

Many owners lease on for a year, learn the freight and save, then get their own authority. If you go that route, plan the move: authority filing, insurance quotes and broker setups take weeks. The full process is in how to start a hotshot business, with contract work in hot shot contracts and broker work in hotshot brokers.

Dispatch as the alternative

A dispatcher gives an owner with their own authority much of what a lease-on carrier provides on the load side, without giving up your authority, your broker setups or your share of the revenue. With hotshot dispatch, you approve every load and the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you. More on the work in our hotshot guide.