Hotshot rate negotiation scripts

Most hotshot owners don't lose money because they can't negotiate. They lose it because they call before they know their numbers, then take whatever is offered to avoid sitting. These scripts fix the second problem; the first is fixed in two minutes with a calculator.

Know two numbers before every broker call: your walk-away rate (all miles x cost per mile) and your target (walk-away plus margin).

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<figure><blockquote>Know two numbers before every broker call: your walk-away rate (all miles x cost per mile) and your target (walk-away plus margin).</blockquote><figcaption>Source: <a href="https://truckquick.com/guides/hotshot-rate-negotiation-scripts">TruckQuick, Hotshot rate negotiation scripts</a></figcaption></figure>Copy embed code

Before you call: two numbers

1. Walk-away rate = (loaded miles + empty miles) x your cost per mile.
2. Target = walk-away x (1 + your margin).

The counter-offer calculator and hotshot rate calculator do this in seconds.

Download the scripts (RTF, opens in Word or Google Docs). Free, no email needed.

The scripts

Script 1: Opening the call

"Hi, this is [name] with [company], MC [number]. I'm calling about your load from [origin] to [destination] on [date]. I have a [truck and trailer, deck length] available [time] and about [miles] from pickup. Can you tell me the weight, dimensions and what it pays?"

Let the broker name a number first when you can.

Script 2: Countering a low rate

"Thanks. I'm [miles] out and it's [weight] lb on a [length] deck, so I'd need [your ask] to make it work. Can you get there?"

Open a little above your target so meeting in the middle still lands near it.

Script 3: When they say no

"I understand. What's the most you can do on it? My floor on this one is [walk-away rate]. If that doesn't work, no problem, please keep me in mind for this lane."

Ending politely keeps the door open for the next load.

Script 4: Adding detention and extras

"Before I commit, what's the detention policy, how many free hours, and what's the rate after that? Is the tarping, extra stop or layover paid, and can we put that on the rate confirmation?"

Anything agreed on the phone belongs on the rate confirmation.

Script 5: Hot load, short notice

"I can be loaded within [hours] and deliver by [time]. For a same-day run with [miles] empty to get there, I'd need [your ask]."

Urgency is worth money. Say what you're giving up to make it happen.

Script 6: Asking for repeat freight

"That went smoothly on my end. Do you have freight on this lane regularly? I'm running [lanes] most weeks and can take [type of load]."

The best time to ask is right after a clean delivery.

Script 7: Accepting

"Okay, [rate] all-in for [origin] to [destination], pickup [date and time]. Please send the rate confirmation to [email] and I'll sign it as soon as I've read it."

Confirm the number out loud, then read the rate confirmation before you sign.

Script 8: The load changes after you agree

"The rate confirmation shows [new weight, stop or time], which isn't what we agreed. For that change I'd need [adjusted rate], or I'll need to pass. Can you send an updated rate confirmation?"

A changed load is a new decision. Don't sign a rate confirmation that doesn't match the call.

Script 9: Detention while you wait

"I arrived at [time] and I'm still not loaded. Under the detention terms on the rate confirmation, detention starts at [time]. Can you note it and confirm it'll be paid? I'll send the in and out times with the paperwork."

Document arrival and departure times; detention is much easier to collect with proof.

How to fill in the scripts

• [miles]: the real empty miles to pickup, from your current location.
• [weight] and [length]: from the broker, confirmed before you counter.
• [your ask]: a little above your target.
• [walk-away rate]: your floor from the calculator, never lower.
• [lanes] and [type of load]: specific, so the broker remembers you.

Reasons that work in a counter

• Distance to pickup: "I'm 90 miles out empty."
• Weight or size: "It's 14,000 lb; that's a full load for my rig."
• Timing: "Pickup at 6 a.m. means I'm passing on another load."
• Securement: "It's tarped and chained; that's an hour of work."
• Lane: "There's nothing coming out of that area for a hotshot."

Negotiating as a non-CDL hotshot

Light rigs see fewer posts that fit, which makes it tempting to accept anything. Turn the limit into a selling point: brokers moving light, urgent freight often want a smaller truck that's close and can go now. Lead with availability and distance, confirm the weight in writing, and hold your floor. If the weight on the rate confirmation doesn't match, Script 8 applies.

Negotiating with direct shippers

Direct customers usually want a steady price rather than a call for every load. Offer a rate per run for a defined lane, with a fuel adjustment and clear detention terms, and review it every few months. Bring your cost per mile and explain the rate in terms of reliability and response time. A shipper who trusts you will often pay more than a board rate for certainty.

Seeing the broker's side

A broker has a shipper rate and a margin to protect, and needs the load covered by a reliable truck. Brokers often post below what they can pay, expecting counters. They pay more when the load is hard to cover, the pickup is soon, the truck is close or the freight is awkward. They pay less when many trucks are nearby and the lane is easy. Your counter works best when it speaks to their problem: "I'm 20 minutes away and can load now" helps them more than "I need more money."

Negotiating by email or text

More brokers negotiate in writing now. Keep messages short and complete: your equipment, location, availability, the rate you need and the reason, in one message. Writing has an upside: the agreed terms are on record, which makes it easy to check the rate confirmation against what was said.

Practice makes it natural

Read the scripts out loud a few times before you use them, with your own numbers filled in. Practice with a friend playing the broker. The goal isn't to sound rehearsed; it's to have the right sentence ready when the broker says a number that's too low, so you don't fill the silence by agreeing.

Common mistakes

• Calling without knowing your floor
• Naming your number before you know the weight and dimensions
• Countering without a reason
• Agreeing to extras on the phone that never reach the rate confirmation
• Accepting a load below your floor because the day is slow

Broker relationships are covered in hotshot brokers, dedicated work in hot shot contracts, urgent runs in hotshot delivery, and the work in general in our hotshot guide.

Dispatch that negotiates every load

With hotshot dispatch, the calls are ours: we counter every load toward your target, ask about detention and extras, and get them on the rate confirmation. You approve every load, and the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you.