Hotshot trucking statistics for 2026

Most "hotshot statistics" pages online mix unsourced claims with old numbers. Every figure here has a named source and a date. Where hotshot-specific data doesn't exist, we say so and use the closest reliable measure.

Key takeaways

• Rates: most hotshot loads pay about $1.50 to $2.00 per loaded mile (May 2026 industry estimate).
• Costs: the average truck cost $2.336 per mile to operate in 2025, per ATRI.
• Insurance: most for-hire hotshots pay about $7,000 to $30,000 a year (2026).
• License: a Class A CDL applies at 26,001 lb or more combined with a trailer over 10,000 lb.
• Registration: 38 states require intrastate carriers to get a USDOT number.

Rates

Most hotshot loads pay about $1.50 to $2.00 per loaded mile (FreightWaves estimate, May 2026), compared with a $2.59 national semi flatbed average (DAT, Sep 2026).

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<figure><blockquote>Most hotshot loads pay about $1.50 to $2.00 per loaded mile (FreightWaves estimate, May 2026), compared with a $2.59 national semi flatbed average (DAT, Sep 2026).</blockquote><figcaption>Source: <a href="https://truckquick.com/guides/hotshot-trucking-statistics">TruckQuick, Hotshot trucking statistics</a></figcaption></figure>Copy embed code

More in average hot shot rate per mile.

Operating costs

SOURCE: Sources: ATRI, An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking (2025 data, published 2026); LogRock; TruckClub. ATRI figures are fleet averages, mostly semis.

Fuel was 48.2 cents and insurance 10.6 cents of the $2.336 average cost per mile of operating a truck in 2025 (ATRI).

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<figure><blockquote>Fuel was 48.2 cents and insurance 10.6 cents of the $2.336 average cost per mile of operating a truck in 2025 (ATRI).</blockquote><figcaption>Source: <a href="https://truckquick.com/guides/hotshot-trucking-statistics">TruckQuick, Hotshot trucking statistics</a></figcaption></figure>Copy embed code

Hotshots usually run below the semi average because the trucks cost less and burn less fuel. Compare in hotshot vs semi truck cost per mile and hotshot fuel economy by truck.

Drivers and jobs

SOURCE: Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (checked Oct 2026). BLS doesn't publish hotshot-only figures.

Weight, license and registration rules

Reading the cost numbers for a hotshot

ATRI's cost figures come mostly from fleets running tractor-trailers, with driver wages and benefits included. A one-truck hotshot owner who drives their own truck doesn't pay a separate driver, burns less fuel per mile and usually carries a smaller truck payment, so their cost per mile is often well below $2.336. But insurance per mile can be higher for a new authority with few miles to spread it over, which is why the hotshot insurance range above matters more to most new owners than the fleet average.

Compliance for CDL hotshots

These apply only to drivers who need a CDL. See carrier compliance.

What the numbers mean for loads and pay

The gap between a hotshot's rate and its cost per mile is the business. With rates commonly between $1.50 and $2.00 per loaded mile, every empty mile and every dollar of fixed cost matters. Owners who keep empty miles low and price from their own costs earn above these averages; owners who don't often earn below them. Set your own floor with the hotshot rate calculator. Setup choices that change these numbers are in hotshot setup, and oilfield-specific swings in oilfield hotshot trucking.

How to use these numbers

Averages are a starting point, not a plan. Use the rate ranges to sanity-check offers, not to set your price. Use ATRI's cost per mile as a reminder of what goes into running a truck, then replace it with your own figures from fuel receipts, insurance quotes and payments. Use the rule thresholds exactly as written, because they're law, not estimates. And always check the date: a rate from last spring may not describe this fall's market.

Things that move these numbers

Several forces push hotshot rates and costs up or down over time. Diesel prices change fuel cost per mile quickly and rates follow later. Insurance pricing tends to move at renewal and depends heavily on claims across the industry. The number of hotshot trucks in a region rises when rates are good, which then pushes rates down. Energy, construction and agriculture activity drive much of hotshot demand. When you read any statistic, ask which of these has changed since it was measured.

What we don't have

There's no reliable public count of hotshot trucks or hotshot owner-operators, and no official hotshot rate index. We won't invent one. If you know of a sourced dataset, tell us through the contact page.

Dispatch built on real numbers

With hotshot dispatch, every load is priced from your costs, not an average. You approve every load, and the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you. More in our hotshot guide.