The Equipment Reality of Hotshot Trucking Nobody Warns You About

Hot shot trucking looks simple from the outside. A truck, a trailer, a load, and the road. Social media makes it look even easier — hook up, haul, cash the check.

What doesn’t get talked about nearly enough is the gear. Not the truck. Not the trailer. The stuff. The piles of equipment you end up buying, replacing, upgrading, and hauling around just to stay legal, safe, and competitive.

And if you don’t factor that in early, it can quietly drain your budget before you ever realize what happened.

The Flatbed Reality: Steel, Fabric, and Sweat

If you’re running a flatbed — especially open-deck hot shot — equipment isn’t optional. It’s part of the job, and it adds up fast.

Chains and binders alone can run into the thousands once you’re properly equipped. You need different lengths, different grades, backups for when something fails, and extras for heavier or awkward loads. Then there are straps. Not just one or two — dozens. Some long, some short, some sacrificial. They wear, they fray, they get cut, and they don’t owe you anything.

Now add tarps. Real commercial tarps. Lumber tarps, steel tarps, smoke tarps. Heavy. Awkward. Expensive. And every one of them becomes a full-body workout when the wind decides to argue with you.

Edge protectors matter. So do corner boards. Moving blankets aren’t just for van freight — flatbed drivers use them constantly to protect finished equipment, painted surfaces, or sensitive machinery. And when something tears or gets ruined mid-load, you don’t have the luxury of “I’ll replace it later.” You replace it now, or you don’t haul.

That’s the grind side of flatbed hot shotting. It pays better in many cases, but it earns that money one strap, one chain, one tarp at a time.

Cargo Vans and Enclosed Trailers: Less Gear, Not No Gear

A lot of people assume van or enclosed trailer work means less equipment and fewer headaches. It’s true that you’re not chaining down a skid steer in the rain — but you’re not gear-free either.

Straps are still critical. Load bars matter. E-track fittings, soft straps, and padding become your bread and butter. You’re protecting freight from shifting, rubbing, tipping, or crushing itself over miles of bad pavement.

Depending on the freight, you may need a pallet jack. That’s not cheap, and it’s not light. You may need a liftgate or access to one. You might be expected to help load or unload at places without docks. Suddenly you’re not just hauling — you’re handling.

And then there’s the gear you don’t think about until it’s too late. Gloves. Extra lighting. Floor protection. Spill kits. Tie-down points. All small things. All money.

Van freight may be cleaner and more weather-friendly, but it still demands preparation and professionalism.

Why This Gear Matters More Than You Think

Here’s the part most new hot shotters miss: equipment affects what loads you can accept.

Brokers and shippers don’t ask what you could handle if you had the gear. They book based on what you can handle right now. No tarps? You’re out. No chains? Not your load. No pallet jack? They’ll call someone else.

Every missing piece of equipment narrows your opportunity window.

Worse, showing up unprepared doesn’t just lose one load — it can lose a relationship. In hot shotting, reputation travels fast. Being known as “the guy who’s always ready” matters.

The Hidden Cost New Drivers Underestimate

Most people budget for the truck and trailer. Some budget for insurance and fuel. Very few budget realistically for gear replacement.

Straps get cut. Tarps rip. Chains walk off. Binders fail. Blankets get ruined. Pallet jacks break. None of that waits for a good week.

Over time, your gear becomes a rolling investment. The drivers who last treat it like one. They inspect it. They replace it early. They budget for it monthly instead of reacting to emergencies.

That mindset alone separates the drivers who stay afloat from the ones constantly scrambling.

Grit, Gear, and Doing It Right

Hot shot trucking isn’t just about horsepower. It’s about readiness. About showing up equipped, informed, and professional every time you hook to a load.

The grit is the work.The gear is the commitment.

f you plan for both from the start, you’re already ahead of most people who try to get into this business.

And if you don’t — the road will teach you. Usually the hard way.