There are lots of hot shot carriers available on the road, but how do you know which one is right for you? And on second thought, what exactly is a “hot shot” carrier?

What is a Hot Shot Carrier?

Good question! The term “hot shot” means a lot in the freight world, and what defines hot shot carriers can be split into truckload and LTL shipping. When it comes to truckload shipping, hot shot carriers are driver/truck combos that are usually available for time-sensitive shipping.

While most truckload shipments need at least 24 hours heads up before a load is booked, hot shot carriers are more likely to be able to pick up time sensitive freight and get it delivered ASAP. There are no set lanes for these shipments, and cost (considering the timeliness) often goes up for a hot shot freight load.

LTL Quote Numbers

Hot shot carriers in LTL are similar to truckload shipping, though there are a few differences. For one, each hot shot freight in LTL requires a quote number, almost like a volume shipment. While most LTL rates can be estimated by using our TMS system, or some other form of automated pricing tool, hot shot freight rates in LTL require a special locked-in price via a quote number.

Also outside the regular confines of LTL shipping, pricing for hot shot carriers is determined on a load by load basis – taking into consideration not only the freight, weight, and distance, but also the shipping lane, and the capacity, time of year, or even weather.

How To Ship An Engine

We use a few different hot shot carriers here at FreightPros, so if you need something picked up and delivered in an expedited manner, reach out to us to get your hot shot freight quote. For those shipments that need to be saved, or where a pickup or delivery was missed at the last second, a hot shot carrier can help you get your freight where you need it to be.