I've seen some traditional Expediter 20' straight trucks called "hotshots", and I've heard of 1-ton dually/40' flatbed Hotshot rigs called "expediters". What is the difference? Are the "hotshot" and "expedite" terms interchangable, or do they exclusively describe two different industries?
Hotshots vs. Expediting
- Thread starter pungaman
- Start date
ericmoss37
Seasoned Expediter
I think Hotshots started out as Pickups and small vans and then the term Expediting was created when larger vehicles were required to do the jobs. I really think it's the same thing.
They are 2 different animals: hotshots are more casual, and can be done 'under the radar' (no authority to haul) in a 4 wheeler, or a pickup with a trailer. Hotshots are frequent in the oil industry, (repair parts to the drilling rigs, for example), and are found mainly in the southern states, I believe.
Expediting is a more formal arrangement, with several mega carriers, and beaucoup smaller ones, but all under the watchful eye of the FMCSA, ICC, etc. Expediters drive cargo vans, C or D straight trucks, or t/t, but all (one hopes) with sleepers, because it's an OTR job, involving days, weeks, and even months, away from home.
Expediting pays more, (in my experience, at least), but 'hotshot driver' was much cooler as a job title, lol.
Expediting is a more formal arrangement, with several mega carriers, and beaucoup smaller ones, but all under the watchful eye of the FMCSA, ICC, etc. Expediters drive cargo vans, C or D straight trucks, or t/t, but all (one hopes) with sleepers, because it's an OTR job, involving days, weeks, and even months, away from home.
Expediting pays more, (in my experience, at least), but 'hotshot driver' was much cooler as a job title, lol.
Jefferson3000
Expert Expediter
Hotshot is actually an old word that is generally interchangeable with expedite. When Panther calls me, it's an expedited load. When an airfreight forwarder like Pilot or Team Worldwide calls, they need a "Hotshot." Currently, hotshotting is getting a newer use as the pickup and gooseneck combination that you'll find hauling oil field products and such. Many of those ARE exclusive load, and they are time sensitive as well.
CharlesD
Expert Expediter
Also, on a lot of load boards they are using hotshot to mean a straight truck. Right after I got my authority I was calling on a load that had hotshot listed as the vehicle type needed and the load was small enough to fit in my Sprinter. Then the broker gave me the rate and it was obviously an LTL rate, not nearly enough money to run the load by itself. I said that I would need three times that amount of money to run the load and the woman replied that it was just a partial and not that urgent. I said, "But your listing says hotshot." I was clueless at the time. I thought that being in the listing meant the load was a hotshot, not the vehicle.
Jefferson3000
Expert Expediter
That's ok, Charles. A lot of them don't even know what they are posting anyways. People who are used to loading flatbeds post everything a a flat. People who load vans, post all for a van. A lot of them don't even know why they push certain buttons.
I was posted in Columbia, SC on Tuesday and received 6 calls in less than an hour after posting my sraight truck on an TL/LTL board. The code was for a straight truck, but it seems that brokers don't really read until after their fingers are dialing.
However, there was one call around 5PM that was looking for a load to be "hotshotted" from Charlotte down to LA. He was obviously talking expedite freight.
CharlesD
Expert Expediter
I list my vehicle on boards quite a bit and probably get 10 calls a day. I'm now getting calls from brokers wanting vehicles in areas where I don't even have anything posted. It's always funny how I will have it listed with specific descriptions of the space and weight I can handle and I'll get someone call with a 30k lb load in Salt Lake while I'm sitting with a Sprinter in Atlanta.