CALCULATOR / FREE

Hotshot rate calculator

Enter loaded and empty miles, fuel economy, your other costs per mile and the margin you want, and get the lowest rate that breaks even on a hotshot run and the rate to ask for, per load and per loaded mile.

HOTSHOT RATE · 620 MI DRIVENYOUR COSTS

Target $/loaded mi

ASK FOR AT LEAST

$1,171

Fuel for the trip	$396.00
Floor, break-even	$799.00 · $1.60/mi
Target, with your margin	$1,171.00 · $2.34/mi

Rates are per loaded mile, the way brokers quote them; costs include the empty miles.

This run needs at least $799 to break even and $1,171 to pay you. Our dispatchers book hotshots on the same terms as every other truck, don't bring you loads below your floor without asking, and you sign or refuse every rate con.

Dispatch my hotshot

How it is calculated

Trip miles = loaded miles + empty miles, including the drive back if there is no reload
Fuel = trip miles ÷ loaded miles per gallon × diesel price
Floor (break-even) = fuel + trip miles × your other costs per mile
Target = floor + trip miles × what you want to keep per mile
Per loaded mile = floor or target ÷ loaded miles, because that is how brokers quote
Partial load share = feet of deck used ÷ deck length × floor

Your other costs per mile should include the truck and trailer payments, insurance, maintenance and tires, spread over the miles you run in a month. The break-even rate calculator works that out in detail.

A worked example

An EXAMPLE hotshot run: 500 loaded miles, 120 empty miles, 10 miles per gallon loaded, diesel at $6.38 (the EIA U.S. average for the week of Sep 28, 2026), other costs of 65 cents a mile, and a goal of keeping 60 cents a mile.

HOTSHOT RUNONE LOAD · EXAMPLE

Worked hotshot rate example
Item	Amount
Target rate to ask for	$1,171.00
Fuel, 620 mi	($396.00)
Other costs at $0.65/mi	($403.00)
NET	$372.00

SOURCE: U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION, WEEKLY RETAIL DIESEL PRICE, WEEK OF SEP 28, 2026

The floor is $799, or $1.60 a loaded mile. The target is $1,171, or $2.34 a loaded mile, which leaves the $372 the owner wants for the trip. If the load only uses 16 feet of a 40-foot deck, its fair share of the floor is $319, and the rest of the deck needs to pay for itself.

What a good or bad result means

An offer above your target is a load worth taking, if the delivery point reloads well. An offer between floor and target pays the bills but not you; take it only when it moves you somewhere better. An offer below the floor loses money on every mile. Use the counter-offer target rate calculator to decide what to ask for when you push back.

Before you counter, check what the shipper needs: a hard delivery time, tarping, a liftgate or an expedited run are all reasons to ask for more than your target, and they belong on the rate con in writing, not just in the phone call.

Empty miles hurt hotshots more than most trucks, because each load is smaller. Two short empty legs can cost more than a cheaper load that starts nearby. For context on what owner-operators earn, see owner-operator statistics and rates per mile.

We dispatch hotshots with your floor as the starting point. See dispatch for owner-operators or apply.

Calculator questions

Q01What is the average hot shot rate per mile?

There is no public national index for hotshot rates the way DAT publishes averages for vans, reefers and flatbeds, and hotshot rates swing with lane, season, deck space and urgency. Rather than chase an average, work out your own floor and target per loaded mile with this calculator and judge every offer against them.

Q02How do I price a partial hotshot load?

Start from what the whole trip costs you, then charge each shipper at least their share. This calculator shares the break-even by the feet of deck the load uses. If a load takes 16 of 40 feet, it should cover at least 40% of the trip's cost, and more if it is heavy or awkward.

Q03Is hot shot trucking profitable?

It can be when rates clear your full cost per mile, empty miles included, with room left for your pay. Hotshots have lower truck costs than tractor-trailers, but also smaller loads. The run you just priced will tell you more than any average: if offers rarely reach your target, the lane or the rate has to change.

Q04Do I need a CDL to run hotshot?

It depends on the weight ratings. A combination rated 26,001 lb or more, pulling a trailer rated over 10,000 lb, needs a Class A CDL. Many hotshots stay under that line on purpose. Check your ratings in the calculator; the rule comes from the commercial motor vehicle definition in 49 CFR 383.5.

By Daniel

UPDATED OCTOBER 2026

Hotshot rates move fast. So does our desk.

We dispatch hotshots on the same terms as every other truck. The broker sends the rate con to your company, and you sign it or say no.

Dispatch my hotshot